The final Fountain Lake dredging permit request came back from the Department of Natural Resources with a smaller-scale project approved than the Shell Rock River Watershed District (SRRWD) requested, the district said in their latest release.
The district requested permit for the removal of approximately 600,000 cubic yards of dredged sediment in the first phase of the project, while the DNR has approved approximately 400,000 cubic yards.
“ According to their (bank) setbacks and what they’re proposing, our engineers went back to figure the volume, and yeah, they are reducing it by 200,000 cubic yards ,” Shell Rock River Watershed District Administrator Brett Behnke said last Friday.
The first cell of the confined disposal facility that will house the dredged sediment is almost complete, and the watershed district intends to begin dredging in 2018.
After receiving the permit back from the DNR with a different dredge size approved than what was requested, representatives of the watershed district and the DNR met Friday to discuss the parameters of the dredge.
“ After the meeting (Friday), I feel that there’s progress in the right direction ,” Behnke said. “ They’re making movement, we’re making our point, but there’s still a long road ahead of us.”
The Shell Rock River Watershed District will meet Thursday morning to discuss the Fountain Lake restoration and receive a dredge permit update from Director of Field Operations Andy Henschel.
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