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Second Landing sedimentation, low Lake Superior levels prompt possible dredging; initial estimate exceeds $300,000
Summary
County staff reported sediment buildup and unusually shallow water at Second Landing; obtaining state permits and funding are outstanding, and an initial contractor quote exceeded $300,000. The county will seek state permit approvals and is exploring donations and grant options.
Ashland County staff briefed the Forestry and Recreation Committee on severe sedimentation and low-water issues at Second Landing on Lake Superior. Staff said the landing basin is filled with sediment and that outside the launch entrance the lake is very shallow for several hundred yards, in places under a foot deep.
Staff said they are pursuing a Wisconsin state permit (state waters) and believe the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would process a permit contingent on state permit approval. The county has met with contractors to understand dredging options; an initial contractor estimate provided to staff exceeded $300,000. Staff said there is no identified county funding source for dredging and that the DNR or Corps processes are not rapid.
To begin building local funding, staff said the highway department will fabricate and install a donation box at the landing to collect public contributions, but that donations alone would not raise the sum needed quickly. Committee members and a newly appointed Lake Superior representative to the Wisconsin Waterways Commission discussed grant options for Great Lakes dredging and said they would explore applicable grant programs that may have limited remaining funds.
No county appropriation was approved at the meeting; staff said they will continue permitting work and will seek grant options and public contributions while clarifying long-term solutions with engineers and permitting authorities.
