What's Happening in Burlington, WI…

Burlington city leaders are assessing the question of whether it would be best to remove the Echo Lake dam and drain the lake, or rebuild the dam using a submerged dam plan.

Per the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), an agency that enforces state-wide dam safety standards, the city-owned Echo Lake dam will have to be rebuilt or removed. Additionally dredging will need to be performed to eliminated decades of sediment and pollution from the bottom of the lake.

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Originally, the WDNR informed city officials that the Echo Lake Dam would need to be brought up to standards in order to withstand a 500-year flood event. However, the agency agreed to an alternative solution involving a submerged dam scenario.

The least costly solution to the dam problem is to eliminate the dam and drain the lake, thereby returning the White River to its natural state. The cost of this is estimated by city engineers to be between $1.1m and $2m. The Burlington Park Board has recommended this solution.

The alternative, which will cost about $5m, would involve a submerged dam design. Such a dam would keep the contents of the lake in place, yet allowing excess water to overflow during periods of heavy rain.

Burlington City Council needs to make a tentative decision quickly so as to apply for state grant monies.