Bartlett show beached when lake drains

The Tommy Bartlett Show ski jumps stood like skeletons over a bed of mud Tuesday.

The famous water ski show was been held on sparkling Lake Delton at Wisconsin Dells for 55 years until catastrophic rains, followed by flooding, caused an earthen dam to be breached draining a good part of the man-made lake.

The show that went on "rain or shine" was forced to cancel eight shows this week for the first time in its history.

Now, Bartlett officials are working feverishly to create a different show with less emphasis on the lake.

Other Dells attractions are also considering how they will adapt.

The Bartlett show must replace its damaged sound system and restore its water-logged amphitheater, which often packs in 5,000 fans a show during the height of summer.

"Our goal right now is to assess the damage and expand our stage-and-sky show so we can open again on Thursday," said Bartlett spokeswoman Andrea Novotny.

Lake Delton drained in a matter of hours into the Wisconsin River early this week.

Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau data said about 3 million visitors came in 2007 and spent about $1 billion. Experts said Tuesday it's too early to determine how the lost lake would affect the local economy, but it obviously would initially target some resorts and small businesses that rented boats, pontoons and personal watercraft.

"We're now telling guests we have a huge beach now," said Dawn Baker, co-owner of Baker's Sunset Resort, located on the south end of what was once Lake Delton.

While her resort remained undamaged, Baker said she watched in amazement when the lake waters rose higher and higher and then suddenly drained away.

"It was very eerie, very spooky," said Baker.

Just as eerie was seeing the Bartlett ski jumps protrude from the muddy lake bed, a lake that was once about 10 feet high and accommodated one of the nation's most famous water shows.

The lake part of the Bartlett show has been canceled indefinitely until the Wisconsin governor and others determine how to repair the breach and refill the lake.

"We highly doubt that the lake will be filled by this summer," said Novotny.

The Bartlett staff had its hands full trying to pull out the six trick boats and eight boats which towed the ski performers before they were beached on the lake bed.

The trick boats were placed on platforms offshore. The tow boats were hitched to trailers and moved to the parking lot near the Bartlett office.

Workers also have been cleaning up the soggy dressing area and waiting to install a new sound system to replace the damaged one at the amphitheater.

"We've never been hit by such a catastrophe before," Novotny said. "This has been unbelievable."

Other favorite vacation attractions also were affected. The Wisconsin Duck Tours, which conducted part of its tour on Lake Delton, has been rerouted entirely onto the Wisconsin River, said Novotny.

The Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau said 93 percent of the downtown Wisconsin Dells businesses were unaffected and operating after the lake drained.

"A lot of the access roads are still open," said convention bureau spokeswoman Carla Minsky. "Only County A (road) is closed because that's where the shoreline was breached."

The convention bureau has 17 small- and midsized resorts as members and the staff Tuesday were checking on them to see how they were doing.

Minsky and others said it was difficult at this time to estimate any damage or how this would affect tourism.

"We're just so grateful that no one was injured in all of this," said Minsky. "The Wisconsin Dells is a very resilient community."

Who to contact

If you had a vacation planned in the Wisconsin Dells area, here are some resources to check on availability.

• Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau

www.wisdells.com

(800) 223-3557

• Tommy Bartlett Show

Water show is postponed indefinitely. An expanded land-and-sky show is expected to open Thursday.

www.tommybartlett.com

(608) 254-2525

• Original Wisconsin Ducks

Tours that included Lake Delton now are rerouted entirely on the Wisconsin River.

www.wisconsinducktours.com

(608) 254-8751