Dredging Update 2-26-13

 Active construction of the berm began on 02/11/2013, and is now nearly complete with some finish up work remaining. Dredging operations are also nearly complete. Grading work of the dredge placement area will be completed this week.

·         Badgerland will be building the berm to elevation 778.5' to account for the settling/sinking of the stone. When permanent stabilization measures are implemented in the spring, the berm will be set to the final grade of 778'.

·         All erosion control measures in place and appear to be functioning appropriately, including the tracking pad and the silt curtain.

·         Silt sock has not been placed in the dredge area and it is no longer practical to do so. As water levels have risen, Badgerland instead built ice roads to connect to the existing silt curtain to provide continuous containment. Silt socks are no longer necessary in the dredge placement area as the berm is now providing containment.

·         Temporary stabilization will be completed after the dredge placement area has been graded. A 12" silt sock filled with ground, untreated wood will be pinned along the top of the berm with rebar in order to provide temporary stabilization of the dredge fill area. The specific product will be a Silt Sock manufactured by Silt Sock Erosion Control Products. The silt sock will be removed when the permanent stabilization of the site occurs later in the spring after planting. Soilnet Polymer Solution's TRIPAM will be applied at an application rate of 54 lbs/acres. As discussed with the DNR, TRIPAM is a Type B polymer that meets the criteria listed in the WisDOT PAL, meets the requirements of WDNR Code 1050 (Land Application of Anionic Polyacrylamide), and the meets requirements regarding acute toxicity.

And Lake Koshkonong is a LONG ways from 775.05

Drought conditions ease in Rock County

February snowfall could recharge soil

   JANESVILLE

   In case you need a silver lining to brighten your Monday morning, here it is:

   Snowfall so far in February has been above average. Because of this, drought conditions in south-central Wisconsin this month improved from “severe” to “moderate,” according to U.S. Drought Monitor data.

   That change is a ray of hope for farmers who saw big losses last year as a result of the drought conditions, said Jim Stute, UW E x t e n s i o n crops and soils agent in Rock County.

   Also in the “seems -like-bad-newsbut-really-it’s-good” category are the below-average temperatures for February. If conditions hold, there should be fewer insect pests in Rock County gardens and farm fields this summer, Stute said.

   As of Friday, the National Weather Service measured 15.3 inches of snow in southern Rock County in February, meteorologist Ed Townsend said. The average snowfall for February is 6.3 inches, Townsend said.

   “What it does is erases some of the long-term (moisture) deficit,” Stute said.

   Rock County soils need about 6 inches of rain in the next few months to meet normal growing conditions, Stute said. The snowfalls won’t add up to that much rainfall, but they are a start, he said.

   It’s typical for a drought year to be followed by a dry year, Stute said. That’s a scary thought for many farmers who need a good crop to make up for last year’s losses, he said.

   Looking forward into March, the above-average precipitation trend could hold, Townsend said.

   “There are enhanced probabilities of above-normal precipitation,” he said.

   Forecasters predict a 40 percent chance of above-normal precipitation as opposed to a 33 percent chance of normal precipitation, Townsend said.

   In addition to above-average snowfall, daily average temperatures in February have been lower than normal, Townsend said. This year, the average has been 18.7 degrees compared to the typical 24.5 degrees, he said.

   Those temperatures will maintain the frost line or even push it deeper, Stute said. Either way, it will mean higher insect mortality compared to last year when temperatures were in the 40s in late February.

   The cold has helped maintain a blanket of snow over the ground, Stute said. In that case, the ground will thaw from the bottom up, as it does in a normal year. That reduces runoff in fields and ditches, Stute said.

   All the conditions are encouraging at this point, Stute said.

   “This is looking like a more normal-type season,” he said.

More Updates (VI)

Hi all,

Please find attached the post precipitation erosion control inspection for the Lake Koshkonong Dredging and Shoreline Restoration Project conducted on 02/19/2013. Below are the items of note:

·         Active construction of the berm began on 02/11/2013, and is now 95% complete with some final tie-in work remaining. Dredging operations are currently on hold as Badgerland works to repair the ice road.

·         All erosion control measures in place and appear to be functioning appropriately, including the tracking pad and the silt curtain.

·         Silt sock has not yet been placed in the dredge area and it is no longer practical to do so. As water levels have risen, Badgerland instead built ice roads to connect to the existing silt curtain to provide continuous containment. Silt socks are no longer necessary in the dredge placement area as the berm is now providing containment.

Lake Koshkonong Dredging Update V

 I was on site yesterday around midday and have talked with Kevin at Badgerland this morning. The dredging is somewhere between one quarter and one third accomplished. Badgerland will work Saturday, Monday and probably Tuesday to finish the dredging. They will then shape the dredge fill area and make final adjustments to the stone berm as they finish up the fill area. As we discussed, we are slightly over dredging the area, but we need to be careful not to have so much fill that it extends above the berm crest. We anticipate that the fill – and probably the berm also – will settle over the next several months. I anticipate that Badgerland will be nearly complete with their work by March 4 or 5. We have a tentative date for topographic survey of the dredge area and the fill area of March 7.

