Riprap shoreline project revised after DNR rejected rock-bar design; county expects federal funds but warns of higher local match

Ashland County highway staff told the Highway Committee that a federally funded shoreline riprap project on County Highway H required redesign after the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) refused a planned feature intended to rebuild shoreline and trap sand. Highway staff said engineers originally included rock bars extending about 25 feet into the lake bed; staff reported the DNR fisheries reviewers “axed” that element during permitting. The change forced the engineers to return to the design phase and delayed bidding. The county holds roughly $900,000 in federal funding for the project and had planned “to spend 2 to 300,000 of county dollars” as a local match, the highway commissioner said, but he warned the project “is gonna come in over budget” and the committee may need to decide whether to fund the full project or remove elements to reduce cost. Staff told the committee the project must be completed by the federal timeline (must be done by June 2026) and that the permitting delays compressed the schedule. The committee discussed whether to schedule a special meeting if bids are not ready for the August 11 packet. Committee members asked for clarification about the permit delay and were told the project’s initial preliminary approval came from a DNR staff member who appeared supportive, but later fisheries reviewers denied the rock-bar feature. The county will finalize designs, reapply for permits and prepare to advertise the project; the county’s crew will not perform the work because this is a federal project administered externally, staff said.