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Fog/Mist ~ High: 42°F ~ Low: 27°F Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012 |
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Lower Gar Outlet ComparisonPosted Monday, June 8, 2009, at 2:12 PM
Many people believe the road, not the Lower Gar weir, controls the lake levels, and are therefore concerned that any of options presented in the 1999 USACE report would lower lake levels, such that in a normal year water levels would lower faster and by June fall as low as they normally are in August. I think this is a legitimate concern, so I presented a question to Roger Kay, the engineer who represented the US Army Corps of Engineers at the May 20 public meeting jointly hosted by the Milford City Council and the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors.
The attached graphic illustrates his answer. He explained that for each alternative studied in the 1999 USACE report (available online at the Dickinson County Board of Supervisors website along with other information), with the exception of the 110' bridge coupled with channel improvements downstream of the road, there is absolutely no difference in the flow leaving the lake up to 9 inches above the spillway crest. Even at 12 inches above spillway crest, the difference is only a few percent. It's not until you get more than 12 inches above the spillway crest that there is much difference in outlet capacity. Even with that being the case, the difference would only last a few hours to a day, and then the lakes would drain at the same rate as before. I feel if everyone understood this information, all concerns would be addressed. Those worried about lowered lake levels would rest easy with any of the proposed options in the 1999 USACE report, as well as those concerned about reducing flood risk and duration. But it seems we still lack common ground on the basics of this issue. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
ABOUT ME: I live in Okoboji with my husband Hank Miguel in a wonderful house he built mostly himself, located 3 land-ward tiers away from the summer cottage on Des Moines Beach where I grew up visiting my grandmother during the summer months when school was out. The cottage is still in our family, and was initially purchased by my great grandfather F. C. Gilchrist, and remains the heart of family reunions and summer escapades. When I was 10 years old, I walked around Lake West Okoboji with my brother and the neighbor kids. It took us 12 hours, but we lolly gagged along the way, and enjoyed a ride on the roller coaster at Arnold's Park before it was all over. I remember we had to wade our way around the undeveloped shoreline where Iowa Lakeside Laboratory is located, through dark swarms of baby bullheads. I was both fascinated and scared of them, but they did not hurt us. I looked up from the shore across the expansive lawn crowned at the top by the Lakeside dining hall, and wondered what madness went on in that place. Little did I suspect then that I would study, and then work at Lakeside Lab! Today I am the Environmental Education Coordinator at Lakeside. One of my duties includes the coordination of the Cooperative Lakes Area Monitoring Project, a volunteer lake monitoring program that samples nine lakes in Dickinson County, and is the longest running lake monitoring program in the state of Iowa. I am a Commissioner and one of the founders of the Dickinson County Water Quality Commission, a cooperative entity between county and municipal governments that provides grants to fund water quality projects. I am a past president and currently serve on the board of the Okoboji Protective Association, and am proud to have served previously on the boards of the East Okoboji Lakes Improvement Corporation and the Spirit Lake Protective Association, and am a volunteer with the Dickinson County Clean Water Alliance.
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Again, it is only certain facts that people present. Some of us had a conversation with Roger Kay after the meeting challenging certain parts of the Core's report stating that the data was wrong as they used what appeared to be wrong inputs. As he looked it over, he said, and I quote, "oh, you're right. It appears to be wrong." He then went on to say that the person who did the reports works in another department now and there's nothing that can be done.
The other facts I'd like to present is when Roger was asked, "will a 110 foot bridge or anything prevent another flood with a rain event such as 93? He said point blank, now it will not, it will only shorten the duration. So a flood for 2 weeks or 10 days, what do we really gain, and why spend the money? Also, the DNR's attourney opinion states the structure (the road) is not illegal. Third, during the DNR flood management recording with 2 supervisors, they warned the County to be careful if they make any structural changes and to make sure they have the flow data done and cautioned them about potential downstream damages which the County will be liable for if they mfake any changes.
If you can't prevent a flood, why do anything at all. The County has not recieved the answers they want and keep alding hoping to gt them. And the OPA and a few are leading the County around like puppets.
Finally, do an experiment. Take a bucket adn drill 5 holes down 6". take out 1 plug and time the drainage. Then proceed with 2, 3 and so on and tell me it doesn't drain faster with each plug removed. It's the same principle.
This poll is outrageous as anyone from any state/country can vote, and it does not state any facts/information.
Maybe the Supervisors should listen to Owen Primivera, a science major, who taught science on the ACTUAL REAL INFORMATION about the lakes he has collected. This includes dates --- not some guessing by a hot shot in DM.
Ask him exactly what is going on~