Lake Delhi FEMA Appeal Denied by Regional Office
JUSTIN HAYWORTH/DES MOINES REGISTER
By
Aaron Hepker
Story Created:
Mar 10, 2011 at 7:26 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Mar 10, 2011 at 7:26 PM CDT
DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management were notified today that an appeal for federal funds to assist in Lake Delhi recovery was denied.
The denial by the regional office of the Federal Emergency Management Agency means the Lake Delhi Recreational Facility and Water Quality District in Delaware County has 60 days to appeal to Washington D.C. That appeal is expected.
“It is regrettable that FEMA has denied the appeals for these two districts,” said J. Derek Hill, administrator of the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division in a news release. “We will assist the districts in their efforts as they now appeal the decision to FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C.”
The request for federal assistance was made after the Lake Delhi dam failed July 24, 2010 following heavy rains. The failure sent water surging downstream along the Maquoketa River.
The federal funds are a critical piece in any efforts to rebuild the dam. FEMA support would have provided as much as 75 percent of the money needed to rebuild the dam.
In denying the association’s eligibility, FEMA also de-obligated previously approved funding for repairing damage caused by 2008 flooding.
The cost of rebuilding is also still up in the air. Initial estimates of $6 million to rebuild the dam and $4 million to prepare the dam for hydroelectric generation remain valid if the Department of Natural Resources can be convinced the dam should be rated as a moderate rather than a high hazard facility. Rebuilding the dam to meet high hazard specifications could cost as much as $24 million.
A variety of engineering, archaeological and hydrological tests – carrying a price tag around $800,000 – would need to be completed before the hazard determination can be made.
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