In 2021, the City of Columbus applied for and was awarded a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Department of Administration.  The application focused on two projects to improve the transport of stormwater throughout the city.

The first project consists of dredging the lower section of 2^nd Ward Creek from the mill pond to Farnham Street.

The second project involves the partial removal and replacement of a deteriorated large diameter metal culvert located on a tributary of the 2^nd Ward Creek just upstream from Fuller Street to the eastern edge of Washington Park.

It is planned that both projects will be designed and publicly bid in accordance with grant requirements. Bidding is expected to take place in April 2022 with construction beginning in July 2022.  The grant stipulates that all construction activities are completed by October 31, 2022.

Permitting will be extensive for both projects, but pre-application meetings have already been conducted with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE). Applications are underway and will be completed in the coming weeks.

In an effort to allow residents to provide feedback and get clarification on the proposed projects, the City and design engineer will be conducting a Public Informational Meeting (PIM).  This meeting will introduce the project and review the current drawings by project location.  The PIM will begin with a short project presentation and then will be opened up to questions from the audience.  The 2^nd Ward Creek Dredging Project PIM will be held Thursday, March 3, 2022 at the Columbus Area Senior Center (125 N. Dickason Blvd.) at 6:30 pm.

Any questions or concerns regarding the project or its impact, or if you cannot attend the PIM, but would like more information, please contact the Director of Public Works, Jerry Lentz at 920-623-5908 or Engineer Andy Burt at 608-819-2600.