Travis Schroeder of the DNR has stopped out to the site regularly, and has no problems with the project as it is proceeding. We've not heard from either the Corps of Engineers or Jefferson County regarding erosion control or other permit compliance issues, although we have been copying them with our erosion control reports. We will check with the archaeological consultant to determine whether or not a final on-site visit from them is necessary.

Kevin from Badgerland told us that one of the haul truck drivers got a ticket from Jefferson County for overweight truck, I told Kevin and he agreed that somebody at the quarry just wasn't paying attention and paying the ticket is neither Badgerland's nor RKLD’s responsibility. We have not seen the Town of Sumner monitoring the project since we stopped hauling stone in.

Many people have stopped by to just observe what's going on, and we have handed out many copies of the double-sided project information sheet. The two main comments are "were really glad to see something happening on the Lake", to which we make sure that folks know that this is RKLKD’s effort, and "aren't you afraid that this dredge area will fill in?", to which our reply is "that's why we’re calling this an experimental project – we will be monitoring the dredge area for sediment movement to help us plan how we can proceed with additional projects".

Dredging on Lake Koshkonong

Dredging Update IV

Hi all,

Please find attached the weekly erosion control inspection for the Lake Koshkonong Dredging and Shoreline Restoration Project conducted on 02/18/2013. Below are the items of note:

·         Active construction of the berm began on 02/11/2013, and is now 95% complete with some final tie-in work remaining. Dredging operations are currently on hold as Badgerland works to repair the ice road.

·         All erosion control measures in place and appear to be functioning appropriately, including the tracking pad and the silt curtain.

·         Silt sock has not yet been placed in the dredge area and it is no longer practical to do so. As water levels have risen, Badgerland instead built ice roads to connect to the existing silt curtain to provide continuous containment. Silt socks are no longer necessary in the dredge placement area as the berm is now providing containment.

·         I will be leaving a copy of the inspection with Kevin while on site today to add to the on-site file.

·         The National Weather Service NOWData has noted that Fort Atkinson received 0.50" of precipitation, so I will be performing an additional post-precipitation inspection today, with a report coming tomorrow.

Lake Koshkonong Dredging (UPDATE III)

Truck hauling of stone to the site is completed and the berm is mostly complete, with stone stockpiled at the fill area to complete the berm as dredge spoil fill is completed.  The rising water levels are continuing to cause trouble with the ice road – water level is now 7.16, which opens us up to at least discussing cost implications of the water levels although Badgerland hasn’t said anything yet.  The problem is that the rising water levels crack the ice road and raises it off the lake bottom.  Dredging has started with a small stockpile near the launch ramp but dredge haul to the fill site is now delayed till Wednesday because of the ice road needing repair.  If the water stops rising and we have a good week of cold weather – which is in the forecast – we should get the work done.

Lake Koshkonong Erosion Control (UPDATE)

Hi all,

 

Please find attached the weekly erosion control inspection for the Lake Koshkonong Dredging and Shoreline Restoration Project conducted on 02/11/2013. Below are the items of note:

 

• Active construction of the berm began on 02/11/2013, and is proceeding well.
• All erosion control measures in place and appear to be functioning appropriately, including the tracking pad and the silt curtain.
• Silt sock has not yet been placed, as the ice in the shallower areas has not yet been removed. Badgerland will place when appropriate.
• I will be leaving a copy of the inspection with Kevin while on site today to add to the on-site file.

GENEVA Lake level decision could be weeks away - Geneva Lake

Lake level decision could be weeks away -- GazetteXtra

...Michelle Hase, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources engineer in charge of the Geneva Lake study, said Monday field reports are not expected until later this week. It could be the second week of December before findings are discussed with DNR officials in Madison and the Geneva Lake Level Corp.

"We will discuss our findings and recommendations with local officials before an order is issued," Hase said. "Then a water level order will be issued that will determine flow at all times."

_____________

This from November, 2012.......

DNR to rule on GENEVA LAKE level

DNR to rule on lake level -- GazetteXtra

...The corporation has hired Madison lawyer William O'Connor and hydrology experts Montgomery & Associates to advise the corporation during talks with the DNR. The corporation has asked each of the four affected municipalities—Lake Geneva, Linn, Fontana and Williams Bay—to include $2,500 in their 2013 budgets to pay for the expenses incurred as a result of the DNR orders.

State Sen. Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, and Assembly Rep. Tyler August, R-Lake Geneva, have toured the area.

