Posted on February 3, 2021
By a DredgeWire special correspondent
Feb 2 – Dane County (WI) Executive Joe Parisi has announced funding for the next phase of the Lower Yahara River Trail, along with several water quality improvement initiatives as part of his 2021 budget proposal. County Executive Parisi’s 2021 budget includes $6.5 million for construction of the second phase of the Lower Yahara River Trail with other infrastructural improvements.
Dane County continues to make important progress with its multi-million-dollar effort to reduce flood risk along the Yahara Chain of Lakes. The Yahara Chain of Lakes Sediment Removal Project started this summer and is designed to improve flow—moving rainwater that currently sits in the lakes for weeks through at a steadier clip. This year’s work is focused on the area between Lakes Monona and Waubesa. When completed later this fall, the river will be 2 to 4 feet (1+m) deeper, and 40,000 cubic yards of sediment will have been removed. Dane County purchased its own dredger this year, an Ellicott Series 370 model, which is due to arrive this month. It will be deployed as part of the second phase of flood risk reduction work and will focus on areas downstream of Lakes Waubesa and Kegonsa. There is over $6 million in the budget, including $2.5 million in new money, for this work to stay on track next year.
The dredge will be named “Yahara Dredge” after the river. “Yahara River” comes from the Native American Ho-Chunk name for “Catfish River.” The dredge features a new spud tilting system to allow towing from one lake to another and passage under highway bridges. Two automated booster pumps will support long distance pumping to the dredge material placement site.
Dane County learned of the virtues of sediment removal for flood mitigation because of its experience with “Suck the Muck,” which continues to remove phosphorus from river and stream beds that feed into area lakes. Sediment removal was completed this summer along a nearly one-mile stretch of Token Creek, where 20,000 tons of phosphorus-laden sediment was removed. Additional restoration work was done to reduce erosion along the creek, slowing the return of new sediment in the water. Dane County’s next stop with this multi-year initiative is Six Mile Creek in the Town of Westport in an area known as Mary Lake. Bids on this next phase of “Suck the Muck” will be released this fall. Parisi is including over $9.1 million in his budget to keep this work going in 2021.
Last year, in 2020, the county hired a Texas dredging contractor, Dredgit, to test out the efficacy of dredging. This work was prompted by massive rainstorms which not only caused flooding but also risked loss of life.
“My 2021 budget prioritizes initiatives that improve the quality of our water in area lakes and streams to ensure they remain accessible for future generations to enjoy,” said County Executive Parisi. “The impacts of climate change and a growing community require us to adapt and create new solutions. Our initiatives—whether they be ‘Suck the Muck,’ the Continuous Cover Program, or our sediment removal efforts along the Yahara River—tackle these challenges head on and work to preserve our natural resources for many years to come.
The county now has three immediate openings to staff its new dredging program:
Lead Dredge Operator
Heavy Equipment Operator
Hydrologic Technician
For more information, see the Dane County website:
Deadline: Feb 12, 2020
