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Natural Habitat In Proposed Dock Location and Right-of-Way Use <br />The proposed dock location and the unimproved right-of-way are currently in a natural state, and the private property <br />areas directly adjacent to the right-of-way have been largely untouched by the property owners, allowing native trees, <br />shrubs, vegetation and wildlife to grow and thrive on the shoreline and along the right-of-way. <br />The City of Orono had informed property owners that the established native growth and resulting soil condition in the <br />unimproved right-of-way serve as a buffer to quell the drainage of rainwater from the higher elevations of Big Island <br />directly into Lake Minnetonka. <br />The southern perimeter of the “keyhole” adjacent to the proposed dock location has similarly been left untouched by <br />the property owner. The soil in the southern portion of the perimeter is saturated and supports vegetation adapted to <br />such growth conditions. The southern portion of the keyhole also supports wildlife including blue herons, ducks, <br />geese, turtles and beavers, often serving as a “safe harbor” for such wildlife, away from the watercraft traffic on Lake <br />Minnetonka. <br />A dock in this location would disrupt the native shoreline growth and habitat. Use of the unimproved right-of-way from <br />the proposed dock location to 480 Big Island for construction purposes would likely disrupt the native trees and other <br />growth which currently serve as a drainage buffer.