Prairie River Wild Park Takes Root

By Amber Paluch
Wausau Daily Herald
apaluch@wdhprint.com

MERRILL - Two miles of the Prairie River will continue to receive a facelift this year, once the ground thaws and crews can begin another season of rebuilding the river. Workers will spend this spring building up stream banks and planting thousands of trees and prairie grass and wildflowers. Recreational enthusiasts will be able to use the new canoe landing, a wheelchair-accessible fishing pier, an open shelter and other planned features. 

The result will be a far cry from the "mucky, muddy mess" created when theformer Ward Paper Mill dam was removed, said Troy Patzner, Merrill's parks, buildings and grounds supervisor and city forester. The drawdown in October 1999 had residents predicting reduced property values and unappealing scenery, and many opposed the dam's removal. "That's done. We can't put the dam back," Patzner said. "It's gone, so we might as well make the best of the situation as we can."  Terry Tessmer, whose property abuts the former lake bed, said he's excited
for the work to continue. "All I see is it would be an A-plus for the river," he said. "I can't see how it would do anything but improve the fisheries, that's for sure."  The work has made Tessmer's canoe trips more enjoyable, and Tessmer said he looks forward to the new developments.

The state Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Conservation Corps, Trout Unlimited, Friends of the Prairie River, school groups, the city's Park Department and other clubs have met to plan for what they've officially dubbed "Prairie Trails." The project will be established through state money and the work of volunteers. The group wants to enhance the wetlands to create habitat for fish, birds and other creatures. The land would be a passive recreational area, which means it would be more wild than a city park, Patzner said. "To have another high-maintenance area is just not going to be suitable for us," he said. DNR crews will narrow the stream and add rocks, boulders, stumps and other habitat to encourage cold-water life. Pete Segerson, fisheries technician with the DNR, will join a Merrill High School biology class May 6 to plant 7,000 small trees and about 500 large hardwoods. Public hearings likely will follow as plans become more firm, Patzner said.