'Mother Nature's in control' right now at Lake Delhi dam

DELHI, Iowa - For the time being, “Mother Nature's in control” of the situation at Lake Delhi, a Department of Natural Resources spokesman said Monday morning.

Kevin Baskins deferred questions about the future of the privately-owned 88-year-old dam that was breached by floodwaters July 24, saying there are more immediate concerns.

“We haven't had a chance to talk about the dam,” Baskins said. “We're still dealing with the immediacy of the situation. There are more than 100 boats that need to be recovered, we still have propane tanks floating down the river.”

The dam is owned by the Lake Delhi Recreation Association and the group's director Jim Willey says it is committed to rebuilding the dam and restoring the lake. Willey is meeting with officials Monday and says a federal disaster declaration will be the key to moving forward.

Gov. Chet Culver has promised all possible assistance, but left unanswered what aid the state could provide to repair the dam that maintains water levels for boating and other recreational activities.

After more than 10 inches of rain fell in the Maquoketa River watershed over the past week, the river breached the spillway alongside the dam. The dam itself is intact. The Delhi dam was inspected last year. No major problems were found, according to the DNR.

Normally, the dam held an estimated 3,790 acre-feet of water, according to Jonathan Garton, a DNR dam safety specialist. There were an estimated 9,920 acre-feet of water behind the dam when the flow started going over the top of the dam, he said.

The breach did not endanger any dams downstream of Lake Delhi, Garton said.

The dam was not intended for flood protection, Garton said. It was for maintaining a level pool upstream for recreational use. The river flows into and out of the lake were generally equal so the lake provided no downstream flood protection.

Originally built in 1922 by the Interstate Power Company to generate hydroelectric power, the dam is approximately 48 feet high, 25 feet across on top and the base of the dam at the widest part is approximately 200 feet.

In 1973, the Lake Delhi Recreation Association bought it. The association has been working with a Wisconsin firm to begin generating electricity again. Plans called for generation to start as soon as this year.

Also, the association had received a $100,000 grant from the state to dredge the lake this summer. The breach and flood may change those plans, Baskins said.

“This may change how they do it because the flood has exposed part of the lake that otherwise wouldn't be exposed,” he said.