Letter to the Editor: Submitted by Captain Ted Peck
To the Editor:
The impact on Allamakee County life will be substantial when the Black Hawk Bridge closes this fall. You probably know that I am a fishing guide on Pool 9.
Prior to moving here, I was a professional firefighter, also federally certified in disaster management. This experience is goading me to take proactive action regarding access to the Mississippi River for rescue, commercial and recreational purposes between now and 2027 when the new bridge opens.
Bridge closure will eliminate two ramps on Hwy. 82 for access to the river from the west, leaving just Village Creek south of Lansing and the Army Road launch two miles east of New Albin for suitable access to the river once the Black Hawk Bridge closes.
Any human interface with the awesome force of nature which comprises Allamakee County’s eastern border must be reactive, not proactive. When the river rises to 625.2 feet at Lock & Dam 8 in Genoa, WI, the Army Road access to the New Albin ramp closes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) calls this closure “Action Stage”.
Several years ago the USACE definition of “Action Stage” on Pool 9 was about one foot higher. They changed it when I informed them the New Albin ramp closed at 625.2 feet to enable river users to make an informed decision prior to traveling to New Albin to launch.
There is a bottleneck in elevation near the confluence of Army Road and the boat ramp parking lot. Simply adding 10-14 loads of gravel to three low spots here would enable access to the Army Road ramp when river level is at approximately 626 feet at Genoa, WI.
What does this mean? This access was closed for 10 days around the Fourth of July due to high water. With a few loads of judiciously placed gravel it would have only needed to be closed a couple days, at most. Recent rains up north will close this access again in a few days. If USACE-projected river predictions are accurate, a few loads of gravel would almost eliminate closure of this access again.
Under current conditions access is still possible at Millstone Landing until a level of 625.9 feet. Access is possible at Visager’s Landing, located between Millstone and New Albin, up to even moderate flood conditions; however, access is marginal - just an eight-foot wide concrete slab. There is limited parking at Visager’s. Public pressure goaded Minnesota to provide a little more parking here last summer.
Why can’t a simple fix be realized at the New Albin ramp as well? Bureaucracy! Allamakee County maintains the road from New Albin about a mile to a gate where the road makes a 90-degree turn south. Iowa DNR takes over there, maintaining the parking lot and two boat ramps. USACE oversees the whole she-bang. Sources at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have told me they can’t authorize the environmental impact of a dozen loads of gravel on the Army Road until a study is done.
Common sense says this contention is a huge raft of crap! When Black Hawk Bridge closes, Pool 9 access from the west side of the river heading upstream is over 14 river miles from the Village Creek ramp to Lock & Dam 8, if river level is above 625.2 feet. A few loads of gravel would shorten this run by over 10 miles with the river level we’ve seen since July 4 through projected level July 30. In addition, the New Albin parking lot is sufficient for helicopter access in a rescue scenario.
Loss of life due to limited river access at some point in the future might be good fodder for a news story. But I believe saving lives because of proactive action with a force of nature which often requires a reactive response would have a more positive response.
Captain Ted Peck
New Albin
