By: Sam T. Jensen — [email protected]
Humboldt, IA — A plan of action is in the works for Joe Reasoner Dam in Humboldt County.
Last Monday, Humboldt County Conservation Director Todd Lee met with the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors to discuss the dam. The main issue being the inability of the low head dam to regular water flows.
A low head dam is a structure that spans from one side of a riverbank to the other, partially blocking the waterway and creating a back-up of water behind the dam. The drop-off from that could be anywhere from 6 inches to 25 feet.
Low head dams in general can be dangerous and have led to fatalities of Iowa anglers, boaters, paddlers, and tubers, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Lee said he wants “to start an informal discussion. Any action on the dam or the river would have to have the support of the Board of Supervisors.”
No official action has been taken yet on the dam.