Photos: Relive draining of Lake Delton in epic 2008 floods
The historic flooding of June 2008, caused by persistent rainfall that slammed nearly half of Wisconsin's counties, was perhaps best known for an outcome that left many people high and dry near the Wisconsin Dells. On June 9, 2008, saturated soil beneath a 500-foot section of Highway A slid away, causing the 267-acre Lake Delton to drain into the Wisconsin River, taking several homes along with it. Here's a look back at that disaster and its aftermath.
Lake Delton broke through a 400- to 500-foot section of primarily sand underneath Highway A on June 9, 2008, and drained the 267-acre lake into the Wisconsin River. Five homes on the lake were destroyed and several businesses on the lake lost millions of dollars in revenue.
The stage area for the Water Ski shows put on by Tommy Bartlett on Lake Delton sits on the lake bottom after floodwaters breached the bank and drained the lake June 9, 2008.
A washed-out Highway A was damaged when the water ran out of Lake Delton on June 9, 2008.Â
Another view of the new channel created when floodwaters caused water to run out of Lake Delton on June 9, 2008. Several houses were destroyed.
Boats were left dry when the water ran out of Lake Delton near the Wisconsin Dells on June 9, 2008.Â
Sauk County officials stand on the edge of a collapsed portion of Highway A near the village of Lake Delton on June 9, 2008.
Boats were left dry when the water ran out of Lake Delton near the Wisconsin Dells on June 9, 2008.
The view of what was left of Lake Delton on Monday, June 9, 2008.
People wade in what remains of Lake Delton near the Tommy Bartlett Show, the location of well-known water ski shows, on June 9, 2008.
You can see the bottom of Lake Dalton on June 9, 2008.
Walking on the bottom of what used to be Lake Delton on June 9, 2008, Tyson Holtz uses a metal detector to search for formerly sunken treasure. The lake drained through a new channel it cut for itself into the Wisconsin River.
Lake Delton was still dry July 17, 2008, after a flood ruptured a road embankment and drained the lake in the Wisconsin Dells area.
Linda Allessi, owner of Sandrift Resort, sits near her resort's empty beach on Lake Delton and tosses bread to a duck on July 17, 2008. The flood that drained Lake Delton resulted in a secondary flood of cancellations at small resorts along the dry lake.
Linda, left, and Chris Allessi sit on the dock of their resort overlooking drained Lake Delton on July 17, 2008.
Businesses that could remove stranded boats from Lake Delton were in demand after a June flood washed out a road and drained the lake in the popular vacation resort area of Wisconsin Dells.
Boats had to be removed from the dry lake. Lake Delton is pictured here July 17, 2008.
An aerial photo taken June 21, 2008, of the drained Lake Delton.
A home near the 254-acre Lake Delton was damaged when floodwaters breached the bank and drained the lake June 9, 2008.
On June 9, 2008, saturated soil beneath a 500-foot section of highway slid away, causing the 267-acre Lake Delton to drain into the Wisconsin River.
After 69 years as one of the leading attractions in the Wisconsin Dells area, the Tommy Bartlett Show announced Wednesday that it would close permanently after losing the 2020 season to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wisconsin's deadliest tornado struck New Richmond in St. Croix County on June 12, 1899, the worst in state history. More than 100 people and c…
Wisconsin's deadliest tornado struck New Richmond in St. Croix County on June 12, 1899, the worst in state history. More than 100 people and c…
