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Big Island Nature Park Management Plan November 2011 <br />____________________________________________________________________________ <br />30 <br /> <br />made by the City over the previous 5 years to retain and make appropriate use of the existing <br />facilities, but it appeared to be a losing proposition. <br /> <br />In addition, the Committee recommended that the electrical transformer be removed and <br />electrical lines be deactivated and abandoned. The Committee also concluded that no purpose <br />would be served by maintaining the well and septic systems on the site. <br /> <br /> <br />Transportation Facilities <br /> <br />It is the intent of the City of Orono to provide public accessibility to Big Island Nature Park. <br />The Park is part of an island completely surrounded by Lake Minnetonka, and as such can only <br />be accessed by water or air. Bridges to the mainland do not exist and are neither intended nor <br />proposed. The Park is not large enough to accommodate landing facilities for fixed-wing <br />aircraft, and provision of facilities for public access by helicopter other than for emergency <br />services would be in conflict with the intent of the Park and the provisions of the Conservation <br />Easement. Therefore, the primary access to the Park is via watercraft during the spring, <br />summer and fall seasons. Access to the perimeter of the Park via motorized vehicles during the <br />winter when the lake is frozen is feasible, but use of motorized vehicles within the Park <br />property is prohibited. <br /> <br />Docks, Lake Access <br />Access to the Park via watercraft will be accommodated via the use of public docks installed <br />on a seasonal basis at designated locations. At certain locations along the shoreline of the park <br />where lake bottom conditions are suitable, beaching of watercraft will be allowed. It should be <br />determined whether such locations should be identified by signage, and whether there are <br />locations where such use should be prohibited. <br /> <br />Existing Docks. During 2006-2007, a floating dock on loan from Minnetonka Portable <br />Dredging was installed at the property to accommodate the ongoing work at the Park as well as <br />recreational visitors. The City at that time determined it would be appropriate to provide <br />dockage suitable for use by the steamer Minnehaha. <br /> <br />In early 2008 the City surveyed the shoreline at the landing site and processed a variance <br />application for installation of 4 concrete bulkheads to which floating docks with ramps could <br />be attached. The bulkheads and the main dock and pilings (plus a smaller ancillary dock) were <br />installed in spring 2008, and the initial visit to the Park by the Minnehaha occurred on June 25, <br />2008. In 2009 the City installed a second large floating dock. Although bulkheads have been <br />installed to accommodate as many as 4 docks, it is undetermined at this time whether more <br />than two docks are necessary. Signage was added to the docks in 2009 prohibiting fishing <br />from the docks. <br /> <br />Dock Storage. Winter storage for the docks has been handled by floating them to a protected <br />cove southeast of the landing area. During the spring of 2010 the docks were unleashed from <br />their winter mooring by vandals and only because of favorable prevailing winds they did not <br />end up floating around the bay. The City should investigate whether suitable alternatives exist <br />for winter storage of the docks to avoid this issue in the future.