Bluegill Logo Small Bluegill
≡
menu

Lake Onalaska
Protection & Rehabilitation District

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 where access is available. USACE purchased the shorelands using eminent domain 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 all of the shorelands along Brice Prairie 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.

  1. Town of Onalaska Lease Agreement with USACE (2014-2039)

  2. 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 has a separate lease arrangement with the USACE for use of the shorelands adjoining their property, and the Town maintains lease agreements for Nelson Park, the spillway landings, and Fishermen's Road boat landings.

USACE St. Paul District Management Documents Pertaining to Shorelands

  1. Upper Mississippi River Master Plan (April 2022)

    1. 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.

    2. Shoreline Management Plan (1988) - a "stepdown" plan from the Master Plan

    3. 1988 USACE Shoreline Management Plan: 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.

  2. Piers and Docks Regional General Permit (December 13, 2023)

_