Decision coming soon on Reasner Dam Project

By Alex Benzegala alexb@977thebolt.com

Humboldt, IA – A decision is coming soon on how to move forward with the Reasner Dam Project. Humboldt County Conservation Director Todd Lee told KHBT  that an agreement on what direction decision makers want to go in regards to the alternatives choices is to be made before December 1st, to give Lee enough time to apply for a grant through the DNR for Dam Mitigation that is to be submitted by December 10th. The grant also requires a resolution signed by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors. Lee says the grant is to pay for a portion of the engineering costs associated with the project, not the cost of construction. 

At Wednesday’s Humboldt County Conservation Board meeting, Mimi Wagner of Stantec Engineering gave an update on the Alternatives Analysis Feedback Survey for the Reasner Dam Project that was available to the public recently. 320 people participated in the survey, and the two most popular Alternatives were Alternative 1, Dam Rehabilitation & Rock Ramp that includes dredging of the dam and replacing the existing gate structure with a low level gate. Alternative 1 would maintain the pool above the Reasner Dam and mitigate the safety concerns of the low-head dam and restore fish passage.In a virtual tie with alternative 1 was Alternative 2 Dam Modification and Rock Ramp which would construct a rock ramp and structure on the downstream side and lower the coffer dam area, relieving safety concerns of the low head dam and restore fish passage.

Surveyors selected alternative’s 3 and 4 of Dam removal and no action as the least popular alternatives in the survey.

One of major concerns of the project is cost. At the Conservation Board meeting, it was revealed that Stantec engineering made an error on the estimated cost of Alternative 1,  the original  cost estimate was listed as $15.29 million, but after uncovering the error, the estimated cost of alternative 1 is an estimated 19 million. The cost of Alternative 2 is $3.41 million and Alternative 3 is $2.97 million

There will be a work session held on Monday, Nov. 22. At 6 PM at the Humboldt County Conservation Office in Dakota City, to discuss the alternatives, no decision will be made at this public meeting.