New Milestone for Fountain Lake Restoration Project

The Shell Rock River Watershed District (SRRWD) held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) on March 31, 2017. 

A CDF is a dewatering site in the dredging process. When dredging takes place, there will be a mixture of water and sediment pumped to the disposal facility and the CDF will be used to settle and siphon off the water, said Shell Rock River Watershed District in its release.

“This is a historic day for the Shell Rock River Watershed District and our community. Years of planning, designing and engineering have gone into the construction of the CDF and this marks the first visible sign of the Fountain Lake Restoration Project,” said Brett Behnke, Administrator for the Watershed District. 

Andy Henschel, Director of Field Operations for the SRRWD, added: “Earthwork will begin immediately at the site under the direction of the SRRWD and the prime contractor, Frattalone Companies, from St. Paul, Minnesota. The CDF site will be ready to receive dredge spoils in August.”

The Shell Rock River Watershed District purchased the properties for the CDF in 2016. These properties are located adjacent to each other, north of Interstate 90 and 1 1/2 miles north of Fountain Lake.

The SRRWD has been preparing to dredge Fountain Lake since it was established in 2003 by implementing projects upstream including: the installation of fish barriers, lake reclamations, streambank restorations and agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs).

“This upstream progress has allowed us the opportunity to further our efforts in the Fountain Lake Restoration Project,” said Brett Behnke.

The Mission of the Shell Rock River Watershed District is to implement reasonable and necessary improvements to the water-related and other natural resources of the district.

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