(Spirit Lake)– As we reported Wednesday, last week’s announcement that silver carp are already present in the Iowa Great Lakes has greatly expedited fundraising for an electric fish barrier in an attempt to try to keep even more of the invasive species from arriving during the next high water episode.
Five Dickinson county city councils met earlier this week and each voted to commit money toward the project. Milford, Okoboji, Orleans, Wahpeton and West Okoboji have committed $10,000 each toward the project. Previously Arnolds Park and Spirit Lake committed $10,000 each. The county has pledged $50,000 toward the project.
In addition, the East Okoboji Lakes Improvement Corporation has committed $6,600 toward the fish barrier. All total, it means more than $600,000 has been raised so far for the project, which has an estimated cost of some $700,000.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is currently in the process of completing a design for the fish barrier. Once that’s done, the project will go out for bid. Officials are hoping construction could get underway by late summer.
