Council asks for review of regulations on gravel placement for lakeshore

Whitefish City Council has asked for a review of city regulations regarding the placement of gravel along the shoreline of Whitefish Lake.

The move comes after the Whitefish Lakeshore Protection Committee in April recommended denial of two separate requests to place gravel on private property along the shoreline of the lake. City Council on May 1 approved those applications noting that they both meet current regulations.

Mayor John Muhlfeld said if there are concerns, the regulations needed to be examined.

“I strongly feel that if an applicant comes forward in good faith and meets our regulations they should be approved,” he said. “We need to have clear regulations that are being followed. If there are concerns about this trend of an increase in gravel then the planning staff needs to work with the lakeshore committee to recommend criteria.”

Both requests were to place gravel on properties in Monks Bay, which the city says does not contain areas of strong wave action.

City planner Bailey Minnich explained the committee’s discussion noting that the number of requests for gravel have increased in recent years.

“Most of their concern is the number of applications of gravel on the lakeshore,” she said. “They feel the lakeshore should be more diverse.”

Over the last 10 years, the number of gravel applications seems to be increasing, according to the city. From 2006 through 2012, there were 10 total applications for gravel. However, in 2013 there were five applications, five again in 2015, four in 2016 and already this year there are five applications for placing gravel on the shoreline.

Councilor Andy Feury said in the past areas of the lake impacted by storms were the ones that would see an impact to the shore because of wave action.

“Now with bladder boats there’s a huge amount of wake,” he said. “Areas of the lake are subject to it now that weren’t before. We have to look at erosion on the shore that is a direct result of that.”

The current lakeshore regulations permit the addition of gravel to a swimming beach on a case-by-case basis. There are criteria listed for consideration for gravel: it’s only allowed where the existing surface is gravel; it’s not permitted in sites subject to strong wave action or currents, sites covered by vegetation, silts or fine materials or below average low water; any placement directly into the lake is prohibited; all fill material must be clean with a minimum of 3/4-inch diameter and maximum of 1 1/2-inch diameter; the maximum fill depth is four to six inches; the volume of fill shall not exceed one cubic yard per eight linear feet of lake frontage; and the application shall be permitted one time only to supplement a stable gravel beach.

Minnich said planning staff agrees with some of the lakeshore committee’s concerns and feels a review of the regulations is appropriate.

“The current criteria do not list aesthetic values or evaluation of historical gravel placement and its overall effect on the lake,” she said. “Many of these matters can be subjective in nature and therefore do not allow an unbiased review of the project.”