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Council approves $138,437 contract for Saratoga Lake/dam feasibility and master plan study
Summary
The council approved a consulting contract with Ayres Associates to complete a dam safety inspection, updated sediment analysis, hydraulics modeling and conceptual designs for the Saratoga Lake/impoundment upstream of Barstow Street. The contract is $138,437; previous estimates to dredge deposited sediment were $6–7 million.
The Common Council on Sept. 2 approved a consulting contract with Ayres Associates for a Saratoga Lake and Saratoga Mill Dam feasibility and master planning study, authorizing up to $138,437 for the work.
Public Works and Parks staff and the Board of Public Works described the study scope as a combination of tasks the city must periodically complete and new analyses to inform whether to repair, modify or remove the dam and how to manage the impoundment upstream of Barstow Street in Frame Park. The study includes a dam safety inspection required by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), underwater inspections not completed in the previous study, an updated pre‑dredge sediment sampling and analysis to refresh 2018 cost estimates, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling for dam‑removal alternatives, conceptual designs for both dam‑retention and removal scenarios, and identification of potential grant funding sources.
Board of Public Works members said the 2018–19 study had estimated dredging costs at roughly $6–7 million and that dredging had not moved forward because of expense. Public Works staff said updated sediment sampling was necessary because prior analysis is no longer adequate for DNR acceptance and because disposal costs and handling requirements have changed since 2018.
Ayers Associates was the lowest proposer to meet the RFP requirements; the Board of Public Works recommended the contract 4–1 and the council approved the contract 12–3.
Council members who opposed the contract cited the city’s current financial constraints and skepticism about funding availability for implementation; proponents said the city needs information now to prioritize competing park capital projects and to avoid a larger problem later if the impoundment continues to accumulate sediment.
Why it matters: The study will inform whether the city should pursue costly dredging, dam repair or removal and will update engineering, sediment and cost information needed for DNR review and for potential grant applications. The previous dredging estimate of $6–7 million and the DNR’s requirements make the decision consequential for park planning and capital budgeting.
