On January 29th, we ( Board members: Jim Ascheman, Gary Krejcarek, Rick Gwynn & I) met with Hugo City staff and several leaders about the dam project. In the meeting we went over the project and the history of the dam and who the owner may be. Ownership presents a problem. No one will claim ownership for it. Full funding becomes the task to be accomplish. We're part way there. We told Hugo we would do what we could to get support for more funding.
Current funding status:
Total estimated cost: $600,000
MnDOT Bridge Funds: $252,000
DNR Dam Safety Fund request $348,000 of which they have recommend $150,000
Hugo is still in discussions with the DNR to see if they will up the ante. Not hopeful, though. The DNR funding is dependent on the bonding bill during the 2014 legislative session.
So, with current funding projections, the dam is short about $200,000. Other possible sources are Ramsey County, White Bear Township, and the Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD).
So, the task of the board is to make contact with all possible stake holders to see if we can get additional funds, which we will do over the coming months. As is most likely typical with government decision making, this will take some time. I'm not hopeful of a spring project, but I'm a pessimist. Budgets have to be made and funded. We need to get commitments before the next funding cycle. If you can help, let the board know. Maybe you have some extra cash under your mattress.
I met with Matt and Jessica of the RCWD last night and everything is
still on schedule for a spring Alum treatment. They will begin the
treatment when the water temperature reaches 40F. Depending on the
weather, it should take about 3 weeks to complete the treatment. During
this period they will use the Ramsey County boat launch area to stage
the chemicals and have regular truck deliveries of chemicals to fill a
storage tank. They don't have a specific contractor under contract, yet.
During the treatment, the treatment areas will be a milky white.
There will be no use restrictions in these areas, but it is important
for efficiency if we all give them room to work. I'll keep you all
posted with news as it comes in. I'm getting excited. Stay warm. The annual Christmas tree burning on the lake on Saturday, Feb 1st. Party on the lake starts at 8pm. Trees are lit at 11pm.
2 weeks ago, the ice was 21" thick, so I have no fear in driving on the lake to get there. Don't forget to leave you seat belt off if you are driving on the ice.
The trees will be piled high near the Hobie neighborhood. Volunteers are welcome. The pile is built starting at 10am on Saturday. It's a lot of fun. Beat the winter blues and come join the festivities!
The damn dam at the north end of the lake is in dire need of replacement. It is failing and the corrugated culverts under the road are rusted out and leaking. Last summer it caused a sink hole in the road that needed to be repaired. Hugo added liners to the culverts as a short term fix. Since 2008, Hugo has been working on a plan to replace the dam. Recently, they have asked us to get involved to help organize support for their plan. At present, Hugo has invested $100K for full engineering plans for the replacement of the bridge and dam. They have also gotten partial funding from MNDOT. The last cog in the wheel is to get funding from a MN DNR dam safety grant. This grant program was set up, specifically, for this purpose. Hugo just recently applied for the grant. The DNR is in initial conversations with Hugo to go over the details of the application. I am feeling good that they will get the funding to move forward with this project next summer after the water has dropped below the current dam, but to be safe, we need to cover our bases.
To help make sure this moves forward, Chuck Haas of the Hugo City Council contacted me last week to talk about the project and talk to us about how we can help. It turned out that I had already scheduled a meeting with the board for last Wednesday to discuss the damn dam. Chuck was nice enough to join us at our meeting and to enlighten us on the history and current situation. Board member Rick Gwynn will be setting up a meeting at the beginning of the new year for the board to meet with Hugo city staff and go over the plan.
One of the items that Chuck asked us to do is to write a letter of support for the project and send it to the appropriate DNR representative, which we will do. We will also be contacting other government organizations and representatives to have them express their support to the DNR.
On Hugo's end, everything is ready to go. They just need the funding to get it done.
We are on the way to a new bridge and dam that should last another hundred years.
I will keep you posted on the progress of this project.
I took this video last June 30th when I heard that there were issues with the dam. The water was really flowing, at the time.
FYI: If you enter your email address at the top of this post, you will get notified when new posts occur.
You may have noticed the article in the White Bear Press written by Jessica Bromelkamp of the Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD). The article is titled, "A sea of green". She is working hard on getting neighbors to add rain gardens.
Also, I added a feature at the top of the blog that allows you to put in your email address so that you can automatically get updates via email.
Have a great weekend.
Jim
Couldn't resist adding this picture from White Bear Lake last week.
I took this picture last Sunday evening just before the sun went down. This was taken on the south shore of the lake. The fall colors are certainly showing on the island. You can click on the photos to get a larger image.
I took this sunrise photo at the boat launch at Ramsey County beach on WBL last Thursday. I couldn't resist the detour on the way to work. It was an amazing sunrise.
HUGO — Last week the Hugo City Council received an update on the
pursuit of funds to help repair the failing outlet structure on the
north end of Bald Eagle Lake at 129th Street N. The structure required
emergency repairs in June following a torrential rainstorm.
Despite the presence of the city street on top of the five
corrugated metal pipe culverts, which identifies it as a bridge, the
structure also acts like a dam to impound water, City Engineer Jay
Kennedy said at the Aug. 27 workshop. In addition to the biannual bridge
inspections required by the state, the outlet is also periodically
inspected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ dam
inspector. Staff is preparing a grant application for funds earmarked by
the DNR under its Dam Safety Program. Kennedy said he recently met with
the inspector at the site.
Structure replacement is
estimated to cost just under $500,000. Approximately $250,000 has
already been set aside by MnDOT for that purpose. The DNR could elect to
fund all, part or none of the amount requested, Kennedy said.
Should the structure
fail, 1,000-acre Bald Eagle Lake would drop from 5 to 6 feet in
elevation, sending the water down Clearwater Creek toward Centerville.
The city has been working with the DNR and St. Paul Water Services to
try to identify the owner of the structure, which was likely built more
than a century ago and holds the lake level higher than where it would
otherwise be.
“Construction can proceed as soon as the project becomes fully funded,” Kennedy said.
The grant application is scheduled for council approval at its Sept. 16 meeting.
