Sturgeon Bay Preps for Water-Weed Season

The city is getting ready for the upcoming and future seasons of water-weed control by purchasing harvesting equipment, contracting for spraying services and adding another water body to its aquatic-plant management plan.

The Common Council last week authorized the purchase of an aquatic-plant harvester and trailer from Inland Harvester, with an optional water pump, in an amount not to exceed $182,202. The council also decided to trade in a 1995 harvester with a trailer valued at $15,000.

Municipal services director Mike Barker said Inland Harvester submitted the lower of two bids, with delivery of the new aquatic-plant harvester and trailer not expected until next year. 

To spray aquatic weeds in areas permitted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the council hired Wisconsin Lake and Pond for the next two years at a cost of $400 per acre, the lowest of two bids received. The fiscal impact is estimated at $16,500 this year; the city budgeted $17,000 for spraying. 

To study the impact that aquatic plants are having on Bradley Lake – the body of water at Sunset Park commonly referred to as Little Lake – the council approved adding the lake to the city’s aquatic-management plan, which is being done by Onterra for an amount not to exceed $5,795. Barker said the city had money left over to add the lake after budgeting $40,000 to update the plan and having previously contracted $33,790 with Onterra.