West Rush Lake Access update..more questions!

[rushpointstore]

1-17-09  A Nessel Township supervisor called the store today to say that he finally got a response from the DNR on what their policy is for maintaining accesses in the winter.  There isn't one.  The contact said that they do not plow, sand, or otherwise maintain the access.  Our supervisor asked if the township were to maintain it, if they would be re-imbursed.  Apparently not.  The contact went on to say that if it became a public hazard, the access would be closed.  Sounds rather ominous, or am I paranoid?  It makes me wonder who has been plowing and keeping it open all these years.  I don't have time to follow this up thoroughly, but wonder how other counties handle it.  Should State Representatives be looking at it for their areas?  Is maintenance a budgeted item on the DNR budget?  Just a few wandering thoughts
   Otherwise, lake is making ice like crazy, crappies are up off the bottoms at around 28 feet..late afternoon and all night bite on red glos...We will stop filling propane when the weather gets below zero..can't make the employees get frostbite with the metal tanks..fill early for this weekend!

[johnsonator]

Its too bad the township or county just won't run thier plow up and down driveway without worrying about being reibursed. It cant cost that much to go down and back and spread a few pounds of sand on the hill on the way up. I would gladly do it if I had a plow truck, 3 years ago the hill was so bad with drifts and slush that I drove my wheeler there from Braham and plowed the hill off. Maybe somebody local with a plow truck would do it for some kind of a donation if the government plows don't want too work with the sportsmen.

[Finlander]

For all the years I've fished out of that access someone has always done something to help out.  If the snow gets deep enough someone with a plow drops the blade just to get out to their house . But when they do every body is fishing around them then. I know that not everybody has a 4 wheel drive truck but that is what you need when it snows . That is the reason I've had 4 wheel drive trucks since I was young. Even if they were rust buckets . Otherwise get tire chains. I've done that too when the 4 wheel was down.

  I help out plowing the access up north by my cabin with some of the locals and help out on the lake when the ice is good . But that truck stays up there. It was a $200 special that needs constant attention and I bought it for my driveway up there. When I plow out to my house up there I have people using my house for a wind break or they set their houses up on the road and drill holes in the road then it floods or they just block the road. 2 years ago someone did that to someone else who plows up there . He asked the kid to move or he'll get plowed in when he has to plow around him . The kid said no and he got plowed in . Well the kid had to call for a tow and and called the sheriff. The sheriff closed the access to everyone for 3 weeks . There was a lot of snow and water on the ice so it was better for everyone.

   I can understand why the township doesn't plow it and the DNR has never plowed accesses unless they have some work to do . The DNR just took a hit for money by not getting license fees for portable shelters. Maybe they could get that money back and do some plowing . I know when I plow up north I go thru a lot of gas . Depending on how much snow it's 3- 5 gallons for just my driveway at $3 a gallon plus equipment wear. My $200 truck has cost me an extra $600 this year alone so far. But I'm not making payments !

[tripnchip]

Having worked a public job i have some idea how things like this go. First it is the landing you want open then it is the one 10 miles down the raod and then the one on another lake and the word gets out and the county is opening most of the landings in the county. Yes now you are talking a lot of expense to the county when you figure in man hrs. fuel, wear and tear on the equipment. It would mean runing back down all the roads they had plowed  becuase taking the time to do it as they plowed the roads would delay road opening to much.