Officials from Vernon County and other counties could be headed for Madison next month to testify before the State Assembly's Rural Affairs Committee about mounting problems with flood-control dams.

The committee, chaired by Rep. Lee Nerison (R-Westby), has asked the officials to testify so others in the legislature will understand the severity of the problem faced by Vernon County, and other counties, which have many flood control dams in need of repair or replacement.

Nerison has set a tentative date of Feb. 12 for a hearing but is still working out the exact details of the meeting and will inform the public when the details have been worked out.

Nerison told county officials last fall he has been working in Madison to find assistance for Vernon County to help deal with the flood damage to the county's 22 flood control dams. Nerison said the dams are a statewide issue, even though Vernon County has 22 of the state's 88 flood control dams, and many of those structures are reaching the end of life. Nerison and State Sen. Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse) met with the county finance committee and land and water conservation department staff last week to discuss how to approach state officials for help.

Nerison said he's been after his colleagues in the legislature for some time.

"I have been hollering about this since I got down there because of Jersey Valley," said Nerison.

County officials have estimated there is anywhere from $9-$11 million needed just to get the dams to meet state safety standards. Officials have asked for $2.1 million in aid from the federal government.

The county has already struggled with how to pay for repairs to Jersey Valley Dam, which has been under a DNR repair order since 2005. Repairs to that structure could cost anywhere from $1.5 million to $2 million. The county portion of that bill is uncertain depending on whether or not the federal government sets aside cost share money. In 2008 there is no money budgeted for such projects. The county did receive $500,000 from a grant secured from the state by Nerison for the Jersey Valley project.

Nerison said he met with state fiscal bureau and DNR officials last week to inform them of the issues facing the county and to see if there is any state funding available for repairs. Nerison said he requested they come to Vernon County to see the damage firsthand. Nerison said he has been asking for some assurances from the DNR that the county will get leeway on orders to repair, so the county has time to work on sources for financing the work. Nerison said he has contacted other counties in the state which also have flood control structures to ask if they will testify on the issue.

Nerison said he is hoping the state can set up a fund in which the state matches the money counties spend on dam repairs.

"The county would have put some money in," said Nerison. "It should be everybody, it should be the feds, it should be the state and the county will have put some money in."

Nerison and Kapanke said judging by the feedback they have received at the capitol on the idea discussed by the county to implement a .5 percent sales tax to fix Jersey Valley, the proposal would not likely be approved.