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BELLAIRE - Village Council members revisited the proposal to dredge Craven Pond after a lower estimate was presented for the project on March 5, though no decision was passed.

The new estimate comes nearly seven years after the Michigan Department of Natural Resources projected a cost of over $1.2 million for the dredging. Presented by Council Executive Janet Person, the current estimate stands at $65,600 over a proposed period of two months.

"We'll get out as much as we can and see where we are after that," Person said. "I think we can get quite a bit done during that time. It would be a huge improvement."

If the council decides against the project, the entire area surrounding Craven Pond will become a wetland, rendering the presence of a dam pointless, according to Person.

"If we don't dredge, we might as well let the river run through again," she said.

At the time of MDNR's estimate, local residents expressed a desire to keep the pond, and spending over $1 million did not encourage the council to act.

"I'm not going to commit $1 million to this," Village President Butch Dewey said.

Searching for a cheaper method, Person found a company in Kansas City willing to rent the village a dredge, which would eliminate labor dollars paid to a hired company.

Renting roll-off containers the size of railroad cars to remove lake mud and debris will replace more expensive Geo-Textile tubes.

Person also investigated the use of a polymer designed to increase the efficiency of a dredge. According to www.dredgingspecialists.com, these polymers cause particles of silt and mud to join with similar particles, coming together in a soup of "large curd cottage cheese."

These particles settle while water rises to the surface, and the mixture is separated.

The Department of Environmental Quality has approved the dredging of Craven Pond from July 1 through Sept. 15. With 60,000 to 70,000 cubic yards of debris expected to be removed, the depth of the pond will increase and could encourage a larger number of trout to return to the habitat. Some are against the dredging out of concern for present fish populations, according to Person.

ÊÊ "What I'm afraid of is that this is going to cost a lot of money," Dewey said. "This isn't going to be a one-year project. There's no way."

Grants such as The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, which offers financial assistance for the recreational development of land "because of its environmental importance or its scenic beauty," are unobtainable for dredging projects.

"If we could do this for $100,000, we should," Council Member Patricia Drollinger said.

In other village news council members continued to discuss promotional signs for local businesses, mainly to attract shoppers to the downtown area. The issue was scheduled to be re-addressed at the next council meeting.

Chris Tredway can be reached at ctredway@michigannewspapers.com or by calling 231-533-8523.