Posted on April 22, 2019
HOBART — The city is pursuing a project to help control the sediment on the bed of Lake George without the use of dredging.
Mayor Brian Snedecor said the bioaugmentation treatment process has been used in other states, including Michigan, but this will be a first for Hobart.
In addition to addressing sediment, a three-year contract approved with Clark Aquatics will treat weeds and invasive species in Lake George, said Bob Fulton, assistant to Snedecor.
The cost of the work is about $150,000, and the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission has agreed to contribute up to $75,000 toward the initiative, Fulton said.
Snedecor said it could cost Hobart five times as much money if dredging was used instead of the bioaugmentation treatment process.
He said it could result in the reduction of 1 foot or more of sediment in some areas of the lake.
In addition to being more cost-effective, it’s possible Hobart could reach more areas of the lake through the bioaugmentation treatment process than it could with dredging, Councilman Dave Vinzant said.
If the program proves to work well, it could be used in other bodies of water in Northwest Indiana, Fulton said.
“It has tremendous benefits for everybody,” he said.
When the work starts, those living on Lake George will be notified, Snedecor said.
Source: newsbug.info
