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I missed it on the news recently but I think Albert Lea is getting funded or has a plan to go ahead with their dredging process over there. Anyone happen to see it or know for sure?
The “Shell Rock River Watershed Board” went ahead and bought a used Dredge from an Auction at Richie Bros. in Owatonna a week ago. They are in the process of obtaining Permits, Funding and Engineering the whole Dredging plan.
link to A.L.Trib “Dredge on Display at City Park”
link to PDF on Watershed Dredging Project proposal
link to homepage of Sheel Rock River Watershed District
They have a ton of work that includes Fund Raising to be done, when you consider they need $12-$18 Million. With the economy in the tank, it may be a few years but hopefully purchasing the Dredge will signal to the “Powers that Be” that they are serious and maybe more leverage in obtaining funds to move ahead.
I’ve written letters on this in the past, but I believe to do this right and make it last they need to correct some of the wrong they created the first time they dredged the lakes in the late 50’s, early 60’s. They filled in a large “WETLAND COMPLEX” creating an area now known as “Shoff Park”, along with a low Farm Field. These areas should be used to re-create some of the original Wetlands that filtered runoff and silt prior to reaching Dane Bay on the S.W. Corner of Fountain Lake. Re-Meander the Creek from the Straight Channels into something more natural adding some DEEP (15’-30’) Pools to let silt settle out. The Mouth area of Shoff Creek entering Dane Bay is now an Island where it had been 4’-6’ deep in the early 70’s when I grew up & constantly fished near there.
IMHO, without replacing the Wetland and fixing the mouth Area of Dane Bay first, they will have the same problem occurring again in another 30-40 years.
I wish them well and I will support their plan, urging my State Senator & Representative to support this plan, as long as I see they fix the wrongs of the past. 
