Posted on March 2, 2026
VIROQUA, Wis. – Vernon County officials are taking the first steps toward a multimillion dollar capital campaign to dredge Sidie Hollow Lake and construct a new public swimming beach.
The Conservation and Education Committee voted recently to seek proposals from professional fundraising firms to conduct a feasibility study for the project. County Conservationist David Hettenbach told the committee that hiring outside experts is necessary given the massive scope of the fundraising goal which is estimated at over two million dollars.
Hettenbach explained that a professional firm would likely run an 18 to 24 month campaign and the cost of hiring the firm could be rolled into the total fundraising target.
“These numbers in the six figures for a capital campaign are not small numbers,” said Hettenbach. “However you can build what you’re paying the organization into your capital campaign. So if they want $250,000 then we instead of trying to raise $2 million we try to raise two and a quarter million dollars.”
The project aims to remove years of sediment buildup from the lake and restore a zero entrance swimming beach. Supervisor Mary Henry noted that the county currently lacks accessible public swimming options and adding a beach would serve as a major economic and recruitment tool for local employers.
“We don’t have a swimming beach at all with zero entrance,” said Henry. “Our businesses would like it because when the hospital is recruiting or Organic Valley or even the county people look at what do you have for outdoor activity. Do you have a place to swim?”
The push for a capital campaign follows a previous unsuccessful attempt to secure state or federal funding for the dredging. Community Development Director Amy Oliver reminded the Finance Committee that the county applied for a two million dollar grant in 2022 to dredge the lake and restore the beach.
Oliver pointed out that while the county did not win that grant the community’s swift financial response proved there is strong local appetite to fund the project privately.
“We didn’t end up getting that grant but we were short of our match requirement by like $80,000,” said Oliver. “I was able to raise it in two weeks. The city of Viroqua contributed and I had businesses saying we’ll give you 10,000. So I do think there’s some strong fundraising potential.”
Before launching the full campaign the county must first pay for a feasibility study to determine if the local donor base can realistically support a two million dollar goal. Hettenbach noted that preliminary discussions with firms placed the cost of that initial study around $38,000 to $43,000.
“In the worst case scenario world we sink $40,000 into a feasibility study that comes back and says we can’t do this,” said Hettenbach. “And that’s at least our off ramp right there.”
The county previously set aside $15,000 for a capital campaign plan but officials acknowledge that amount will not cover the full cost of the feasibility study. The committee plans to review formal proposals from fundraising firms in the coming months and will likely seek to cover the remaining cost of the study using non lapsing funds from the Land and Water Department.
