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McQuade Project Summary

An update of the McQuade Boat launch project was made by MN DNR Harbor Planning Consultant, Cheryl Erickson at the March 21, 2007 Western Lake Superior Trollers’ Association Meeting held at the Labor Temple, London Road, Duluth.

Background and Overview:

Dave Koneczny requested an update on the McQuade Project at the WLSTA monthly meeting. About 15 members attended the meeting and it presented an informal opportunity to discuss McQuade as well as other North Shore Harbor Projects.

A brief review of the progress the Contractor has made on the Phase I elements at McQuade was provided to the group. The decision was made to bid the scope of work separately (two distinct phases) due to possible funding constraints and to assure the resources to complete at least the basic elements of the facility were available before proceeding with the amenities to the project. A Phase II list had been developed for the additional features and a general scope of what those items may include and when that work would take place was provided. The bid for the work will determine the extent of items that can be completed with available funding.

The meeting was opened for questions and comments – prefaced with “no guarantee of absolute answers” (given some variables yet in play) however the issues would be passed along to the DNR for their information and consideration.

Questions and Issues Raised: Q. When will the public be able to launch out of McQuade? When will it be officially open? A. The intent is to have a Grand Opening in September and the facility will be open for use at the end of the season – it will depend upon when the Contractor finishes that phase of construction.

Q. That first ramp, closest to the west breakwater, is quite narrow. Can the DNR install some sort of rub rail / fender / bumper along that stretch so boats won’t crash directly onto the rocks? A. That may or may not be a possibility – I don’t recall that it has ever considered. I will forward the suggestion on to see if there is any possibility. It will in part be dependent upon budget and the purpose of that ramp. If the fourth ramp is installed, the first ramp may be closed to accommodate handicap requirements for parking, etc. The area for the first ramp then may be possibly used for kayak and/or canoe access.

Q. The Concrete piers are going in for the transient docks – does that mean the docks will be included? A. The concrete piers are included in the Phase II construction but the docks are not. The intent is to provide them as promised as soon as funds are available. This feature can be provided directly by the DNR.

Q. When will the final blacktop be applied on the parking lot? A. A firm date has not been established for the final coat but it is assumed that it will be towards the end of the time frame that the Contractor will be on site. The Contractor would like to avoid any damage to the finish product while construction is still underway. As a side note, the public is not permitted to use the parking area before it is officially opened for use – any damage created by unauthorized public use will be charged back to the individual who damaged the lot. The Corps made that perfectly clear.

Q. There is a pipe showing on the west side of the first ramp. Is that the dry hydrant and will that pipe stay there? It might be in the way. A. Yes, it is the dry hydrant which was requested by the Townships, prior to determining that there will be legit hydrants (connected to City water) above in the parking lot. Trucks may have difficulty in winter months reaching the dry hydrant and in summer months, boating activity may make access difficult. The dry hydrant apparatus may be pulled out and used at another location.

Q. Twin Points and Two Harbors launch areas are very shallow and there are rocks & timbers that may cause a navigational hazard. Could the DNR clear some of that debris out of there to free space up for use? In Two Harbors, there isn’t room for two 17 footers between those docks and it is possible to end up underneath the dock with the water levels so low – isn’t there a way to lower those docks in some fashion so the launch can be easier to use? Or at least, could some barricade / rub rail / etc. be put up below the dock structure to prevent boats from ending up underneath the dock? There are problems launching at Twin Points as well – I don’t understand why it was designed incorrectly and now McQuade is following the same path. Taconite Harbor seems okay for launching & retrieving boats. Nice facility. A. Low water levels are creating havoc for recreational and commercial craft on Lake Superior as well as all waterways & lakes state-wide. The DNR is doing what they can to alleviate the problems but can only do so much. Design is based upon Lake level history and this is the lowest the Lake has been in some 80+ years. The docks at McQuade will be re-fitted this construction season to allow maximum height flexibility. Other existing docks don’t offer this flexibility due to how they are constructed.

Q. What is that chunk of concrete on the right side at Twin Points? Is there a dock planned for that location? A. The concrete was placed there for a “future” floating dock. It was place about the time the Lake levels started spiraling downward and a dock has never been used there. That may change if the Lake levels move back to a more normal level.

