Vegetation along the North Branch Manitowoc River in Calumet County. PC: Fox 11 Online
CALUMET COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A stretch of Manitowoc River that frequently floods will be cleared out after all.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday that it will work with Ducks Unlimited to remove excess cattail mats and sediment in the river’s North Branch. The area is on the northwest side of the Brillion State Wildlife Area.
Funding is coming from waterfowl stamp funding that Gov. Tony Evers says was awarded to the project in April and conservation funds from the DNR. Evers, a Democrat, vetoed funding specifically for the project in the state budget he signed last week, angering nearby residents and State Rep. Ron Tusler, R-Harrison.
In a statement Wednesday, Tusler said:
This funding is the direct result of the tireless pressure Brillion residents put on the DNR. Let’s be clear: Governor Evers tried to block this project for purely partisan reasons. He ignored Brillion’s farmers and families.
State Sen. Andre Jacque also released a statement Wednesday, saying:
Sometimes the best decisions are not made at 1:30 in the morning. I am glad that the Governor saw the error of his ways and reversed course to proceed with this critical project for my constituents. While it’s clear the Governor needed to save face once the public became aware of the impact of his political games, today’s announcement by the DNR proves how false, contradictory, and concocted both his veto message and his administration’s prior communications to legislators and residents regarding this project really were. This is a win for Brillion, and I am pleased to join my constituents in celebrating this long overdue progress.
The DNR’s news release announcing the project says:
Thanks to the Waterfowl Advisory Committee award of waterfowl stamp funding and the availability of state funding at the DNR, along with this project’s priority level, an earmark recently added by the Legislature to use GPR funds for this project was unnecessary and ultimately removed from the state budget by Gov. Evers, ensuring available funding sources can be maximized for high-priority environmental management work in Wisconsin.
Evers’ veto message did not mention that funding was in the works. It said the veto was in response to the Legislature not renewing funding for the Warren Knowles-Gaylord Nelson Stewardship program. Tusler called the funding “a foregone conclusion.”
Preliminary plans include dredging and area about 1,100 feet long, 15-20 feet wide and 3.5-4 feet deep. Dredged materials will be spread on a nearby upland prairie grass field.
The DNR says the project will allow native plants to reestablish themselves, open areas for waterfowl and improve public access to the marsh by canoe or kayak. Tusler also says the dredging will eliminate flooding that affects more than 100 farmers.
Engineering work is expected to begin in the fall, with the dredging in 2026.
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