ERIN, Wis. — A homeowner on Druid Lake in the Town of Erin reached out to TMJ4 News concerned about the future of the area, saying that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources might make a change that could impact how homeowners could rebuild if a natural disaster happened there.
Druid Lake waters are currently calm and the community avoided the August floods, but that can change in an instant.
Mary Lee Rieley, Dawn Neuworth and Ken Dickert all live on the lake and recently learned future DNR mapping plans could re-categorize their properties into a flood storage district rather than just a floodplain.
"We've seen what happens with floods. A flood can happen. So, it's very, very sad, and I am emotionally very upset about it, as many others are," Mary Lee Rieley said. "The shock is going through all of us, because that is not a detail we had known about."
The flood storage change concerns the community because, according to Washington County, this could mean that if a flood, fire or tornado destroyed their homes, rebuilding would require filling in more land, raising their homes and expanding their properties.
Watch: Druid Lake dwellers distressed DNR mapping changes could hurt their homes
Dickert said these rules aren't possible to follow because their properties are smaller and too close together.
"These properties don't have that higher land, so it's almost an impossible criteria to achieve," Ken Dickert said. "We need those items changed to allow people the comfort and clarity going forward on that property.”
The three worry what the change could do to property values and their families, and future homeowners.
"Who's going to want to buy it then? If you can't change it and make it your home," Neuworth said. "If you can't sell it, who's going to insure it? What is that going to do for us? So, that's why we're concerned."
They also said the cost to rebuild under the new map rules could make it difficult to stay on the lake when, in an instant, a disaster could ruin what they've worked to create.
"We're just regular people," Neuworth said. "We're not multimillionaires."
The DNR was unavailable for comment. The county confirmed they're working on a resolution to advocate for the community's concerns.
"It's a big thing!" Neuworth said. "We have to make people aware of it!"
Washington County plans to discuss a resolution during the board meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10.
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