Ditch Dredgings Proposed for OD Beach

Residents on Shore Dr. and the Town were recently notified by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that the Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) is applying for permitting to dredge the small boat harbor at the end of Burns Waterway and place the sand on Ogden Dunes' beach, as well as the beach of Portage Lakefront Site.

The Ogden Dunes Environmental Advisory Board (ODEAB) is gathering more information on the proposed project so that town officials can consider taking action on the proposal, including requesting a public hearing on the project.

Residents and the ODEAB have expressed several concerns about this project, which is projected by the USACE to take place no earlier than spring 2009. Garbage, such as broken glass and shredded beverage containers, appeared in sand previously dredged from this particular area and placed on the beach. The ODEAB will also be requesting from the USACE a copy of any chemical and soil-type analysis completed on the proposed dredging area.

According to Jennifer Miller at the USACE Chicago District Office, the area that would be dredged is at the south end of the Burns Waterway small boat harbor, where sand has accreted over a period of years, not the entrance or the channel area. The ODEAB will be requesting a map showing the area to be dredged, as well as where the dredgings are proposed to be placed.

The ODEAB and town officials are also trying to get a handle on the permitting process itself to make sure all administrative procedures are being followed correctly by the USACE, the Indiana DNR, and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). DNR is reviewing the project to make sure it will "not result in unreasonably detrimental effects upon fish, wildlife or botanical resources," according to the Public Notice. IDEM will also be reviewing permitting for the project.

Concerned residents are encouraged to respond to the DNR Public Notice. However, according to Indiana law (IC 14-11-4-8(a)(2)) there is a specific method for responding, which includes filing a petition to request an informal public hearing. The petition must include the signatures of at least 25 individuals at least 18-years old, and who reside in the county where the dredging will take place or who own real property within one mile of the dredging site.

The petition must gather the addresses of those who sign it, printed legibly, and each petitioner must affirm that they are qualified to sign it. The petition also needs to identify the project by the name of the applicant (Army Corp of Engineers) and the location of the project (small boat harbor of Burns Waterway and the beach at Ogden Dunes). The ODEAB is trying to obtain a DNR docket number for the project, which will also be helpful.

Any petitions requesting a public hearing should be mailed to:
Technical Services Division
Division of Water
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
402 West Washington St., Room W264
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2641

The deadline for responding is currently unclear on the Public Notice, and you will be notified when this information is confirmed. According to the USACE, the National Park Service, as owner of the Portage Lakefront Site property, has also been notified about the proposed project.