Monticello to host meetings on dam options

Public meetings will be held Jan. 17 and 19 to review options and gather input for modifying the Mon Maq dam on the Maquoketa River in Monticello.

Details about three alternatives will be presented at the meetings, which will be held in the Council Chambers of the Monticello Renaissance Center.

Officials with the National Parks Service, the Department of Natural Resources Rivers Program and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will help answer questions and get input.

For the past four years a committee of Monticello residents has been meeting to review issues associated with the dam, including fish passage, in-stream passage by paddlers, fishing opportunities, ecological and flooding considerations and maintenance.

Last March, a contract was let with Recreation Engineering and Planning in Boulder, Colo., and Shive Hattery Engineering in Cedar Rapids to model alternatives that address the findings of the advisory committee.

The Jones County Conservation Board welcomes anyone interested in learning more about the project or providing input on the alternatives.

Attendance at each meeting will be limited to 75 to facilitate participants' input. If both dates fill up, additional meetings will be scheduled.

Prospective attendees should indicate the date of the meeting they would like to attend, along with their name, daytime telephone number and email address, by contacting the Conservation Board at (563)-487-3541 or by sending an email to conservation@co.jones.ia.us.

The meetings run from 6:30 to 9 p.m.