The Department of Natural Resources hopes the latest buzz about a local beach in the buff does not prompt more indecent behavior.

Mazomanie's nude beach was recently featured in a USA Today article.
However, even regular beach-goers are concerned about out-of-state tourists traveling to the beach as a result of the publicity.

For nearly sixty years, people sporting little more than their birthday suits have been able to mind their business on the Mazomanie beach along the Wisconsin River.

"We're basically free-spirited and have nothing to hide and I don't mean that as a pun," says regular beach patron Michael McGreevy.

Wisconsin DNR Conservation Warden Supervisor Jeremy Plautz is concerned that the beach is no longer a secret.

"It is advertised on the Internet," says Plautz. "It is advertised in the media now quite a bit that it is a nude beach. It becomes attractive for people coming for sex."

Ten people have been arrested for public sex and three others for drug possession since Memorial Day. Now the Wisconsin DNR is cracking down and regular beach-goers are taking matters into their own hands. Regular beach patrons keep their eyes on guests and discourage bad behavior.

The DNR removed several willow trees from the beach area to deter people from hiding. However, patrons say a portion further downstream has caused the problems.

"As for the some of the sex acts, these are isolated and not on the main beach," says Michael McGreevy.

Pastor Ralph Ovadal and his church have been protesting the beach for years and want it closed. Ovadal says he is not as worried about the adults as he is children. On Friday, NBC 15 spotted several children on the beach, some of them clothed. Other children were not clothed.

"Everyday we hear stories of children being used in child pornography," says Ovadal. "People are arrested for that. Now we have a place on public property where children are paraded naked and anyone can go down there."

One area along the beach that has been a problem in the past has now been closed off. The fine for entering the restricted area is $160.
There are also DNR rangers and wardens on patrol most days of the week.

The nude beach is legal but there have been attempts to close it. Eight years ago the Wisconsin legislature considered closing the beach during the summer months, but that failed. The same year an attempt to ban public nudity at all DNR recreational sites also failed.