College plans to restore lake retreat

A scenic Shawano Lake retreat popular with school groups, nature lovers and private parties could soon get a makeover where it matters most — at the water’s edge.

Concordia University, based in Mequon, plans to rebuild a 85-year-old seawall that protects the shoreline at its Whispering Pines Retreat.

Located on the northern shore of Shawano Lake in the town of Wescott, the 92-acre retreat has been owned by Concordia University since the 1970s and has become a unique site for education and recreation.

When Concordia students or staff are not using the property, school groups visit for field trips, outdoor enthusiasts fish the waters, and private groups rent the complex for parties, reunions or other gatherings.

“There’s an awful lot of people who use that area,” said Orren Frederick, who manages the complex for the university.

Decades of activity and normal wear and tear have caused deterioration of a shoreline seawall that gives the retreat one of its most appealing features: an approachable waterfront.

So university officials are preparing to spend about $300,000 to install a new seawall across 940 feet of shoreline on a lagoon around which the retreat was developed.

The project involves driving timber pilings deep underwater, in a process so environmentally sensitive that work must take place during winter months to minimize the disruption to fish populations and other natural resources.

The state Department of Natural Resources is soliciting public input as it considers issuing a permit for the project.

Shawano County officials, meanwhile, have reviewed the proposal and given their approval for Concordia University and its contractor to move ahead.

Bob Jacobson, the county’s planning and development director, said he is confident that steps have been taken to minimize the disturbance of natural resources within Whispering Pines. Jacobson also said rebuilding the retreat’s seawall is a significant improvement.

“This is a real good project, and I think they’re doing it at the right time of year,” he said. “We’ll probably end up with a real nice end product.”

Crews from Omro-based Johnston Pile Driving LLC hope to start work in January.

Located at W5398 Lake Drive, the retreat is on property where private landowners in the 1920s dredged swampland to create a lagoon along Shawano Lake’s northern shore. Members of that family later donated the property to Concordia, a private college north of Milwaukee.

The college maintains lodges, kitchens and other facilities large enough to accommodate up to 60 people at a time.

Although the complex is on private property, the lagoon is open to the public and is a popular fishing spot. Large populations of bass and panfish gather there during spawning season.

Tom Phillip, vice president of information technology for Concordia, said the deteriorated seawall has made some areas of the waterfront difficult for visitors at the retreat to enjoy, not to mention dangerous from instability and sinkholes.

Building a new seawall will restore the property for future generations to enjoy, Phillip said, adding that parts of the complex otherwise could soon become unusable.

“It’s not getting any better,” he said, adding, “I think we’re catching it in time.”