Swamp Devil opening Spring, Black creeks

Aug. 22, 2019

By David Nordby

The Brillion News

BRILLION – The Swamp Devil that arrived in Brillion two weeks ago is cutting aquatic vegetation to open a channel for improved water flow in and out of the marsh on Spring Creek and Black Creek.

The cutting, also known as dredging, is the first of three steps to the project followed by spraying and burning of specific spots of the marsh.

The Spring Creek dredging is scheduled to be 1.8 miles long for a channel up to 10-feet wide. Black Creek dredging is scheduled to be less than a half-mile long for a channel up to 8-feet wide. Each channel will be between 2 ½ to 3-feet for maximum depth.

“I’ve lived here all my life and when I came on board that was one thing that I had a little craw and a chew about because the areas that I used to play in tennis shoes out in the Brillion marsh are now waders and hip boots,” Brillion Public Works Director Andy Geiger said.

Years ago, Brillion and surrounding communities, like Hilbert and Potter, talked with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) about possibly building a storm water sewer system. Those efforts fizzled out.

“The creek along Tesch Street that I used to play in, I could jump across it. It was 2 ½, 3-feet wide in the widest spots,” Geiger said. “Now it’s 30-feet wide.” 

Now, there’s nowhere for water to go when Brillion gets rainfall. 

Please see the complete story in the Aug. 22, 2019 edition of The Brillion News.