DNR project incomplete because of no permit

I am wondering how the Iowa Department of Natural Resources makes its decisions as to what is important and what to let slide.

An example: The city of Monticello started building a dike in the Maquoketa River flood plain. This is within 300 to 400 feet of the main river channel. In the summer of 2009, the city had a big street project, from this they hauled all the broken concrete, asphalt, rocks and dirt to build the new dike.

I called Dave Allen with the DNR in Des Moines to see if there was a permit. He told me to call the permit department, which told me no permit had been issued or applied for. I then contacted Doug Hawker with the DNR in Manchester. He inspected the site and put a stop to the project. Sent all his information to Des Moines. No response from Des Moines, and pretty soon they proceeded with the dike.

We talked to Gregory Drees of the DNR's Natural Resources Commission. Told he would get back to us in a couple of days, no call back and could get no answer on his phone.

To this day, no fine has been assessed for constructing a dike without a permit. This dike is roughly a quarter-mile long. So the project lays there incomplete. We even had a former state representative on the council when this took place.

Fred Iben

Monticello