Today, June 10, 2008 is seeing river and lake levels continuing to rise in Southern Wisconsin after heavy rains plagued the area over the weekend.

Lake Delton in Lake Delton, Wisconsin is no longer a lake but a huge mud hole after the embankment holding the water in the lake collapsed Monday morning. The entire 267 acre lake that held 600 million gallons of water emptied in about 20 minutes, washing 4 lakefront homes away. Fortunately no one was injured when the homes washed away but a huge amount of debris and water have gone into the Wisconsin River. To see video of damage as it happened during the emptying of the lake, click on the play button on the youtube videos at the bottom of this post.

If you have plans to camp or vacation in the Wisconsin Dells, Lake Delton or Baraboo areas, call ahead to make sure the place you are staying is open and accessible.

Although the flooding in the Wisconsin Dells/Lake Delton area is devastating, 90 percent of the businesses in the area are open, accessible, and undamaged.

One popular attraction in Wisconsin Dells that is affected is the Tommy Bartlett water show. The show, which featured acrobatic water skiing on Lake Delton, is now a seating area facing a huge mud pit. The shows plans to reopen Thursday, June 12 with a variety show on the lake shore. The water show is cancelled indefinitely.

Boat tours in Wisconsin Dells planned to re-open today, Tuesday, June 10 with Original Wisconsin Ducks Tours having a modified route because their original route included a dip in the now empty Lake Delton. Dells Boat Tours and Jet Boat Adventures both operate on the Wisconsin River so they will be able to continue business as usual as long as the river levels remain safe.

Devils Lake State Park near Baraboo, Wisconsin is open although a few of the campsites are very wet, but park officials will do their best to find campers a dry place to camp if their campsite is wet. Currently, the biggest problem at Devil’s Lake State Park is getting around to various areas of the park due to some roads being under water. The park is open though. If you have questions, call the park at 608.356.8301.

At Governor Dodge State Park in Wisconsin, a popular camping destination in Wisconsin, all trails are currently closed due to the heavy rains which have caused many wash-outs. For more information, call the park office at 608.953.2315.

If you are planning a camping trip or any trip or vacation the Midwest this weekend, especially in the Southern half of Wisconsin and Southern Indiana - the two areas that have been hardest hit by flooding, call ahead to check current conditions. Although most businesses and roadways are open and undamaged, there are some areas that may still be inaccessible or closed.