Dated: April 26, 2024 

 

Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company (WVIC) and its contractor are preparing for a dam safety enhancement project at the Rice Reservoir (Bradley) Dam and will begin mobilizing construction equipment on May 6th, 2024, with construction activities commencing soon thereafter and extending throughout the summer season and into the fall, pending Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval.

 

The Nokomis Drive Boat Landing just north of the dam site will be partially closed and congested on Monday May 6th and Tuesday May 7th as equipment is delivered and staged. Additionally, a temporary full closure of the landing is planned for Wednesday May 8th through Friday May 10th, while the project’s barge and crane are assembled and deployed into the water. During the closure week, the public is encouraged to use WVIC’s CTH N boat landing located at 9536 County Highway N, Tomahawk WI, 54487.

 

The project will consist of utilizing a barge-mounted crane upstream of the dam to install steel sheet piling into the embankment and along the upstream edge of the spillway structure, bridge deck modifications over the dam structure, addition of upstream/downstream rock rip rap, and will conclude with the construction of downstream accessible fishing platforms and walkways.

 

While fishing below the dam and the canoe portage will remain accessible to the public throughout the season, some shoreline near the dam and west downstream wingwall will be inaccessible during the project. Safety fencing will be placed to delineate the active construction site from the open portions of the recreation site.

 

WVIC and its contractor remind the public that the area around the dam will be an ongoing construction site and safety for all is of utmost importance. Please respect equipment and workers by staying a safe distance away from construction activities and abiding by all safety signage and fencing.

 

The project is anticipated to continue from early May into November. At this time, no requirements for the reservoir to be drawn down from its normal operating level have been identified. As is normal during the summer season, the public should expect the water level to fluctuate based on precipitation and hydrologic conditions throughout the Wisconsin River basin.

 

The Rice Reservoir Dam, constructed in 1911 on the Tomahawk River, impounds the Rice River Flowage, Lake Nokomis, Bridge Lake, and Deer Lake in the Townships of Bradley, Little Rice, and Nokomis in Lincoln and Oneida Counties. It is one of 21 storage reservoirs WVIC owns and operates to maintain as uniform a flow as practicable in the Wisconsin and Tomahawk rivers and a reasonable balance among the benefits the water resource provides including water conservation, flood control, low flow augmentation, hydroelectric generation, water quality, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities.