Two years ago, a feisty group of residents, boaters and outdoor enthusiasts defeated an environmental proposal from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to build two small dikes that would physically disconnect Lake Tecumseh from Back Bay. The $200,000 project was intended to return the two water bodies to their separate, natural ways. Both would benefit ecologically, according to scientists - better water quality, less muddy runoff, more aquatic grasses, more fish. Opponents were not pleased to learn about the project haphazardly. And they successfully argued to keep in place a man-made connection between Lake Tecumseh and Back Bay that, for decades, has made boating, fishing and water access a happy way of life in southern Virginia Beach, near Sandbridge. This week, after months of public meetings and refinements, the Fish and Wildlife Service again asked for a government permit from the Army Corps of Engineers to pursue the project. Click here for the full story form the Virginian-Pilot.