Who will use the Lake Mitchell jetty and public boat dock?

Sam Fosness, The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
·3 min read

Apr. 3—MITCHELL — Lake Mitchell will soon welcome a public boat dock and jetty, but how much use will the new features see?

While a Mitchell resident is concerned the boat docks will not be frequently used, city leaders disagree.

A survey was conducted in 2020 asking Mitchell residents their top goals and suggestions to enhance Lake Mitchell. The survey was part of a 2020 lake recreation study led by North Dakota State University graduate students, who pitched the idea of building a lake marina with a jetty, public boat dock and lodging cabins.

Although the 694 survey responses revealed building a public boat dock was not atop the list of goals, Mayor Bob Everson said roughly 20% of the respondents said they would use a public dock at Lake Mitchell.

"Of the 60 boat slips we would aim to put in, we have more than 60 people who said they would use boat slips. So there is a demand there," Everson said.

As part of the $2.6 million jetty and boat dock project, the city would install roughly 60 boat slips that could be rented. The city would collect the revenue from boat dock rental fees.

Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Nelson broke down the survey responses further and said a total of 174 people who responded to the survey indicated they would be willing to rent a boat slip.

"11.5% said they would pay $200 per month for a slip. That's 78 people. If we end up with 66 boat slips, I think we got a pretty good percentage out there," Nelson said.

The council awarded a contractor's $2.6 million bid on Monday to construct the jetty and boat docks. The jetty and boat dock will be constructed next to the West End boat ramp.

The concept of constructing a jetty — which is a long, narrow strip of earthwork surrounded by riprap or stone to block wind for fishing and easing boat docking — was a product of the Lake Mitchell recreation study.

Mitchell Public Works Director Joe Schroeder said the jetty and docks would be built while the lake is full. The lake water could be drawn down in the near future if voters approve a $16.8 million loan application to fund the city's proposed Lake Mitchell dredging project.

For the mechanical dredging project to take place, the lake water would need to be drawn down for crews to remove sediment from the lake bottom.

"We can build the project with the lake being full or empty, and the contractor plans to start in November. That means there will be water in the lake at that time," Schroeder said. "Regardless if the lake is full or not, you can construct the jetty by laying the riprap down."

The city's plan to build a jetty and public boat dock near the west end boat ramp advanced after securing a $1 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) in 2022. The grant will fund nearly half of the project costs.

It's unclear what the project's projected economic impact will be on the city.

Mitchell resident Steve Sibson requested the city provide information that explains the projected economic impact the jetty and boat dock project will have on the city as a whole.

According to Gina Raimondo, an official with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, which awarded the city the $1 million EDA grant, said in 2022 the project would "support outdoor recreation and boost the local tourism industry."