"I am deeply concerned about low lake levels," August said. "I know that Sen. Kedzie is also concerned. He has taken the lead on this, and I expect he will contact the DNR to make sure that economic as well as natural resources interests are protected."

While the DNR might disagree on specifics of the issue, both sides want to get the matter decided and move on, Hase said.

"We all want a resolution, and we have all agreed to resolve the matter as soon as possible," Hase said. "We are aware of concerns of the corporation and property owners. Any resolution will take into account those concerns in addition to the concerns of those who have complained about inadequate levels in the river and concerns about the fish."

_______________________

Sound Familiar??

Lake Koshkonong Dredging Weather and Water Levels

We met yesterday with Badgerland on-site and walked with them on the ice as they traversed from the launch ramp to the fill area using the smaller of the two tracked excavators that they have on-site.  This excavator ways around 45,000 pounds, similar to the weight of the partly-full haul trucks that they will use to haul stone and dredge spoil.  Water levels on the lake were approximately gage 6.85 feet (786.85 in the old NGVD 1929 elevation system).  This elevation puts water on the lake bed all the way to the shore protection.

The excavator traversed down to the fill site without problem, although it did break through the ice and encountered soft bottom conditions at perhaps a half-dozen places along the way, mainly where the artesian wells discharge along the lake shore, and at the end of the two "points" on the twin island gun club property where water is somewhat deeper and the ice is not big enough to support the weight of the excavator.  Mainly, the excavator was traversing through areas where the water depth was 1 foot, or less.

It is clear that Badgerland will not be able to drive quad axle dump trucks across frozen lake bed and thick ice, which was their original plan.  The combination of warmer weather and the warm rain that we got two weeks ago have made their original plan unworkable.  It was Badgerland's opinion that they could not complete the work using off-road haul trucks, because they thought they would eventually churn through the lakebed.  They repeatedly said they were worried about with DNR would let them do.  They said that they would prefer to use Lamp Road and traverse through the gun club wetland, or do the work next winter.  My response was that they haven’t even tried to get the job done using the haul along the lakeshore.

Rick Gerke joined us after I called him and the gun club has been very accommodating in allowing several alternative haul routes for crossing through their property, for either access across the points along the lakeshore or for entering the property if we somehow come to an agreement for access on Lamp Road.

I told Badgerland repeatedly that they were contracted to conduct the work and we needed them to accomplish the work they were contracted to do.  I pointed out that they had not yet even tried an alternative method from that that they planned for originally.  I kept hearing the response "what you want us to do?".  I kept telling them that they are under contract and I expect them to tell us how they will accomplish the work.  I suggested repeatedly that timber mats could help in the soft ground areas.  It was not a heated exchange but it was a very direct conversation.

At the end of the afternoon, Badgerland agreed to get a haul truck on-site on Friday morning and we will traverse the haul route and see how they do.  I contacted DNR while we were on site and I have not yet heard from them.  In my opinion the issues with DNR come down to the types of siltation barriers that might be required if the bottom gets churned up, and not whether or not work would be allowed to continue.

The weather that we have experienced over the last three weeks has certainly made this project much more difficult.  However, my position is that Badgerland needs tell us how they propose to accomplish the work they've been contracted for, and not ask us "what you want us to do?"

More on Starting-up on Lake Koshkonong

Rick got back to me after our discussion on-site this afternoon.  After checking with the Club members, Rick told me that any of the three routes we discussed would be OK with the gun club.  The routes were, starting at the turnaround at the end of the runway track at the south end of the woods, 1) exit to the Lakeshore angling Southwest to minimize the number of trees to be remote, 2) crossing the "point" at the north end of the fill area again minimizing the taking of trees on the shoreline, and 3) traversing through the willows east of the shoreline going south from the turnaround and entering the fill area from the east, all as we discussed in the field this afternoon.

Lake Koshkonong Getting Started

Badgerland plan to start hauling stone along the lakeshore haul route on Friday.  They will probably be using only one truck Friday, to get a feel for the conditions.  As I mentioned in my voicemail this afternoon, the ice is thinner and the lake level is higher than it was a few weeks ago, although most of the lakebed is still frozen.  We will monitor the haul route conditions on Friday and will advise you on any additional sediment control measures that we may want to propose.

Lake Koshkonong Dredging Update

So the lake level is nearing our summer level request of 777.0.  Just 3 weeks ago, RKLD was accused of draining the lake too low.  Now, Mother Nature has filled it, risking our experimental dredge project.

We may be forced to cancel this.  And Town of Sumner has their issues with this as well.

Lake Koshkonong Dredging and Town of Sumner

Brian -
Why is the equipment to dredge not being brought in on a long bed trailer?  They are driving it in and risking damage to our roads.
XXX

The Town of Sumner called the Jefferson County Sherifff, saying we are over their weight limits.  So we are taking unusual action.  Town of Koshkonong has been very cooperative.  We are exploring all our options.