Dept. of Natural Resources: Samers Bay breakwall project to resume in February

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced construction efforts on the Samers Bay breakwall project are planned to resume this winter, with a portion of the construction likely to occur during the sturgeon spearing season.

The main objective of the project is to install an offshore breakwall on the north side of Samers Bay on Lake Butte des Morts to protect, preserve and restore fish and wildlife habitat. Marsh and wetland areas throughout the Upriver Lakes have faced extensive degradation due to water levels leading to erosion from wind, wave and ice energy.

Located approximately 1,000 feet offshore, a total of 11 breakwall segments will provide an area protected from the lake’s energy to allow aquatic plants to establish, providing aquatic habitat and promoting water quality.

Construction equipment will access the project site from the Butte des Morts Conservation Club property on the south side of Terrell Island. Spearers may encounter construction during the spearing season, which opens Feb. 14.

The ability to conduct this project and its exact timeline will be dependent on ice conditions in the area.

This project is led collaboratively by local groups including the Butte des Morts Conservation Club, Winnebago County Land and Water Conservation Department,  Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance and the Wisconsin DNR.

Segments 6 through 11 have been installed or partially installed through previous efforts, and the upcoming effort aims to finish construction on existing segments and install segments 1 through 5, completing the project.

The start and end GPS coordinates for each of these breakwall segments are: