The Lake Delhi Recreation Association has released its plan to have Lake Delhi and the dam back in operation by next year. The dam gave way in July after heavy rains and the nine-mile lake quickly drained away. The association says its rebuilding plan that will cost nine-point-nine million dollars.

Lake Delhi Recreation Association President Jim Willey says the first phase of the plan is stabilization — and it got underway just after a national panel completed its study of the dam.) Willey says they left everything as it was after the collapse so the inspectors could look it over and they are now at the point where an engineering firm can do an inspection for a structural check in conjunction with the D.N.R. requirements.

Phase two includes bringing the lake back along with the construction of a new concrete spillway on the south side of the existing dam powerhouse and a flood gate structure, which will be designed to handle the volume of water experienced in the 2010 flood. Willey says they would build a coffer dam as soon as funding becomes available.

He says they would be able to have a partial refilling to take care of problems with silt flowing in the river downstream. Willey says they would then build the floodgate and structure and address some of the power issues. He says they could get that done yet this fall.

Willey says if they could start phase two immediately, the lake could be back by next July. The third and final phase of the plan is refurbishing and restoring the electrical power generation of the dam by repairing the current generators, or replacing them if needed with new high efficiency turbines.

Willey says that would bring them back on-line to generate power and that would allow them to generate electricity to sell and they could be self sufficient for the future. The cost of phase three and restoring the power generation is around $3.8-million, depending on whether or not new generators need to be purchased.

Willey says that’s a key point, as it would take some public money now to get things operating, but it would allow them to provide for themselves as they move forward through the generation of electricity. They hope to have the final phase done by October 2011. The Lake Delhi Recreation Association and Trustees have begun the appeal process to FEMA to obtain the money needed for repairs. Willey says the appeal process will take some time, so they are seeking alternative ways to move forward with funding the plan.

By Janelle Tucker KMCH Manchester