The Flathead County commissioners on Monday postponed a decision on a major lakeshore variance permit to further study the proposal and wait until the full commission is present for a vote.

Commissioner Cal Scott was out of town on county business and Commissioners Gary Krueger and Pam Holmquist decided more time was needed to review what they deemed was new information presented by a neighbor of the property being considered for the variance.

Rick and Robin Blackwood of Bozeman are asking for a major variance on their Flathead Lake property at 240 Holt Drive in Bigfork to allow the placement of a large amount of gravel fill in the lakeshore protection zone to protect their dock and shoreline from erosion.

Mark Lorang of the Flathead Lake Biological Station is a consultant on the project and made a presentation to the commissioners in favor of the fill project.

The Blackwoods’ property has a severe erosion problem due to wind and wave action along the north shore of the lake, Lorang said. The plan is to place 1,465 cubic yards of gravel and cobble material on the lake bed. The Biological Station is involved, he said, to stop erosion and restore lost habitat.

“We are requesting to be allowed to use the same volume of gravel material per linear foot as has been used to stop erosion on neighboring private land and neighboring state and federal land,” he said.

Nearly 2 miles of the north shore have been protected using the same ratio of gravel and cobble per foot.

The commissioners denied an earlier request from the Blackwoods for a minor variance because they wanted environmental issues more thoroughly reviewed. Lorang then began work on an environmental impact statement for the project.

The shoreline restoration is intended to work with the existing river currents and lake waves that deliver new logs each year to the lakeshore, along with fine sediment and wood chips generally known as peat.

The environmental impact study points out that the variance request is in line with the Kerr Dam project partners’ decision as it directly underscores the in-depth review and oversight the gravel beach and cobble spit approach has had since 1985.

“Moreover, the Kerr partners stand in agreement that riprap and seawalls are not viable alternatives to stop erosion on the North Shore,” Lorang said.

Riprap is loose rock placed as a foundation to protect shorelines from erosion.

Two of the Blackwoods’ neighbors, Lee White and Karen Simmons, testified at Monday’s public hearing, saying they believe riprap is a better solution than gravel fill for erosion control.

The Flathead County Planning Board held a public hearing March 12 on the variance request, at which there was no public comment. The board forwarded a unanimous recommendation of approval to the commissioners.

The commissioners will vote on the variance request at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 9.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.