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Committee backs $30,000 dredging feasibility study and debates lake drawdown timing
Summary
The committee approved a $30,000 feasibility award for inlet dredging and debated restoring the Husaford/Heusford dam drawdown timing to mid‑February amid conflicting views about erosion causes and DNR fisheries' views on rough fish.
Committee reports focused heavily on lake‑management issues. Members said an emergency meeting with the Heusford Village and LSID (Lake Senesee Improvement District) considered changing a 1952 dam order that governs annual drawdown timing. The committee passed a motion to recommend adjusting the drawdown back toward mid‑February after lake residents reported increased shoreline erosion and ice‑heave effects; several attendees urged that the claim be examined with scientific data rather than relying solely on homeowner reports.
Chair and staff also announced the award of $30,000 to Hay & Associates to complete a cost‑feasibility study for inlet dredging near Oxbow Marine to estimate dredging costs, permits, and available grants. The committee received maps showing portions of farms in floodplains for the Rock River flood‑group and plans for an April 9 meeting with UW–Madison specialists to model hydraulics and flood retention options.
On Beaver Dam Lake, staff described a 20‑by‑20‑foot pilot enclosure (0.009 acres) to test carp exclusion and native‑plant reestablishment. The project has a DNR permit application (fee waived through a surface‑water grant); monitoring will include biweekly photos and secchi readings for two years. Committee members questioned a DNR Fisheries statement that rough fish do not affect water quality and said they will compile data (USGS, DNR SWMS phosphorus trends, NOAA precipitation records) to resolve conflicting interpretations.
The committee also heard local lake updates: Fox Lake purchased buoys, passed a wake‑boat ordinance, and is investigating nano‑bubble aeration trials in comparison to other local projects. The meeting concluded with routine scheduling and an adjournment vote.
