Posted on August 26, 2020
The Lake Mills Town Board heard from members of the Woodland Beach board of directors about the swim area and the removal of the buoys in front of the Woodland Beach boat channel.
“We would like to address the safety issue of our boat channel being encroached upon for our shore anchored boats,” said Scott Franz, member of the board of directors of the residents at Woodland Beach. The area has been a popular spot, between the beaches, to pull up and anchor for boats.
Earlier this summer two buoys were removed from the water in the channel by the Town of Lake Mills Police and the DNR because it was found they were not permitted or authorized by the town board.
In the 1980s the buoys were permitted by the DNR, but a written permit was never written by the municipality.
“The ball got dropped some place in 1983,” said Jim Heinz, supervisor.
“That means our entire buoy plan will need to be rewritten and revised by the Department of Natural Resources,” said Hope Oostdik, town chairperson.
“These would have to be added to our plan,” Heinz said.
“I’m not sure we should be authorizing a channel,” Oostdik said. “Because of the crowding at the beaches and the hot weather and people had more time because of COVID-19 and they’ve been pulling up to places like this and in front of Bartels and Tyranena Park to anchor and swim. It’s been troubling to some people, but it’s a new year and a new time. There is a little piece of that lake for everybody.”
“We are not asking anyone to move or leave. We are just looking to get the safety aspect taken care of to get boats out,” Franz said.
Oostdik said the buoys in the swim area are illegal as well.
“We’ll need to look into that too,” Oostdik said. “I think we should take this to the Joint Rock Lake Committee and they have been really involved in the buoy system.”
Residents at Woodland Beach expressed their frustration with the removal saying they’ve been in the water for 37 years and they can’t access their shoreline when all the boats are anchored there.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to put the buoys in this boating season. I want to discuss this with the Joint Rock Lake Committee,” Oostdik said. “It won’t be resolved until next year.”
Glen Proeber, discussed the Miljala Channel on Rock Lake.
“Our top priority is to keep Rock Lake safe for all concerned,” Proeber said. “The continued run off deposited into the Miljala Channel as sediment is also being deposited into the lake.”
Proeber said they are asking the Town of Lake Mills to take responsibility of the Miljala Channel, and complete dredging.
“The pollution in the sediment continues to get worse on a daily basis,” he said. “We want the township to put a maintenance plan in place to deal with the sediments and contaminants like phosphorus and bacteria.”
The channel was created by a developer in 1957 to give lake access to 10 lots in the Miljala development. An initial dredging was done at that time. It was dredged in 1997 for $100,000 by the homeowners and again is subsequent years. Proeber said the 10 homeowners have covered the cost of dredging over the years.
If the dredging does not continue to occur property values will go down, the homeowners said.
The average cost of maintenance dredging is $10,000. Without the removal of the sediment property owners will not be able to access the lake in coming years, they say.
“The responsibility of the Miljala Channel needs to be that of the township,” said Wendy Davies, property owner.
“I was involved in the 1997 channel dredge when the town secured the loan through the state and it was a nightmare to charge all the different homeowners,” said Jim Heinz, supervisor. “You are never going to solve the situation until you do the work on Cedar Lane.”
He said dredging every four or five years is pretty expensive, and he doesn’t know if there are grants available anymore for that purpose.
“We want to get that upper area resolved with the maintenance plan,” Davies said.
“The solution you are seeking is money,” Oostdik said.
“We are suggesting the township thinks about this or proposes looking into ways to stop the sediment,” Davies said.
“It’s very unfortunate that we do not have a lake management district,” Oostdik said, which would help fund issues like this. “It could create a source for funding. We could look at that tool.”
In the 1990s when the Rock Lake Improvement Association looked to create a lake management district is was not well received in the area.
“I don’t think it’s a good way for us to spend our tax money on these properties,” Oostdik said.
“It’s really a lot worse than it was a year ago,” said Dave Schroeder, supervisor.
He said dredging and repairing the curtain would buy the area some time.
“It isn’t just the 10 homeowners who are going to benefit from this,” Davies said. “In the long run the lake is getting the real benefit.”
Homeowners suggested the Department of Natural Resources has grant money that could be used for the dredging. Oostdik said she will talk with the DNR about possible grants available.
The board discussed various projects including the drainage ditch on Saddle Lane and Bridle Path and maintenance of the retention ponds on the Shorewood Hills North subdivision, retention pond cleanout on Shorewood Hills Road and other maintenance projects.
The board approved:
— A bid for $3,896 with Forest Construction and Landscaping to improve the culvert and ditching at Saddle Lane.
— A bid for $8,780 with Forest Construction and Landscaping to dewater and dredge the lower Shorewood Hills retention pond.
— Approved the road use agreement with Asphalt Contractors Inc.
Source: hngnews
