(Spirit Lake)– A crowd of hundreds overflowed the Supervisors room at flooded into the hallways at the Dickinson County Courthouse during a joint meeting this (Sat.) afternoon of the Board of Supervisors and Emergency Management Commission. Residents and elected officials from the entire length of the Little Sioux River, some from as far away as Cherokee, were on hand.
While there’s concern over the impacts of high levels on the Iowa Great Lakes, downstream officials said they simply can’t handle any more water. They pointed out the catastrophic impacts the flood has had on those communities, with many people homeless and businesses that were destroyed. Spencer Mayor Steve Bomgaars emphasized the devastation the flood has had on that city.
Regarding the road over the Lower Gar Outlet, Dickinson County Engineer Cole Budach said doing any breaching or removal of culverts given the current volume of water is, in his opinion, NOT an option. He and a consulting engineer who also addressed the meeting, instead recommended constructing a special structure adjacent to the culverts that would allow for a much more controlled release.
After hearing additional comments, Dickinson county supervisors voted unanimously to begin forming a committee Monday to come up with a plan. It will consist of two members from the Clay and Dickinson Counties Boards of Supervisors, the Dickinson County Engineer, Army Corps of Engineers and possibly others.
Dickinson County Supervisor Jeff Thee said that by no means is it anyone’s intention in Dickinson county to hurt those downstream.
