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Lake Improvement District says DNR allows channel widening — not dredging — as next step for North Lindstrom project
Summary
Ben Elfeldt, Lake Improvement District administrator, told the council the long-running North Lindstrom Lake channel project is advancing toward a 30-foot channel-widening plan that will require DNR permitting, property easements and a scoping study; staff requested community support and letters when grant applications follow.
Ben Elfeldt, Lake Improvement District administrator, updated the Lindstrom City Council on the North Lindstrom Lake channel project and said the plan has shifted from dredging to widening after direction from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “The DNR was very clear. We can only widen the channel,” Elfeldt said, and described a preliminary target width of about 30 feet to allow two-way boat traffic and improved sight lines for safety.
Elfeldt said the LID has begun surveys, drafted easements and plans to present an offer to acquire a necessary easement on the north side of the channel. He said scoping work and hydrologic modeling are required for the DNR permitting process and that the LID included scoping dollars in its 2026 budget request. “We don't even really know what we need until we get that scoping document done,” Elfeldt said, and invited council members and residents to a future work group meeting to review scope, timeline and potential funding options.
Council members asked about costs, the DNR permit liaison and ownership of affected parcels; Elfeldt identified Craig Wills as the DNR area hydrologist assigned to the project and said the LID expects to acquire easements rather than fee-simple property in at least some locations. Several council members encouraged letters of municipal support for future grant applications and asked staff to circulate scoping estimates once available. No formal action was taken at the meeting; staff said they will return with scoping information and a feasibility study for the council to consider.
