Email Regarding Blackhawk Island Flooding Concerns

Dear Mr.Christianson,


I am a property owner on Blackhawk Island. The property I own has been in my family since 1970. I was down to our home yesterday, barely I might add; and I was blown away by the amount of flooding we are experiencing once again.

In years passed, this was a "spring thing." Since the summer of 2007 it seems to be a situation that occurs on and off year round. With all of the talk of building islands on the lake, when do the powers that be think they might do something for the remaining property owners on Blackhawk Island?

It's obvious we are not high on the priority list, but something is going on down there that has changed the landscape significantly, especially since August of 2007. Though the water table has always been high in that area, and we've had our share of rain this year, the rain we've experienced most recently does not explain almost a foot of water on some areas of Blackhawk Island Road in such a short window of time.

According to some residents I spoke with yesterday, the water level was much higher earlier last week. My greatest concern is for some of the elderly residents of the area should they ever need an ambulance. In the dark of night, there would be no safe way to assist them without jeopardizing the lives of the responders. It would also be nice if residents could get their mail delivered regularly, and if "Johnny's" mom could get out to the grocery store to get some milk for his morning cereal.

It seems that a lot of emphasis is placed on boater's rights, duck hunter's rights, fish & plant species, water front property owner's rights in relation to water levels, etc. The citizens of Blackhawk Island pay taxes and spend money in the community too. Isn't their safety, and the protection of their property a concern to the governing authorities as well?

A lot of good it does raising your house, when you can't get in and out on the road located in front of it, except by boat.

I guess my additional questions are...Are the dams being manned and operated properly? It seems that we have no control over the water levels as they impact the area of Blackhawk Island and other surrounding areas.

I hate to sound simple minded and cynical, but what good does money being thrown at engineering studies for islands to control erosion along the lake accomplish, when we still can't seem to control the level of the water in these low lying areas?

Could the river be dredged, and the fill recovered from there be placed on the land that continues to so rapidly erode.

I'm just a concerned, tax paying citizen and I was hoping for some answers & insight to the direction that specifically the area of Blackhawk Island is heading. Can you help me?

Sincerely,

Donna Panico