7.5 SR 06-01-2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City of Elk River May 15, 2020 Page 5 5.0 FEASIBILITY AND RECOMMENDATION The 2020-2021 Lake Orono Restoration and Enhancement Project includes • Excavate and remove an estimated 125,000 cubic yards of accumulated sediment that has been deposited within Lake Orono, from the Elk River. • Construct deep and shallow water aquatic habitats within the lake that are ideal for varying levels of dissolved oxygen and temperature required for multiple species of fish, one of which (catch basin) would function as a forebay to trap sediment from the Elk River. • Install habitat structures for fish such as toe wood at/below the water, that provide protection and habitat for fish and other wildlife (birds, amphibians, reptiles, etc.). • Rock spawning beds are proposed, primarily at locations that are away from residential docks. Rock spawning beds provide additional protection from shoreline scouring. Total estimated cost for the 2020-2021 LORE Project is $3.25M. Of those total project costs, $1.51M will be funded using State bonding dollars; $1 M will be funded using local option sales tax dollars as a part of Active Elk River, $100K will be funded using other City of Elk River funds and $650K of the project costs will be funded by special assessments to benefiting property owners. Funding for the project is provided through a combination of State Bonding Dollars, Local Sales Tax Dollars as part of Active Elk River, City of Elk River Funds and Special Assessments. Construction costs are based on anticipated construction costs for 2020. Given the necessity of the project to prevent further degradation to the water quality and recreational value of Lake Orono, and the availability of state bonding and local option sales tax dollars to fund nearly 80% of the project costs, the project as proposed is a cost efficient and feasible solution to address current issues with Lake Orono. Due to the unique nature of the project, it is not possible to do the project in connection with any other improvements. This project is feasible, necessary and cost-effective from an engineering standpoint. Based on the information contained in this report, it is recommended to proceed with the improvements as outlined.