(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson county board of supervisors Tuesday authorized County Engineer Dan Eckert to seek requests for proposals from engineering firms for improvements to the Lower Gar Outlet. It stems from action they took April 18th directing Eckert to get plans and specifications together for either a bridge or additional culverts at the outlet. Eckert told the supervisors Tuesday an outside firm would have to do the design work as well as draw up plans and specs, since workers in his office are already busy on other projects. Eckert says the process should be relatively simple as most of what needs to be done is already spelled out in studies conducted by the Corps of Engineers in the late 1990’s.
On a related note, supervisors were presented with flow charts showing the removal of vegetation from around the Lower Gar Outlet has had a definite improvement on water flowing out of West Lake Okoboji. Graphs also show a significant decline in water levels. But officials are quick to point out there’s been no significant rain as well lately.
Eckert recommended getting approval to go back in this coming fall to do a more thorough cleaning of vegetation out of the outlet, since crews couldn’t reach some of it now due to high water levels. The work was done a week ago.
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