Nicolet delays release of well report (updated)

Nicolet College officials have announced a slight delay in the timeline for the release of a report on the City of Rhinelander’s proposal to locate a new municipal well on the college’s Town of Pelican campus.
Late last week, Nicolet public information officer Jenna Allen advised the Star Journal that Dr. Christian Langevin’s report outlining his peer review of the city’s well site investigation report has been received but college officials decided not to release it during the first week of July as they had originally planned.
“We’ve had to delay sharing the report while we answer some new questions that emerged during our discussion with the hydrologist (Dr. Langevin),” Allen explained. “We remain hopeful that we will be able to share the report this month.”
The college also sent an email to its neighbors in the Town of Pelican explaining the delay.
“We met with Dr. Christian Langevin, the hydrologist who completed a peer review of the well site investigation report,” the email reads. “After discussing the report, we realized we had more questions to answer and investigate before we shared it publicly. We believe it’s critical to share complete and accurate information with you, so we have decided to temporarily delay sharing the report until we’re confident we have as complete information as possible. We haven’t had any further discussions with City of Rhinelander officials or the project team.We are hopeful that we will be able to share the report with you this month. We recognize that waiting may be difficult, so we thank you for your continued patience.”

The city has been searching for over a year for an appropriate site for a new well to help alleviate its water capacity issues. The city’s water supply has been the subject of concern since 2019 when two municipal wells (Nos. 7&8) had to be taken offline due to PFAS contamination. The city explored the possibility of locating a well on the fast-growing east side of the city, near the bypass, but an appropriate site couldn’t be found due to its proximity to the Town of Stella, home to some of the highest PFAS levels in Wisconsin.
Forced to search in another area, the city received permission to drill a test site on the college campus. In late March, the common council chose Town & Country Engineering to design the potential well, a necessary step to obtain funding for the project. However, news of the city’s well exploration activities came as a surprise to officials and residents in the Town of Pelican, where the college is located.
In response, both the city and the college hosted listening sessions to gather feedback on the proposal from Town of Pelican residents and other interested parties.
Nicolet and city officials have stressed that the proposed well cannot be located on the campus unless or until the school and the city come to a lease or purchase agreement for the land in question. The college hired Dr. Langevin, a prominent hydrologist, as part of its “due diligence” in evaluating the city’s proposal, school officials explained during the listening session.
Meanwhile, several Pelican property owners have sent letters to the DNR’s drinking water division formally protesting the city’s proposal. Copies of four such letters have been sent to the Star Journal. In each communication, the author or authors identify themselves as Town of Pelican property owners reliant on private wells for drinking water and household use.
The letter writers then go on to explain their concern that the city’s proposed project may have a significant impact on the local water table.
Concerns listed include lowering lake levels, drying or impairment of private wells, and long-term ecological and recreational harm to area lakes and wetlands.
“Given these risks, I request that the DNR not approve the well permit until a comprehensive environmental and hydrological impact study is conducted.” the letters read. “This study should specifically analyze the drawdown effects on surrounding groundwater and surface water resources, including modeling based on seasonal and drought variations.”
The letter writers also request the DNR
· Formally acknowledge this protest;
· Provide notice of any public hearings;
· Keep (the letter writer) informed of the project’s status and final decisions;
· Require the City of Rhinelander to identify and implement mitigation measures to protect private wells and lake levels.
“This letter is submitted to preserve my legal and property rights, including any future legal remedies related to groundwater depletion, well interference, or environmental degradation,” each letter states.