(Spirit Lake)– A technicality is standing in the way of the DNR’s approval of a permit that would allow Dickinson county to install two additional culverts at the Lower Gar Outlet that are six inches above the height of the weir.
Dickinson County Engineer Dan Eckert told the board of supervisors Tuesday the DNR won’t approve the permit until the county produces a hydrographic profile of any impacts the project would have downstream on the Little Sioux River. Eckert says he’s consulted with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the matter, but hadn’t heard anything back as of Tuesday. He says until the county gets that information, they can’t proceed in seeking bids for the project. Eckert says they should still be able to complete the project this fall or winter so long as the permit is approved by the middle of August or early September.
Obtaining the information that’s needed before the permit can be issued is going to cost the county roughly 9,800-dollars.
Eckert also told the supervisors that because none of the corps options are being pursued, that the Iowa Department of Transportation has withdrawn 100-thousand dollars it had pledged earlier for the project, which has an estimated cost of slightly more than 300-thousand dollars.
The Dickinson county board of supervisors and Milford city council, which also has jurisdiction over the outlet, finally signed off on the project this spring after years of controversy.
