By Ben Rodgers
Editor
With summer officially here, the village of Howard deserves recognition for the Duck Creek Quarry project.
Located at the corner of Glendale Avenue and Lakeview Drive, the Duck Creek Quarry provides people a chance to beat the heat in a clean environment.
The overall cost to the village was close to $135,000.
Let’s be honest, there isn’t quite anything like this in the greater Green Bay area.
People can relax on the beach with a book, or take a dip in the deep end to cool off.
The project isn’t even fully completed yet.
The village is hopeful that by the Fourth of July the addition of a shallow beach will be complete for families.
Currently there is a sand beach on one end with a ledge area, immediately followed by a steep drop off into the water.
This is afterall a quarry, so a drop off can only be expected.
That’s why it’s important to use safety when there.
The village has a set of rules that need to be followed for everyone’s safety and enjoyment.
It’s important to note this area is swim at your own risk. There are no lifeguards present.
If you are not confident in your swimming abilities, or you are with young children, be careful or wait until the addition is completed in a week or so.
No alcohol or glass is allowed in.
This seems pretty straight forward, but with a crowded beach area, glass is a bad idea. No one wants to step on a piece and cut themselves.
Duck Creek Quarry is also a family area, so no alcohol is the right choice. Plus, people don’t need any liquid confidence before jumping into a 150-foot depth.
There is no climbing or jumping from ledges and cliffs, as well as no access from the west or north ends.
Ledges and cliffs might be fun to jump from, but this is where quarries can become dangerous. The west and north ends also house many of the cliffs and ledges, so just stay away.
No motorized boats are allowed. Duck Creek Quarry is only about 18 acres, so there’s not much room to navigate with a motor boat, let alone multiple. Plus, the noise can be bothersome for many.
Wisconsin is blessed with thousands of lakes that allow motorized vessels, so it’s not like people don’t have other options out there.
Fishing is catch and release only. But so everyone can enjoy the opportunity to fish, don’t take any of those perch or bass along with you.
Finally, the quarry is open from sunup to sundown.
Some of these rules are common sense, others are for everyone’s enjoyment. However, the fact of the matter is that swimming in quarries can be dangerous due to the deep depths.
Look no further than the Red Granite Quarry from 1979 to 2015, where 19 people have died.
But Red Granite is a different animal. No real regulations, or enforcement, people jumping in from all different directions, much more of a lawless atmosphere.
That’s why it’s refreshing to see Howard offer an option for citizens with a primary focus on safety.
Nothing is perfectly safe these days, but Howard has done a great job making safety a priority at Duck Creek Quarry.
Nice job Howard.