(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors will consider final approval of plans for a bridge at the Lower Gar Outlet at their meeting this coming Tuesday.
Talks of replacing existing culverts with a bridge have been off and on a number of years, stemming all the way back to the flood of 1993. Those talks took on a renewed emphasis during last year’s flood. A lengthy permitting process and obtaining necessary approvals from the DNR, Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA also came into play. The final approval from FEMA was just recently granted.
The bridge has been a longstanding source of controversy and studies. There had been concern previously a bridge would lower water levels too much on the lower chain of lakes during dry times. That led to meetings and negotiations with representatives from the city of Milford and some residents living on Lower Gar. There also had been questions about possible impacts downstream. That led to studies by the Iowa Flood Center.
The Board of Supervisors convene at 9:00 am Tuesday at the Dickinson County Courthouse.
