Lake Access Help????!?!?!?!

[tadpole]

I just bought a new home in Northern Minnesota. The home is located on a shallow cove. There is no public access! I was up this weekend and the weed growth is dying and I noticed exactly how shallow it really is. Along the lake shore the cattail ect. is thick. Out from the dock it has very shallow land exposed above the water line. What do I do? Am I allowed to remove any of this vegitation. Can I remove any of the dirt or dig out any of the shallow areas in the bay to make a channel to get to the lake. I can get my pontoon down to the waters edge but once there I am afraid to back my trailer into the swamp area at the edge. Once there I would have to use another boat to get out into the lake by pulling my boat over the sallow areas. Does anyone out there have any suggestions to what I can do and how do I do it. I was told by the sellers that I could remove some of the shoreline vegitation as long as I did it by hand/shovel. I only need an area 10 feet wide. Once this is remove how do I go about making a channel. I only own 16feet of lake shore/access.

Thanks to all!

Tad

[SpikeRoberts]

Tadpole,

From your description of the situation it is unlikely that you can do ANY of the work without a public waters work permit AND an aquatic plant management control permit.

"Under Minnesota Statute103G.245, Subdivision 1 (except as provided in Subdivisions 2, 11, and 12), the state, a political subdivision of the state, a public or private corporation, or a person, must have a DNR Public Waters Work Permit (application forms) to:

change or diminish the course, current, or cross section of public waters, entirely or partially within the state, by any means, including filling, excavating, or placing of materials in or on the beds of public waters."

Information about the permit process is availaible on the MN DNR website:

www.dnr.state.mn.us

[FishTracker]

I believe you have to contact the DNR first before you start on this project. They have regulations concerning altering or landscaping any lakeside properties here in Minnesota. You could also check their website for Shoreline Alterations: Natural Buffers and Lakescaping. Hope this helps.

[EBass]

Buy a canoe? Just a thought

[Chris Haley]

The DNR is working hard to stop erosion of our shorelines, that is why I don't think you will have to jump through too many hoops to do what you want. You are actually trying to open up wetlands instead of fill them in. As long as you don't alter the shoreline you should be given the permit to clean out your harbor, which is what it really is.

[tadpole]

Thanks for the quick responses, if I am allowed to clean out some of the stuff any suggestions on local companies and cost

Thanks,

Tad

[Guest]

tadpole,

I have a similar landscape on our lakefront. Cattails run out well over 100 feet and I've had to run my dock out over 120 feet of muck just to get into 3 feet of water where I can run our boat. As long as there is solid ground under the muck/cattails with 1 foot deep, the DNR has been allowing permits to remove the cattails/muck by use of a backhoe and then backfilling with bleached environmentally clean sand. I have not done this myself but speaking with some of my neighbors that have, the costs have been running around $1000 to clear/remove/fill a 35 foot wide area. Once filled in with sand, I would guess you could back your trailer right out to the open water. Start by calling your local DNR office to find the details in your area though.

[tadpole]

I contacted the DNR in Bemiji and the Cass Co. Envio Services Yesterday. DNR was very helpful. I was informed I could put in a small boat launch at the waters edge. He suggested that there may be a channel there and that it has just filled in because of lack of use. If I can get my boat into the lake. Would slowly backing my motor towards the dock area be enough to clean this out. I plan on trying this first as I do not want to destroy the fish habitat in the cove. I do however want a place to put my boats in and out. Does anyone out there have a contact for the type of work which may be needed. I will be up in one week and I have a feeling I will be filling out a DNR permit to have the work done. I wouldd like to meet with a contractor then, so maybe I could get the work done before the freeze. I don't want to do it in the spring because I am sure that the wok would effect the spawning in the cove. Has anyone dealt with the dnr in this aspect what type of turn around am I looking at

Thanks,

Tad

[Chris Haley]

Is the area you are talking about in Bemidji??

[tadpole]

I am in the Hackensack area.

Tad

[Paul Waldowski]

Tad,

Would your new place be located on Ten Mile Lake?

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Paul
[email protected]

[tadpole]

No. I know ten mile has a public access. My grandfather's cabin is on ten mile his grandfather built it in 1939. Could have bought the whole north shore for $500.00. Did not have the money though due to the depression. I am on a lake with no public access and it is about 100 acres. I do not want to destroy any type of fish or wildlife habitat. I want to be able to put in my pontoon so my wife and I can fish other parts of the lake. I realize many people do (TEn Mile Being ONE of them) destroy the shoreline. I contacted the DNR & Cass County, I wanted a simple explaination of something I could do to create a channel so I could put in my boat with ease. At the present I believe I could back it down to the lake, pull it off my trailer at the lakes edge, get 15 of my family and friends and push and pull it out into deep water. 75 to 100 yards thru the mud and muck. I figure after doing this over and over I will have destroyed my bank and the vegitation and any vegitation in the lake where I have to drag my boat thru. There has to be a better way. I have been reading this site for about a year and I figured if anyone could help I would find it here!

Thank for all the help!
Tad
PS MY WIFE IN A CANOE, CAN YOU SAY FUNNIER THAN A COUPLE WHO JUST BOUGHT A BOAT AND THE WIFE TRYING TO TRAILER IT FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!