All this week, we’re showcasing the city of Altoona as part of NewsCenter 13’s Our Town series.

An important part of Altoona is the city’s largest body of water, Lake Altoona. It sits just north of the city’s downtown area, covering more than 800 acres. It’s a quiet place, where hundreds come to have fun, or just relax.

“I think it’s an area that’s got quite a lot of pride involved with it,” Dick Hanson, former chairman of the Altoona Lake District said.

Lake Altoona first got its name February 21st of 1938, thanks to a unanimous vote by the Eau Claire County Board. The Altoona dam was built that same year. Now, Hanson says folks come to this western Wisconsin wonder mainly for recreation.

“And it is indeed good for the total area in that regard. It’s a lot of fishing and water skiing and swimming and all sorts of activity relating to the lake.”

Add to that list, the Ski Sprites. If the group gets the green light, they’ll start performing on the lake next summer.

“I think it’ll be an asset,” Hanson said. “I think we’ll all have picnics and watch them perform.”

But the lake is not all fun and games. It also generates revenue for both the city of Altoona and Eau Claire County in the form of property taxes.

“It’s a rather substantial tax base for the total area and the property values are quite high,” Hanson said.

But when it comes to guaranteeing a future for Lake Altoona, Hanson says it will need a little work. That means dredging it, a process that removes dirt from the lake’s bottom to prevent sand and sediment build-up. It was last dredged in 1997.

“We think it’s our responsibility as current owners to do what we can to maintain the resource,” Hanson said.

Just this year, Hanson says the Altoona Lake District approved a $2 million line of credit for the project. If approved, Hanson says the process could start as soon as next summer.

“If we don’t do it, eventually that resource will be lost.”

But some Altoona residents say they don’t want to have to pay taxes to dredge the lake.

Hanson says there’s also been some controversy over the lake’s water level. The lake’s been drawn two feet during the winter for the last fifty years.

“We think it better protects the shoreline and the beauty of the trees and the large trees that are rather unique around the lake,” Hanson said.

But Hanson says the DNR thinks the lake’s fishery might be improved by eliminating the draw down.

“And we don’t dispute that, but we think there’s a middle ground that hopefully we can work for.”

In the meantime, Lake Altoona will remain a city landmark, as residents work to make sure it’ll be around for future generations to enjoy.