Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The Bender Park boat launch is closed as crews clear the way for boats to access Lake Michigan.
The Bender Park boat launch has been closed as work to dredge the harbor is under way. The county has committed $150,000 to dredge the Bender Park harbor this spring while they plan a long-term solution to low water levels at the boat launch. Details are still being finalized on when the work will be completed, County Supervisor Steve Taylor said. The county is also studying solutions for problems at the Bender Park beach, which has been plagued by algae, e-coli and noxious odors.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Dredging at the Bender Park boat launch won't be done as soon as hoped but is still in the works.
Plans to dredge the Bender Park boat launch are moving forward but won't be completed as soon as hoped. Milwaukee County just received its permit to dredge and has started bidding out the job, County Supervisor Steve Taylor said. Officials previously said they expected the dredging to be completed by May 1. The county has committed $150,000 to dredge the Bender Park harbor this spring while they plan a long-term solution to low water levels at the boat launch. Meanwhile, Taylor also said that what appears to be a tree-clearing at Bender Park is actually an annual maintenance project done each spring. "There is no major tree removal project going on," Taylor said in an e-mail. See this previous Patch story for more on problems at Bender …
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Just a year after a dredging project shut down the Bender Park boat launch, problems have again cropped up for boaters accessing Lake Michigan.
Oak Creek's Bender Park is only a year removed from a dredging project that cost Milwaukee County roughly $280,000. But what was supposed to be at least a five-year fix didn't come close. Thanks in part to a mild winter, the sediment that was removed has piled back up to the point that more dredging is needed for boaters to launch at Bender Park, County Supervisor Steve Taylor said. The launch hasn't yet shut down, but it's become difficult for boaters to access Lake Michigan, with some areas near the launch only 18 to 24 inches deep, Taylor said. County officials are studying their options and have sent soil samples to the Department of Natural Resources for its review. Taylor doesn't expect any easy solutions. A long-term, permanent fix…
Monday, May 23, 2011
Launch had been closed for dredging.
The boat launch at Bender Park in Oak Creek has re-opened after it was closed earlier this spring for dredging. The launch is widely used by boaters from throughout the region, but was closed for about two months after boats kept getting stuck. For the past month, a contractor hired by the county worked to remove sediment and open up a channel 45 feet wide. That work appears to have been completed sometime last week, and the barriers that were in front of the boat launch are gone.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
County says boat launch will re-open in mid-May.
updated: 12:15 p.m. Thursday A month-long dredging project is under way at Oak Creek's Bender Park, which means the boat launch will be shut down until mid-May. The launch is widely used by boaters from throughout the region, but was closed after boats kept getting stuck. A contractor hired by the county is now in the process of removing sediment and opening up a channel 45 feet wide. The re-opening is dependent on the weather, but the middle of next month is the goal, said Jim Keegan, director of administration and external affairs for Milwaukee County Parks. A sign posted at the park says the launch will re-open May 21. The price to dredge the Bender Park area is in the neighborhood of $280,000, Keegan said. The county is picking up …
Dennis Wink
10:09 am on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Very, very happy to hear this is finally getting started. Next thing is to get the American Flag up and flying before Memorial Day. Lets see what can be done! more ›