Post-flood rehabilitation at Blue Mounds State Park offers no easy answers

A few weeks ago, I visited the Rock County Board of Commissioners to discuss the DNR’s process for evaluating and deciding the future of the dam at Blue Mounds State Park, which was significantly damaged during the flood of June 2014. 
Knowing our local communities have great interest in this issue, I wanted to share some of the key aspects of the DNR’s decision-making process with members of the public.
Deciding next steps for the dam and lake is not simple and involves multiple considerations.  Clearly the park and the lake are important to the local community and the region.  And the dam is historically important.
But the county has changed dramatically since the 1930s.  Recreation has changed.  The environment has changed. 
Three-quarters of a century ago Pond mussels, Topeka shiners and Plains topminnows were abundant. Today their numbers are limited.  
Construction methods that were accepted in the '30s are not allowed today. Rebuilding the dam by current safety standards may keep it functional but compromise its historic value.
People travel from all over to see the bison at Blue Mounds State Park. The tipis shelter adventurous campers every weekend. Kayaking, fishing and just sitting by the lake are part of the park’s outdoor heritage. So are free-flowing streams and clean water. The dams and lakes are significant, as is the federally endangered Topeka shiner fish.
DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr bicycled with Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith from Luverne to the park during this summer’s Prairie Pedal Bike Tour. They heard firsthand from local leaders and others about the importance of Blue Mounds State Park and the lake to the local economy and community.
And I want to emphasize that Blue Mounds is also a key part of the Minnesota State Park system and the DNR.
DNR has not yet made a decision on the future of the dam because we are still in the process of evaluating all of these factors. There are potential impacts at every level — local, state and federal. 
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will weigh in on DNR’s decision. That also means other federal agencies will also have a say in the project.
Over the past year, we have completed engineering studies, analyzed historic resource issues, identified potential economic and recreational impacts, and conducted biological surveys.
These efforts confirm the complexity of the decision in front of us, but also underscore the need to make a decision. 
DNR is carefully considering the data and perspectives we have gathered. By late December we anticipate making our decision, which we will then communicate to both local government and FEMA. 
I understand the importance of this decision and I intend to ensure that we listen carefully and provide timely information as we move through the remaining steps in this process.