Moccasin Point landing now open for public use

LAKE VERMILION— After more than ten months of construction, and more than four months of closure, the Moccasin Point public access here has now reopened for public use. The reconstructed landing, one of the lake’s busiest, opened officially last Friday, Oct.16. It had been closed since June 1 to accommodate the $3.4 million construction project, completed by Ulland Bros. under contract with the Department of Natural Resources, which owns the property. Work on the site had begun last December, but the site was kept open through May of this year to accommodate anglers and others.
The landing is widely used by island property owners, anglers, and barges that operate on Vermilion to serve properties on islands or with water-only access.
The project came in mostly on-budget, according to DNR parks and trails regional manager Scott Kelling. Additional rock blasting and the discovery of more clay soils than expected pushed the cost slightly above the original bid of about $3.2 million.
DNR officials said the upgrades are needed to reduce sedimentation at the landing, which has been a longstanding problem there. The new landing achieves that by leveling a graveled site that had previously slanted noticeably toward the lake. Kelling said new stormwater catchment basins will also capture and slowly release stormwater runoff after percolating through the soil. Kelling said the new facility is designed to handle a large rain event without overflowing the stormwater catchment capacity.
The new site also offers three separate loading piers, with the most northerly designed to accommodate use by barges. Kelling said the DNR also plans to install floating dockage to the south of the three main piers to provide additional staging opportunity for users. That dockage won’t be installed until next spring given the expected end of the boating season within the next few weeks.
Kelling said no grand opening event is planned for the facility. “It boils down to having parking,” he said. “We’ve achieved that.” Kelling acknowledged that the closure of the landing during the reconstruction was a significant inconvenience to many longtime users of the site. “Everyone’s patience was appreciated,” he said.