
Local news sources are reporting that the Blue Earth Count Board of Commissioners has voted to remove the Rapidan Dam. which was damaged after heavy rains on June 24.
Bluestem first posted about the dam before the collapse, in a 2007 post, Earmark--or emergency? The case of the Rapidan Dam:
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. . . .
KEYC TV's Kendall Larson and Mitch Keegan report in Blue Earth County Board votes to remove Rapidan Dam, remove and replace bridge:
The Blue Earth County Board of Commissioners has voted to remove the historic Rapidan Dam.
In their vote, the board asked county staff members to begin exploring options for the removal of the historic dam that failed on June 24 following heavy rain.
The board also asked staff to look into the removal and replacement of the County Road 9 bridge just behind the dam. The bridge has been closed since the failure of the dam.
The county is also looking into some restoration of the river bank after the removal of the dam. . . .
(Blue Earth County) – At today’s Blue Earth County Board of Commissioners meeting, the County Board approved a resolution directing staff to do the following:
- Pursue removal and replacement of the CSAH 9 bridge with funding provided by the Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief accounts and MnDOT disaster assistance accounts.
- Work with FEMA on Alternate or Alternative Procedures Projects including removal of the Rapidan Dam.
- Work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to restore the Blue Earth River in a river channel established post dam removal and seek federal and state funding assistance for the river restoration.
Since the natural disaster incident on June 24, 2024, Blue Earth County staff have been assessing the condition and safety of the CSAH 9 bridge and the Rapidan Dam. Staff continue to work with representatives from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on issues regarding the CSAH 9 bridge and the Rapidan Dam. . . .
Reporting for the Mankato Free Press, Brian Arola writes in Blue Earth County will pursue Rapidan Dam removal, bridge replacemen:
Blue Earth County will seek to remove the Rapidan Dam while replacing the County Road 9 bridge, after commissioners narrowed down options for the flood-damaged area Tuesday.
Heavy rainfall contributed to the Blue Earth River bypassing the dam in June, eroding the west embankment and compromising the bridge’s structural integrity.
The development drew national and state attention as erosion claimed a home along the bank. It next threatened the owners’ iconic Rapidan Dam Store, prompting the county to buy it and tear it down so it wouldn’t fall into the river. . . .
At the Minnesota Star Tribune, Trey Mewes reports in Blue Earth County to tear down Rapidan Dam:
. . .Commissioners argued against replacing the dam, saying it would cost far more to keep it than remove it altogether. Getting rid of the dam also frees up recreational opportunities along the Blue Earth River.
“Mother Nature came out and showed us we have to push this thing along,” Commissioner Vance Stuehrenberg said.
The county has for years discussed what to do with a dam after a 2019 flood badly damaged the facility. Blue Earth County officials have since assessed whether it was worth repairing enough so that it could generate electricity again.
A 2021 study estimated repairs at $15 million and removal at $82 million, but county officials said Tuesday fixing the dam and the river channel back to pre-disaster levels would cost far more than removing it. Another massive flood would likely damage the dam once more, engineers told the board. . . .
Earlier, the Mankato Free Press reported that the county may get help from federal funds to remove the dam:
. . . The county is also likely to seek funding from FEMA for removing the dam. Federal funding would cover 75% with 25% coming from local/state funding. ...
[Kristine Elwood, of MnDOT,] said the county is eligible for federal Highway Administration emergency funding to remove and replace the bridge. She said the feds would cover 80% with the state likely to cover the other 20%. There’s also a chance the federal agency would cover all the cost. . . .
Elwood said the county has two years from the time of the flooding to get all federal authorizations and the funding. She said the board needs to begin making decisions and keep the process on schedule. . . .
I look forward to a chance sometime in the future to float down more of the lovely river.
Photo: The Blue Earth County Board has voted to remove the historic Rapidan Dam and remove and replace the County Road 9 bridge.(KEYC News Now Drone).
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