Lake Onalaska Shorelands
Most of the shoreland band surrounding the Lake is owned by federal agencies (mostly the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [USACE], with a very small amount owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). The City of La Crosse owns the shorelands around the north end of La Crosse Airport as well as the lake bottom area of the airport landing lights, extending across to Rosebud Island. The BNSF Railroad owns almost all of the entire eastern shoreland of the Lake as well as a band of adjoining lake bottom. Federal shorelands along several parcels on the north shore of Lake Onalaska (Brice Prairie) have eroded away so that the water's edge is on private property. In all cases the federally-owned shorelands are open to public use, using public access. USACE purchased the shorelands, sometimes using eminent domain authority, in the 1930s to have flowage right control over lands that could potentially be inundated by or affected by erosion from the dams of the 9-foot Channel Navigation Project authorized by the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1930.
Local government involvement with the shorelands varies around the lake and can described in this diagram.
Town of Onalaska (Brice Prairie)
The Town of Onalaska has leased the shorelands along Brice Prairie's south shore, from the "Tubes" walkdown to Halfway Creek, from USACE since 1965. That lease includes two boat landings and several public access points. The Town administers a permit system for landowners adjacent to the shorelands to place "structures" such as docks, steps, lockers, and boat lifts along the Brice Prairie Shore.
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Town of Onalaska Lease Agreement with USACE (2014-2039)
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Town of Onalaska Shoreline Use Permit Ordinance, implementing the Lease Agreement "Operational Plan" (adopted by Town Board 3/14/2023)
Town of Campbell (French Island)
In the Town of Campbell, each individual property owner adjacent to the shorelands has a separate arrangement with the USACE for use of the shorelands adjoining their property, and the Town of Campbell maintains lease agreements (outgrants) for Nelson Park, the spillway landings, and Fishermen's Road boat landings.
USACE Management Documents Pertaining to Shorelands
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Overarching Regulations Governing Public Use of Water Resource Development Projects Nationwide
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36 CFR Part 327: the primary nationwide governing regulations
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ER 1130-2-406: policy and guidance on management of shorelines of Civil Works projects where 36 CFR Part 327 is applicable (nationwide guidance)
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Upper Mississippi River (UMR) Master Plan (April 2022)
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Master Plans and associated step-down Shoreline Management Plans provide guidance tailored to the specific needs of individual USACE projects. They must be consistent with 36 CFR Part 327 (see above), but can offer project and site-specific detail where 36 CFR Part 327 grants authority for designation or permission of the District Engineer.
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The April 2022 UMR St. Paul District Master Plan includes and updates the material covered in the 2011 Land Use Allocation Plan (LUAP) as Chapter 4 and Appendix C, now called the "Land Allocation and Land Classification" (LALC). The shorelands are classified as "low-density recreation", except a few places like boat landings that are classified as "high density recreation". An online GIS map viewer application is available to display the land use classifications and land ownership.
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1988 USACE Shoreline Management Plan for the UMR in the St. Paul District: a "stepdown" plan from the Master Plan, implementing detailed guidance for shoreline areas. Although the current Master Plan was released in 2022, the Shoreline Management Plan has not been updated since 1988 and is still in effect.
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USACE Nationwide Master Planning and Land Use Allocation Classification Background
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The Master Planning Process (USACE Planning Overview)
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PROJECT MASTER PLANS AND OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT PLANS (EP 1130-2-550, Jan 2013) See Chapter 3.
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Piers and Docks Regional General Permit (December 13, 2023)