Lakes in Dane County suffer from cultural eutrophication. Many attempts designed to solve water quality problems have failed. While technical solutions appear feasible, institutional arrangements have hampered progress in pushing back the clock on cultural eutrophication. The latest effort to address these institutional weaknesses produced the Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission. At the same time, the County was also provided with new authority and financing tools for water resource problems. The effectiveness of the new Commission and the powers granted to the Dane County Board of Supervisors are evaluated in terms of seven lake management factors. The new arrangements appear to address six out of these seven factors fairly well. While the new institution offers much promise, the County faces the challenge of sustaining the political will to make long-term progress in reversing cultural eutrophication.