Drummond is Wading in the Water

Projects planned for this summer have already been placed on the back burner.

DRUMMOND, Wis.,- It’s sunshine and clear sky now but Drummond is still wading in the water.

Drummond town chairman Roy Bloom remains busy keeping track of road conditions.

“Two, three, there was four washouts in this that were five foot deep,” Bloom said.

The red markings are all the roads currently closed.

“There are still places here we’re just guessing, we marked down a road, simply because we can’t get there from here,” Bloom said.

Drummond is receiving help from the county, forestry department, and a local contractor. Despite a large number of road closures, all residents are now able to leave their homes.

“Everything from that way came this way, and it looked like a little flotilla, coming across the lake,” cabin visitor Denise Dondlinger said.

The nearly 10 feet of flood water is substantially going down, allowing crews to start working on roadways. Meanwhile, it may take a lot more time for some cabins on Pigeon Lake to be out of high waters.

“They ran along the lake bringing back pieces and this is the easiest place to pull them up all the other beach places are under trees right now,” Dondlinger said.

But dealing with flooding is nothing new for local residents.

“We thought we were just done with this because this happened two years ago too,” Bloom said.

Projects planned for this summer have already been placed on the back burner.

“How much gravel is required to fill a five foot by 20-foot hole to make a road again,” Bloom said

As county leaders worry if there are enough resources to fix damaged roads before winter comes.

“To accomplish what is damaged here is going to take quite an undertaking to accomplish in the summer,” Bloom said.

Drummond is an ATV tourist attraction, but with trail conditions, they might sit in the driveway this summer.

“So that kinda hurts a little bit too doesn’t it, I mean in the big touristy area, all the sudden no ATV traffic,” Bloom said.

But the major concern is safety.

“Folks were not paying attention to barricades, when you have barracudas up that day road closed kinda means that then you end up in a pickle,” Bloom said.

The town is asking drivers to be aware of and follow detour signs. To track road closures visit Bayfield road closures.