The Stewards of the Dells of the Wisconsin River met for the first time on April 25, 2006.

Our group worked on a name, mission statement, bylaws, and creating interest groups. We invited speakers from groups interested in similar protection and preservation missions: the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, Baraboo Range Preservation Area, Wisconsin DNR, River Alliance, Gathering Waters, and Sauk Prairie River PAL. In September, we held our first annual meeting and elected officers.

Our first major activity was a fundraiser: the First Annual Music & Art Festival on September 23 in Bowman Park in the Dells. We ran an art contest (My Favorite Rock in the Dells) for school children, auctioned donated items and gave out door prizes, offered refreshments, and featured music groups from the area. Our purpose was to raise money and to create community awareness of our mission. We are currently selling notecards using four designs created by contest winners.

Our Holiday Party in December at River Walk Pub offered an opportunity for socializing and recruiting a few new members.

We spent a great deal of time at our November 2006, and January and February 2007, meetings working in large and small groups on our priority list of goals, objectives, strategies, and activities. We finalized our goals, objectives, strategies, and activities at the April meeting.

In the Spring of 2007, we adopted a logo and developed a website for information concerning our efforts to protect and preserve the Dells of the Wisconsin River.

A water safety panel which included two DNR representatives, the Juneau County deputy who patrols the Upper Dells river corridor, a representative from Rep. Doc Hines office, and the Wisconsin Dells chief of police led a lively and productive discussion at our May meeting.

The Second Annual Stewards of the Dells Festival raised just over $4,000 on September 22-23, 2007. The two day festival began with The Art & Artistry of H.H. Bennett 3-D slide show was presented by Tim and Karen White on Saturday night at the H.H. Bennett Studio - the first time this show has been presented in the Dells. The second day of the festival saw a crowd of more than 200 people enjoying a wide range of musical entertainment provided by the Raging Grannies, the Spare Time Bluegrass Band, the Sara Pace Band, and the Big House Tuba Quartet.

At the second annual meeting in September, the following officers were elected: President - Debbie Kinder, Vice President - Diana England, Treasurer - Dave Simerson, Secretary - Arlene Kanno, and members-at-large: Easton Dreher, Jenel Tallmadge, and Ted Hagen. Kristin Helland has resigned her post as our first vice-president to teach in China this year. In November, we elected Pat Andersen to take Easton's place on the board; he is very busy opening Vertical Illusions at its new location, but we hope he will come to meetings when possible.

In early November of 2007, Jim Welsh, executive director of the Natural Heritage Land Trust, notified us that his board of directors is willing to work with the Stewards to preserve and protect land in the Dells of the Wisconsin River State Natural Area acquisition zone. Frank and Mariana Weinhold were pioneers in their protection of Louis' Bluff last spring with help from the Natural Heritage Land Trust. The Wisconsin State Legislature approved a budget reauthorizing and increasing the Stewardship Fund, a key component of this process. We are making plans to offer this option to area landowners.

In May of 2008, Rick Durbin wrote, published, and donated proceeds from his book, The Kilbourn Dam: A Tale of Hopes, Dreams, and Schemes, to the Stewards. The publication party in mid-May was jointly sponsored by the Stewards, the Dells County Historical Society, and the Friends of the Kilbourn Public Library. The book is on sale for $25 at the H.H. Bennett Studio or by sending an email to dellsstewards@yahoo.com.

More than 100 area student artists and photographers entered the Third Annual Art and Photo contest. Because the contest has been moved from fall to spring, two contests were held during the 2007-2008 school year.

On June 9, after heavy rains, Lake Delton was drained by a new channel cut to the Wisconsin River in the Lower Dells. Although no one was hurt, the loss of four homes and the income generated by the lake had a profound effect on the community. Phillip White, an amateur videographer, recorded the day-long event and edited it to a half-hour DVD. On July 30, the Stewards invited the community to the first showing of The Draining of Lake Delton in the community room at the library. White donated the proceeds from the sale of the DVDs to two families who lost their homes.

Stewards Hiroshi and Arlene Kanno and Kathy Thelen can claim credit for the Newport Plan Commission's decision to create a 100-foot buffer zone along the Wisconsin River shoreline in the Lower Dells.

The Stewards raised $2500 at the Dells Wine & Cheese Festival at the Justagame Fieldhouse on October 3. The funds were earned by advance sale of tickets, sale of wine at the festival, sale of horse-drawn carriage rides, sale of holiday cards (produced and donated by Jack and Mary Waterman), and a raffle featuring a kayak donated by Easton Dreher of Vertical Illusions and a hot air balloon ride.

Officers elected for the coming year include Debbie Kinder—president, Di England—vice president, Pat Andersen—treasurer, Arlene Kanno—secretary, members-at large—Jim Hagen, Dave Simerson, Bob Spargo.

In November, Anne Klein purchased property on Stand Rock Road with rocky shoreline on the Old River Bed behind Black Hawk Island. She has contacted the Stewards about preserving the land from development, and we voted to work with the Natural Heritage Land Trust to create a conservation easement on her property.

At the same November meeting Wisconsin DNR Regional Warden Barb Wolf reported that after working with Steward Bill Federbusch, who leads the Boating Safety Committee, and conducting their own studies, the DNR will work toward creating a Slow No Wake zone in the Narrows of the Upper Dells.

At the January meeting, members set the following goals for 2009: protect Klein property; get kids involved through art contest, outdoor service and education; work with Upham Woods; clean up trash and invasive species along the river; develop a plan for Riverfest; network with businesses, local government, churches, service groups. At the February meeting the group agreed to continue the work of the Dells Riverfest committee to host crew and kayak races in the Upper Dells on April 18, 2009.