Agenda - Council - 12/08/2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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a lot of Internet research and that many studies have found a causal link between nuclear power plants and issues like what his property is experiencing. He further reports that the river used to consistently freeze all the way over and remain like that for much of the winter. The river, possibly warmer these days because of the power plant, now typically only slushes up and never fully freezes. He suspects that this frequent melting and freezing throughout the winter may be exacerbating erosion. Mr. Freeburg pointed out several places on his property and the neighboring properties where the river has undercut the bank, eroding at least six feet deep beneath the bank itself. Mr. Freeburg and his neighbors acknowledge that this issue may be more of a county or state issue than a city issue. They hope that Ramsey's City Council can help them to better understand what help might be available to them and to advocate for beneficial projects that could help mitigate erosion. The residents noted that Anoka recently used a barge to dredge the Rum River and used the material that was dredged to reinforce the river banks. They contend that this is a lot less damaging to the bluffs than pouring rip -rap down the hill. Also, if enough properties are participating, there are economies of scale at play in using a barge that may end up making it cheaper than hauling in materials on trucks. Mr. Freeburg noted that the regional park on the Mississippi River has been experiencing major erosion problems as well. If the County were to hire a barge at some point to dredge and reinforce the park, might it be possible for nearby landowners to contribute extra funds in order to have the barge come to their properties and dredge and reinforce there also? It was noted that the river is unusually shallow in this area, generally not more than 8 feet deep. It was asked whether or not there might be other communities in the area experiencing similar issues with erosion who might be inclined to participate in these discussions and in potential solutions. Mr. Freeburg and the other residents expressed doubts that communities across the river are having the same problems since there are no bluffs there. It is fairly straightforward to reinforce a flat bank. It was noted that Champlin has done some erosion mitigation but that they have had simpler projects because their river lands do not have the same high bluffs. Mayor Strommen noted that from what she has heard, it appears like an individual approach to addressing erosion does not seem to be working. It appears that this might be an issue that needs to be addressed collectively. Mitch Haustein of the Anoka Conversation District reported that the conservation district has recently applied for funds for river restoration projects. However, they have applied for these funds before and have thus far been unsuccessful in obtaining them. Mitch noted that having more specific information and partnering with groups of residents can greatly strengthen applications and increase the chances of getting funding. He invited the residents to share their contact information with the conversation district so that they can coordinate in the future when applying for funds. It was also noted that the County is well aware of the erosion problems at the regional park. The meeting concluded at 4:48 PM.