For as long as I can remember--or since about the Flood of 1965--the dam at Rapidan has been a bit of an albatross, though it was retrofitted in 1985.
Today's Mankato Free Press has (ahem) breaking news:
NEW: Hole found in Rapidan Dam
A hole found in the foundation of the Rapidan Dam has prompted the closing of a nearby county park as a cautionary measure.
An investigation is under way today to determine whether the hole represents a risk to the Blue Earth River damâs stability.
The bridge deck on top of the dam, which was resurfaced this summer, is also closed and the pool upstream of the dam has been lowered to reduce pressure on the dam.
A $200,000 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study to help determine the damâs fate was scheduled to begin this month.
That would be related to this earmark, we presume:
$100,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate options for the Rapidan Dam in Mankato
The Rapidan Dam is an aging, deteriorating concrete dam with a potentially unstable foundation. In order to provide policymakers with the best information about how to address the dam, it is necessary for the Army Corps of Engineers to study whether rehabilitation or removal of the dam is necessary. This funding will be used to conduct that study.
People could call this pork, we suppose, but right about now, it looks like common sense. The dam's foundation underwent emergency repairs in 2002.
Update: KEYC-TV has a video; ten people camping in the park were evacuated.
Update (7/28): Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't
The Mankato Free Press reports in Dam hole causes concern that the structure "has been labeled a 'low hazard' dam, meaning there’s little risk to human life if it gives way." That's a relief. The article also considers the pros and cons of removing the dam versus fixing it.
There's one interesting item in the mix. At the behest of the National Republican Congressional Committee, First District Republicans have been whining about Representative Walz's earmarks--and his partisanship.
But it looks from the paper's report that the federal share for this project does exactly what Walz has been saying about his quite public requests for appropriations for the district. It brings in money that local and state government has sought for projects. We read:
Tony Cornish, state representative for the district around the dam, said it’s time for county officials to move forward with the study. He helped get $60,000 in state money to fund the $239,000 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project. Another $60,000 has been pitched in by the county and the Corps is paying $119,000. Cornish is among the group of people who want the dam to stay.
Perhaps the NRCC should tell Republican Tony Cornish what's wrong with a federal appropriation for the study. Heck, we're still trying to figure out that one ourselves.
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