It also found that three drownings at the beach were connected to the rip currents.
The beach was closed in August 2020, following growing concerns about riptides, a record number of drownings and several near-drowning incidents.Ī report on McKinley carried out between fall 2021 and spring 2022 showed that both the beach's geometry and high water were the cause of beach erosion and rip currents. Wasserman said he worked with the Parks Department and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley to secure the extra funding.
"It's unacceptable that McKinley Beach is fenced in, closed in the middle of a hot summer in Wisconsin. Wasserman, whose east side district includes McKinley Beach. "We need to have this beach open this summer," said Supervisor Sheldon A. The Parks Department will be shifting funds from other parks projects to help pay for the McKinley construction, Deputy Director James Tarantino told the Journal Sentinel. The project faced a setback in the spring when the cost estimates for construction came back higher than initially projected, with bids reaching $350,000 over budget. "The planned solution will also effectively lower the water depth between the breakwaters to help reduce currents and create a shallower beach environment." "The planned solution restores McKinley Beach to its original intended design by re-nourishing the beach with sand, grading, and grooming," the department wrote in a statement. When could the beach reopen?Ĭonstruction is set to start in June and will last four to eight weeks, depending on weather and lake conditions, with a target reopening set for this summer, the Milwaukee County Parks Department announced. A year ago, Milwaukee County approved more than $700,000 for a restoration aimed at preventing drownings. The plan is to restore the beach to its original 1989 design after an ongoing effort to reduce significant erosion and tackle rip current concerns. After almost three summers closed and barricaded, McKinley Beach is getting a much-needed makeover to improve the beach's overall safety, sustainability and water quality.
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