By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
While the Waterford Waterway Management District was wrapping up its survey of riparian owners – trying to gauge whether there is support to move forward with a proposed dredging project – Town of Waterford Chairman Tom Hincz is trying once again to get the state to step up.
Hincz wrote a two-page letter to Gov. Scott Walker and sent it last week, along with 18 attachments that detail his efforts to bring state lawmakers’ attention to the problem and Waterford’s effort to deal with the waterway.
Using a common phrase, Hincz wants the state to either pee or get off the pot.
“Actually, they’re not even on the pot,” he added. “That’s the problem.”
The letter to the governor outlines the numerous efforts the town has made to bring two separate issues to the attention of the state. The first is the scenic urban waterway that the WWMD is now attempting to deal with, and the other is the Waukesha diversion of water to Lake Michigan.
The latter is expected to take the Fox River – which is what the WWMD is tasked with dealing with in the Town of Waterford – down as much as four inches as Waukesha takes water from Lake Michigan for its residents’ use and will now return it to the Root River and eventually Lake Michigan.
Among those Hincz has emailed asking for support are Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, Rep. Dave Craig, Racine County Director of Public Works Julie Anderson, Eric Nitschke, regional director for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and various other DNR personnel.
Hincz also attached the various resolutions that the Town of Waterford has drawn up and approved in opposition of the Waukesha diversion and to the lack of help from the state regarding the waterway.
Hincz has received few responses, and none, he said, address the fact that the DNR has not taken care of the waterway – which state law says the DNR has the responsibility to maintain.
“There’s been no positive response to assist the residents of the Town of Waterford and the waterway,” Hincz said.
With riparian owners being told by the WWMD they will likely bear at least half of the cost of about a $12 million project, Hincz has taken the fight to those he feels are responsible.
“They made a commitment,” Hincz said. “They should step up to the plate and fulfill the responsibility.”
Or, as Hincz said, his new slogan comes into effect, which he wrote about in the letter.
“The state/DNR should maintain this waterway,” he wrote. “If not, and the residents have to, it should NO LONGER BE A PUBLIC WATERWAY, BUT PRIVATE.”
Officials expect the dredging project would make the waterway more navigable and deal with some invasive species. There is also a proposed drawdown that the WWMD is trying to get a permit for.
And this is just for a narrow section of the waterway south of Waukesha to the dam that separates the water from the Village of Waterford. The effects of both the diversion and the dredging and drawdown of Fox River could affect other communities.
City of Burlington Director of Public Works Jim Bergles said he couldn’t predict the impact of what happens north of Burlington in terms of both the Waukesha diversion and any possible work by the WWMD.
“Right now, we don’t see anything happening down here,” Bergles said in terms of the Waukesha diversion. In his opinion, he said, Burlington might see a difference in a drought year, but beyond that, it wouldn’t affect the river in the city that much.
“The engineers have predictions, but I’ve not looked into that,” Bergles said.
Bergles said the city receives the water that flows over the two separate dams in Waterford, versus a direct flow from the river.
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