(Spirit Lake)– The weather may be cooling down, but controversy over the Lower Gar outlet is heating up again.
Phil Peterson of the Okoboji Protective Association met last week and again Tuesday with the Dickinson county board of supervisors on the issue, and addressed it Monday evening with the Milford city council.
The city of Milford and the county have been at odds for years over what to do about the outlet. A county road, 230th Avenue, passes over the outlet.
The county wants to increase flow out of the structure to bring levels down faster on West Lake Okoboji during times of high water. The city has expressed opposition over ways to accomplish that, including the possibility of a bridge being put in over the outlet, or putting in additional culverts. The city wants legal indemnification from the county for whatever option is actually pursued. They’re worried about the potential for flooding downstream based on any changes made at the outlet.
Another option, Peterson says, would be to take out the road altogether, something that’s recommended in a report from the Corps of Engineers put together after the flood of 1993. Peterson says he’d be more in favor of additional culverts being put in.
Residents of Lower Gar, some of whom were at Monday’s Milford city council meeting, are against allowing additional water through the outlet, saying they want a higher water level. But county supervisor Wayne Northey says that’s determined by the height of the dam, something only the state can control.
Fellow supervisor Mardi Allen suggested they enlist the services of Assistant County Attorney Lonnie Saunders in drafting a letter to the city of Milford to once again reply to their concerns.
Controversy over the Lower Gar outlet has been raging on and off ever since the 1993 flood.
