which the doctor declined and said, “I have named this lake in honor of Rev. William F. Mallalieu, D.D., L.L.D., Bishop of the Methodist church and a resident of New Orleans.” In the 1890s, The Willow had been known from the earliest days as a fine trout stream, but a St. Paul group bought a tract of land along the river below Willow Falls and established the exclusive Willow River Club, which was fenced in and controlled by members. Local, Frank Wade, challenged this because he didn’t want his fishing curtailed. After being arrested for trespassing, he eventually won his case and it became issued that “the Willow River was a public, navigable stream, and the defendant was not guilty of catching the fish in question.” This led to free use of the lakes and rivers by the public. On April 5, 1934 the Willow got its second big flood, washing out dams upstream. The debris and floodwaters cause severe damage on Mallalieu, such as the bridge collapsing, railroad trestle and the large dam on the St. Croix. Lake Mallalieu emptied into the St. Croix River. Today, we now see the new bridge that was built as a result of this flood as well as the new dams. Present During the late 1950s, Mallalieu started being recognized as an ideal and great place to live and raise a family. Prior, there had only been a few houses and cottages build on the lake. in the 1960s, large parcels started being divided into lots, and the building has continued since then until now, when essentially all the buildable sites are already in use. Lake Mallalieu experienced a record flood in 1965 when the lake rose three to four feet over its normal level, covering parts of Riverside Drive almost 2 feet deep. In the spring of 2020 lake Mallalieu flooded again after the newly constructed Willow River dam failed to hold back flood waters following a large rainstorm. Neighbors all along Riverside Drive banded together to take out docks and boats before the flood waters could cause significant damage. Biology The fish found in the lake include Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike. Invasive species noticed there are Curly-leaf Pondweed, Eurasion Watermilfoil, and Rusty Crayfish. References Reservoirs in Wisconsin Lakes of St. Croix County, Wisconsin