Gil Larsen Trailhead Excavation Work

Gil Larsen Trailhead Sluiceway Cleanout

If you head out on the Big Ravine’s Gil Larsen Trail on Washington Ave. across from the library in Bayfield, you will see excavation and dirt work. The City’s Public Works Department has cleaned out the drainage and catchment structure in front of the sluiceway that directs water through a culvert down to the lake. This maintenance work was required after several high runoff events deposited woody debris, rocks, and sediment that threaten to obstruct the stormwater system. 

In the near-term the grassy slope at the trailhead will be reseeded and the gravel trail in front of the interpretive signs will be cleaned up. The City is consulting with restoration specialists to determine the best steps to reestablish desirable vegetation and stave off invasive species in the floodplain. The large dirt pile will stay until the access trail is refurbished into a gently-sloping path next year.

For the long-term, the City is requesting funding from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program to conduct an integrated analysis and plan for the recreational and public works infrastructure in the lower Big Ravine. The analysis would evaluate current structures and strategies for capturing debris and managing water flow into the sluiceway. The entire project would take into consideration climate change, changing flow regimes and creek morphology, diversified trail users, universal accessibility, and low-cost maintenance approaches for the trail and water management. If funded, the assessment and planning project would begin in 2025, with the goal of starting implementation in 2026.