Don Teffer is a Korean War veteran and runs Teffer Farms Camp Shangri-La on his property. He hosts fellow veterans and others, including first responders and adaptive sports participants, to fish and spend time on Upper Kelly La ke for free."I dont want a dime, my payment is seeing them enjoy themselves and seeing the land put to good use," said Teffer. "I love fishing here! I came out with a group from the VA on the bus," said John Brahm, a Marine Corps and Army veteran.Teffer says he has lived on Upper Kelly Lake for more than a half century and that this year's algae growth is the worst he's ever seen."It is the worst year ever, and when you look into the water, you see how thick it is," said Teffer.A Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources spokesperson wrote in a statement, "The lake has a great deal of filamentous algae in the nearshore areas."Teffer feels the lake has changed over the years."There was a pair of beavers living here, they're gone. There were plenty of muskrats, they're gone," Teffer said. "When I look at the lake, it hurts me, it actually hurts me."Craig Helker, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources aquatic plant management coordinator for Milwaukee County, said over the phone that a significant amount of runoff from surrounding subdivisions drains into the small lake. That runoff includes nutrients from sources like fertilizer used on lawns and animal waste. Those nutrients in the runoff can fuel algae blooms."To have an even deep green lawn, you are poisoning the waterways," Teffer said.Jeff Demasek, a member of the volunteer-based Kelly Lake Association, said the group took action about 20 years ago by rerouting a creek to slow and filter runoff before it reached the lake. "We made the creek meander around so that it would try to filter out [runoff] before it actually went in [the lake]," Demasek said, pointing at a map of the creek.Helker says a long-term solution would require limiting the amount of nutrient-rich runoff. That might include reducing fertilizer use on lawns, managing pet waste, and sweeping up leaves.But Demasek says getting to that long-term solution remains a challenge."It's really all about the nutrients, that's the sad part. I get it, people want to have their nice lawns and there are some alternatives, but they usually cost even more than your typical lawn service might charge," Demasek said.For Teffer, the stakes go beyond the lake itself."Human life depends on the environment," Teffer said.He wants people to spend more time in nature, and learn about the environment and ways to care for it.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less