A general meeting regarding the upcoming dredging program was held last night at the Rec Center. With approximately 75 residents in attendance Tracy, our General Manager gave a brief overview of the project which included a start date as early as later this week when the dredging team will be working on the dam to begin welding together the piping which will carry the silt from the East Bay to the south containment area. The schedule for the dredging is as follows: East Bay to be completed on or about July 10, West Bay to be completed on or about July 29, and North Bay to be completed on or about August 15. Dates are not exact because while the team works from 7am to 7pm seven days a week they have been asked to stop work during the busy 4th of July holiday weekend. Windy weather is another factor that can delay the project, but this does not appear to be a large concern.
Tracy then turned the meeting over to Gary from Dakota Dredging to further explain the project and to answer any questions and concerns. Gary outlined the project and stated that the six-inch pipe that runs from the East and West Bays to the dam will be submerged and orange buoys will be attached to the pipe at 500 foot intervals making boaters aware of its location. He did state that should an air bubble occur in the pipe that the pipe will rise, but then sink again. He wants to make sure boaters are aware of this possibility. The pipe near where the dredge is working will float and there will be green and white buoys in these locations. The cable attached to the dredging equipment is dangerous, but will be submerged at night with lighted devices attached to indicate its location. There will be other equipment that will cross the mouth of each bay as it is being worked. Work will begin at the mouth and continue inward dredging the entire bay.
Residents were concerned about time requirements (which is about 18 – 20 days per bay); whether they should remove their boats and/or piers (it was suggested that piers be removed and that those interested in boating try to locate others residents who have lakefront property where they may tie up during this period); proximity of dredging to shoreline (the team will get as close to the shore as possible); the amount of silt to be removed (in some places the silt is 42 inches deep and the team will go down to the original lake bottom); and included many others. Gary did state that there will be a work boat, in addition to the dredge barge, that can assist boaters in entering and exiting the bays which are being cleared.
Tracy will write up a synopsis of the meeting for the upcoming newspaper and should anyone have any questions regarding the project they are to contact him either at the office by phone at (815)-765-2827 or e-mail generalmanager@candlewick-lake.org.
Submitted by Bonnie Marron