A local group against the current drawdown of the Forestville Millpond is raising more concerns this spring over the sediment buildup being found downstream in the Ahnapee River. Friends of the Forestville Dam President Terry McNulty, who is also the village president, believes the drawdown should stop immediately. He says the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has not responded to his concerns over environmental issues.
The drawdown of the Forestville Millpond is in its final stages of an overall four-year project designed to restore health to the body of water. McNulty shares other concerns surrounding the drawdown.
Door County's Soil and Water Conservationist Erin Hanson did not want to comment on the drawdown's current status. According to Door County's website, the drawdown that began in late 2019 is a temporary lower water level by opening the dam's sluice valve on the Ahnapee River. The purpose is to address shallow water depth, lack of abundance and diversity of native plants, a fish community dominated by carp, and poor water quality within the Millpond. The drawdown's proposed timeframe calls for it ending this September with post refills to then continue through 2023. A lawsuit issued last year by the Friends of the Forestville Dam against Door County to stop the drawdown is still in the courts.
