DNR approves dredging of Oakwood channel

Department of Natural Resources approved a permit application by Oakwood Resort LLC Tuesday to dredge the channel immediately west of the Oakwood Inn.According to the permit, "an approximate 200 foot long, 80 to 100 foot wide channel located immediately west of the Oakwood Inn and Conference Center (Channel 1) will undergo maintenance dredging. Accumulated sand, muck and debris will be removed from the channel bed by dredging to a depth of 5 feet below the legal lake level at the center of the channel and uniformly sloping back to the legal level at the shoreline."The excavated material will be transported to an upland containment area for de-watering and disposal. Water from the containment area will not be allowed to return to the lake."The permit outlines eight special conditions Oakwood Resorts must comply with. They are:1) Minimize the movement of resuspended bottom sediment from the immediate project area.2) Re-vegetate all bare and disturbed areas landward of the shoreline with a mixture of grasses, excluding all varieties of tall fescue, and legumes as soon as possible upon completion.3) Dredging shall not occur until after July 1 and shall be completed by Feb. 28 of the subsequent year.4) Dredging must not exceed 5 feet below the legal lake level as described in plans received by the Division of Water Feb. 16, 2012.5) Contact the Lakes Permitting Biologist Nate Thomas at least 48 hours prior to the initiation of dredging.6) A silt screen shall be installed immediately lakeward of the dredging site and maintained throughout the dredging project. 7) Remove and properly dispose of any dislodged debris, plants or plant fragments from the lake that result from the dredging. 8) Spoils from the dredging project, either hydraulic or mechanical shall be deposited on an upland site and prevented from eroding into any water body or wetland.The permit becomes effective 18 days after the "mailed" date shown on the first page, which is May 7. If both a petition for review and a petition for a stay of effectiveness are filed before this permit becomes effective, any part of the permit within the scope of the petition is stayed for an additional 15 days.The permit is valid for 24 months from the "approved on" date shown on the first page. The "approved on" date is May 7. If work is not completed by May 7, 2015, the permit will become void and a new permit will be required in order to continue work on the project.Phil Kuhn, marketing director for Oakwood Resorts, said dredging of the channel is not expected to be done this summer, but sometime before the permit expires in 2015.