Lake Onalaska dredging about to begin

Lake Onalaska Rehabilitation Coalition (LORC) said that the North Shore Lane dredging project on Lake Onalaska is scheduled to begin on June 16.

Because of fish spawning protections, dredging could not begin until after June 15. Now that the window has opened, work is ready to move forward.

Crews will use large suction hoses to pull sediment from the lake bottom into a holding area, where the water will be separated and pumped back into the lake.

The project is expected to take a few months and will be visible from the Red Pines area, LORC said.

The dredging comes as the U.S. Geological Survey’s Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center released its latest activity report, highlighting interconnected threats to the Upper Mississippi River system, including sediment buildup, invasive carp and nutrient runoff.