The Pierce County Parks Committee on Nov. 15 accepted a Nugget Lake dredging bid of $1,384,000 submitted by American Express Excavation LLC of Eau Claire.

Park Superintendent Travis Campbell will negotiate a contract with American Express. Once Corporation Counsel Brad Lawrence approves the contract, it will be ready to execute, Administrative Coordinator Jason Matthys said following the committee’s action.

American Express Excavation was one of 12 bidders for the project to dredge up to 100,000 cubic yards of material from the lake. The county set a project cost cap of $2,159,054, including a 15 percent contingency, based on estimates from Geosyntec Consultants, a Milwaukee engineering firm.

Campbell said the company believes it can finish the project in 60 days, and noted that a reference he checked was “very happy with their work.” Campbell said American Express Excavation’s previous experience includes dredging Lake Altoona in Eau Claire County, where approximately 1 million cubic yards were excavated.

Tim Davis, an American Express co-owner, told the committee his company’s goal is to do the work “as fast as we can,” and complimented the project design team for laying out “a good plan of attack.”

Campbell said the lake’s level is down about 15 feet and the “whole work area is exposed” except for wet spots in the proposed drive-out area.

Nugget Lake was last dredged in 2007, and according to a Geosyntec report, “the capacity gained by the previous (dredging) effort is likely gone, which has been further supported by bathymetric data collected by Pierce County and provided in the analysis and design of this dredging project.”

Sediment buildup interferes with navigability at the boat ramp and northern parts of the lake. Buildup also stimulates growth of algae and nuisance plants that affect consumer use, the Geosyntec report said.

In other action, the committee approved changes in the Nugget Lake County Park fee schedule, including a $2 increase in the camping fee, from $30 to $32, on Fridays and Saturdays. The Sunday-Thursday fee will remain at $30. Campbell said he hopes the lower weekday fee will “provide an incentive for people to come during the week more.”

“It’s a good experiment to try,” said Supervisor Scott Bjork, the committee chairman. Supervisor Kris Sampson noted that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers uses “dynamic pricing” in fees at its recreation facilities.

Committee citizen member Kevin Coulson cautioned against “gouging” park users.

Other changes include a $100 increase, from $1,700 to $1,800 in the seasonal camping charge, and a new $15 reservation fee for renting cabins. Campbell said the park requires a two-night minimum for weekend cabin rentals. He told the committee that one-night cabin renters often leave behind more cleanup chores than people who rent multiple nights.

Campbell suggested considering an increase in the boat/canoe rental fee after the dredging project is completed. In addition, the schedule recommended future discussion of a commercial boat landing fee for companies using the Trenton Island boat landing.