Q. What are you going to do about the campers at Taconite? There are rigs that pull in there and stay all summer – I don’t know what they do with their sewage other than let it run down the hill or something. It doesn’t seem right that they are using that property without permission or paying for it. A. I will again pass the information along to the DNR for their consideration – the intent is not to provide free camping at that location. Enforcement may be an issue here without staff on site.

Q. Under the Blatnik Bridge / Rices Point Access is a launch area that lots of people use – are there any improvements planned for that site? Because of the low Lake levels, boats are hitting the bottom or rocks which are now nearer the surface. Is there any plan to deepen the bottom or use channel markers? Even signs at these low areas at all launch sites would be a big help. Since the facility is so busy – there is usually a wait to launch and also to retrieve boats – any chance another ramp could be added? Will any repairs be made to the dock? A. I am not aware of any improvements planned at this time. As for signs or channel markers – likely, the bureaucracy is that it becomes a state-wide issue then (because all lake levels are low and all access points have this problem) and we are talking lots and lots of time & money to accomplish this. By then – the lake levels may be back up! I will pass the information to the DNR and let them know what your concerns are about this site as well as others.

Q. Are there other harbor projects being planned for the North Shore? A. Yes, there are several that are making progress:

• Knife River is seeing regular improvements and more are planned. A “design deficiency” correction by the Corps is anticipated and will improve the entrance to the harbor. The public launch may also be relocated to the western side of the harbor – this will ease up the congestion at the current location and resolve some of the traffic issues between day use and marina users. A concept plan for expanding the marina facility is in the works but not on a “fast track” at this point in time, due to funding availability.

• Two Harbors is anxious to move ahead on their safe harbor / marina facility which is about 75% designed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The property has been purchased by the state, the concrete slab on the site has been removed and much of the environmental work has been completed. There is strong public support for the project. Money is the problem and although the state has committed money to keep the project moving forward, it is tied up with requirements for a federal match – the community is working hard to see that this obstacle is cleared up as well as to re-establish federal funding for the project.

• There are no improvements that I am aware of for Twin Points or Taconite, save the normal maintenance & repairs. Silver Bay is doing very well and has some aspirations for expansion and amenities for seasonal boaters such as haul out, storage, and maintenance facilities. These items may be long term objectives depending upon finance options.

• Grand Marais initiated a harbor planning process some time ago but ran into snags due to a division within the community about the location. That, in addition to a new City Council and Mayoral decision to halt the planning process, has stopped any work toward a new harbor facility. According to local papers, the Council has decided to resume planning but want to use the existing marina site and keep it very small – limited to a 6 acre basin, the existing one is about 3.5 acres.

• Horseshoe Bay is being advertised this spring for renovations including moving and improving the launch and providing a crib dock for protection, much like the one found at Twin Points.

• Grand Portage was very interested in expanding their marina and boating facility but found they were spread too thin with the land-side planning efforts that were underway. They asked for time to complete those projects and would notify the DNR when they were ready to begin again.

Conclusion

It can’t be stressed enough about the difficulty that all launch & dock areas are facing due to the low Lake levels. Every effort is being made to accommodate this difficulty – there is only so much that could be done with the constraints some sites present and the funding available to implement remedies. Keep your eyes open & use caution as well as common sense and by all means, pray for rain!

I appreciate being invited to discuss the harbor program and thank you for WLSTA’s continuing interest and support of the DNR Harbors Program on Lake Superior.

MNDNR Loon Study
Loon Watch Program
Loons and Lead Poisoning

Lead Tackle Alternatives and Information

WLSTA maps of MN Trout Stamp Revenues and Expenditures (.pdf)

• Easements
• Stamp Sales
• Stamp Sales by Zip Code
• Stamp Sales by Zip Code (Dot Density)
• Stamp Revenues
• Minnesota Trout Stamp Revenues (Sales) and Expenditures (4 Maps on one page)

State Representative Mike Jaros' Letter to the DNR Regarding Salmon Stocking in Lake Superior

You can also check out the MN DNR north shore fishing report at www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/lakesuperior/report.html