Governor Chet Culver is assuring the 900 homeowners near what once was Lake Delhi in Delaware County that work will be done to restore the recreation area. On Monday, Culver acknowledged the restoration effort could take a long time. The governor last week appointed a task force to study what caused the Delhi dam to fail during flooding of the Maquoketa River, draining the nine-mile lake.

The group will also study options for the future. “One way or the other, there will be rebuilding at Lake Delhi, there’s a county road involved, so it’s important that we put every player together here,” Culver said. The task force consists of representatives from various state agencies, the governor’s office and local organizations.

The group isn’t scheduled to issue a report until December 1st. “The bottom line is that this will all be in the interest of the public good, both the knowing what happened and knowing what options we have going forward,” Culver said.

One of the major hurdles will be financing. The 83-year-old dam is privately owned, so it likely won’t qualify for federal funding.