The Lake Orono Restoration and Enhancement (LORE) project has been taking advantage of the current weather conditions by making significant dredging and hauling progress! As of Wednesday, January 17, New Look Contracting confirmed they have hauled 102,000 cubic yards of material from the site.
Some may be curious why that material is being excavated – here’s that answer. Over time, sediment from development, litter, runoff, and other factors settles on the bottom of any water body. In Lake Orono, much of the accumulated sediment enters the lake from upstream via the Elk River and settles when it enters the lake. As that sediment builds, the aquatic and recreational health of the lake is threatened, making dredging a good solution to help restore its natural bottom.
Fortunately, the material does not contain harmful contaminants and is hauled to local sites within 5-7 miles of the lake. Because it is such fertile soil, it will be used for earthwork “filler material” to bring projects to final grade elevation in order to begin growing vegetation. New Look anticipates removing roughly 25,000 additional cubic yards of material over the next two weeks.
Thank you to the residents who have submitted these (and other images) to the city’s secure uploading site. Those who live on the lake, or have a way to safely view the project site, are encouraged to upload images to ElkRiverMN.gov/LOREphotos for documentation purposes and potential use on social media and the city’s website.