It's Nearly JULY.

WHY IS IT TAKING SO LONG???

As described, the largest part of this project is the streambank restoration--which is exactly what it sounds like. Here is the engineering diagram that indicates the steps that we’ll be watching in the next several weeks (sorry it's small---working on posting a larger copy):

Yes: it is taking longer than originally expected, and possibly longer still depending on the weather. As you’ve read in previous DRs, this is a multi-agency, multi-governmental, and multi-step process with the heavy equipment and earth moving steps greatly affected by rain. It’s a stop/start pain-in-the-neck enterprise and the result will be an improved and stabilized stream and lake ecosystem. That said, we expect to see many trees cut within the next week.

Meanwhile, there have been recent repeat questions about the funding of this project. Here’s an excerpt from the April 17^th DR:

Pine Lake has been approved for a streambank restoration grant as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act in partnership with the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority. This project is specifically focused on reconfiguring the bank between the lake and the creek, with a subset of the work including dredging the eastern area of the lake where nearly all of the silt depositing occurs. A third element in this environmental effort is the construction of a bioretention feature to the west of the Gazebo (where there is currently a drainage ditch.) The last piece of the project is the lowering of the road between the lake and the Western wetlands to create a spillway in the event of a major flood (expect the road to be closed at this phase).

As of June 27^th the road is now closed. Spectators and pedestrians---please stay out of this area which is now an active work site.

For more information about streambank restoration, check out www.wildlandhydrology.com .

For photos and more information, check out

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pine-Lake-Streambank-Restoration-The-Dredge/109652302459010?sk=wall