Sunset Bay Marina Closed

At the time this is being written the Sunset Bay Marina in Trempealeau,WI is closed temporarily for business due to heavy aquatic vegetation. The marina is located on the north side of Lock and Dam #6 in a small bay and is swamped with aquatic vegetation that is more than a foot thick, along with debris and dead fish creating a terrible odor. There are a lot of boats stuck in the slime and can't get out. The owner is saying that it all came in to the marina when the Lock and Dams did a drawdown in Pool 6. A drawdown is done by the US Army Corps of Engineers that manage the Mississippi River levels using the Lock and Dams, and with all the rain this area has gotten this summer drawdowns are becoming more frequent then normal. The US Army Corps of Engineers wanted to drawdown the river level in Pool 6 by a foot which exposes the river bottom to sunlight and oxygen and this aids in the production of emergent vegetation or plants that are above water and it builds habitat for fish and other wildlife. The marina sits in a low point on the river and becomes a catch basin because there is no outlet. The owner blames the drawdown for creating the excess vegetation to become loose and that the water level in the marina dropped by about 3 feet causing everything to come down river and into the marina, but the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Natural Resources from Wisconsin and Minnesota all tracked the drawdown from Lock and Dam #5 which is further north and said they could not prove anything if the drawdown hurt or helped so there was no effect. They are saying that the vegetation in the marina is not from the drawdowns. The owner has hired a weed harvesting company to come in and remove the vegetation but it is going to be a long and slow process.
Unfortunately for all of us houseboaters and boaters in general without the access to the marina there is no way to get to places in Trempealeau by boat like one of our favorite cruise stops the Trempealeau Hotel or any of the other restaurants in town. The bar and grill Hungry Point in Trempealeau is located south of Lock and Dam #6 and is not affected by vegetation build up so it is still accessible by boat. We will keep you informed about when the marina reopens this year so we can all go in and enjoy what Trempealeau,WI has to offer.
Resource for this article is courtesy of La Crosse Tribune....read more
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