The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a federal permit that clears the way for the rebuilding of the Lake Delhi Dam in northeast Iowa’s Delaware County. Lake Delhi Trustees President Steve Leonard is thrilled with the decision. “It feels fantastic. Our community has been waiting for this day for quite some time,” Leonard said.
The dam that created Lake Delhi collapsed during massive flooding along the Maquoketa River in July 2010, draining the lake. Leonard believes construction of the dam could be completed late this year or early next year, with water back in the lake sometime in 2015. Contractors that hope to land the construction project should be cleared to begin submitting their bids next week, according to Leonard.
In 2012, the Iowa Legislature approved setting aside $5 million in state gambling taxes to help finance reconstruction of the Lake Delhi Dam. The Delaware County Board of Supervisors also approved backing a loan of up to $3-million toward the project. “We’re very thankful for the state and our local community stepping up and helping us financially,” Leonard said. “Between all parties, we all came together and moving forward to get the job done.”
The rebuilding project will also be financed by roughly $1.5 million in private donations. The original Lake Delhi covered 450 acres and was about 9 miles long.
(Reporting by Janelle Tucker, KMCH, Manchester)