Residents Near Crystal Lake Worry About Access To Homes
Flooding Blocks Some Roads
Updated: 10:48 am CDT April 4, 2009
TOWN OF ROXBURY, Wis. -- The water is rising on Crystal Lake, and flood waters have nearly cut some residents off from their homes.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportResidents on the Columbia County side of Crystal Lake have been sandbagging and bracing for the rising waters. But on the Dane County side, there are 50 homes with flood waters blocking all access roads.Roads southwest of Crystal Lake are closed and there's also a blockage south of the lake, WISC-TV reported."We haven't had a concern about the road before this year and now (the water's) coming fast," said Sue Heintz, a Dane County resident who lives along Crystal Lake.Heintz said she's never seen the lake at the level it is now. In fact, most of the lake's past problems have been that it's too shallow.Heinz said water is threatening access to her home and 50 others."We just keep seeing our road eroding away," Heintz said.One side of Crystal Lake Road is impassable. The only remaining route is also taking on water, WISC-TV reported.Town of Roxbury supervisor Nick Ganser said officials are doing everything they can to keep the stretch of road open."This afternoon, we're going to build a stone berm so the water quits pounding up the road," Ganser said. "It's causing voids under the road, which hollows it out. And it's saturated and soft, and a road bed needs a good dry base under it to keep it solid."Since Tuesday, a pump has been trying to lower the lake level -- but the water just keeps rising, WISC-TV reported. Heintz said that with rain and snow expected this weekend, she fears the worst."We've got that one access point blocked. We're afraid that (the other) access is going to be blocked and it's going to crumble there, too," Heintz said.Residents said they're are hoping for some sort of state or federal help -- to both help keep the road open and then rebuild it when the waters recede.A spokesman for Rep. Keith Ripp, who represents the area, said letters have been sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Wisconsin Emergency Management and to Gov. Jim Doyle asking for some sort of financial assistance.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportResidents on the Columbia County side of Crystal Lake have been sandbagging and bracing for the rising waters. But on the Dane County side, there are 50 homes with flood waters blocking all access roads.Roads southwest of Crystal Lake are closed and there's also a blockage south of the lake, WISC-TV reported."We haven't had a concern about the road before this year and now (the water's) coming fast," said Sue Heintz, a Dane County resident who lives along Crystal Lake.Heintz said she's never seen the lake at the level it is now. In fact, most of the lake's past problems have been that it's too shallow.Heinz said water is threatening access to her home and 50 others."We just keep seeing our road eroding away," Heintz said.One side of Crystal Lake Road is impassable. The only remaining route is also taking on water, WISC-TV reported.Town of Roxbury supervisor Nick Ganser said officials are doing everything they can to keep the stretch of road open."This afternoon, we're going to build a stone berm so the water quits pounding up the road," Ganser said. "It's causing voids under the road, which hollows it out. And it's saturated and soft, and a road bed needs a good dry base under it to keep it solid."Since Tuesday, a pump has been trying to lower the lake level -- but the water just keeps rising, WISC-TV reported. Heintz said that with rain and snow expected this weekend, she fears the worst."We've got that one access point blocked. We're afraid that (the other) access is going to be blocked and it's going to crumble there, too," Heintz said.Residents said they're are hoping for some sort of state or federal help -- to both help keep the road open and then rebuild it when the waters recede.A spokesman for Rep. Keith Ripp, who represents the area, said letters have been sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Wisconsin Emergency Management and to Gov. Jim Doyle asking for some sort of financial assistance.
Previous Stories:
- March 31, 2009: Plan To Pump Rising Waters From Crystal Lake Delayed
- March 27, 2009: Residents Near Crystal Lake Build Pipeline
- March 25, 2009: Residents Reinforce Flood Wall At Crystal Lake
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