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The Vernon County land and water conservation announced it has received $214,000 from the federal government to do some of the highest priority repairs on six Vernon County dams. The money will come from the Emergency Watershed Program (EWP) through the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).

County Conservationist Kelly Jacobs said the money will be used for repairs on the "stilling basins," or the areas below dams designed to absorb some of the energy from water flowing through the dams before it is dispersed. Jacobs said some the basins had been scheduled for repair already and recent flooding has made the repairs more imperative.

"There is a question on what part of the damage was caused by the floods and what part of the damage is regular maintenance," Jacobs said.

Jacobs said the repairs might not be 100 percent covered by the federal money and county money may also be needed the repairs.

Jacobs said she and other department officials met with Natural Resource Conservation Service staff in Madison recently and made a priority list of dam repairs that needed to be done in the county. Jacobs said the highest priority and work that could that could be done quickly with a small amount of money was the stilling basin projects. Most of those repairs were already in the design phase and with emergency money the county plans to let those out for bids this week. Beyond the stilling basins Jacobs said the county is moving ahead with plans to repair other dams. Jacobs said the department has a couple of dams on their schedule each year to repair.

"Our schedule is pretty aggressive," said Jacobs.

The county has been under orders to repair Jersey Valley Dam since 2005 because leaks in the hillside where the dam ties into the hill are making it unsafe. After flooding in August 2007 the county received orders to repair from the DNR on four other structures. Jacobs said the DNR has told the county they need to have plans in place to repair those structures by May 2010.

Jacobs said the committee may want to consider buying some properties downstream from some of the county dams. Jacobs may be able to get some "hazard mitigation" funding to buy the properties. Jacobs said the idea had been talked about with National Resources Conservation Service in the past as a way to reclassify some of the dams from high hazard to low hazard. The only other way to repair structures under NRCS high hazard standards is to build them to high hazard standard - meaning they would have to withstand 33 inches of rain in 24 hours.

Jacobs and county corporation counsel Greg Lunde said the county may want to consider buying some of the properties that are on the market now instead waiting until they are part of an overall buyout.

"The difference may be several hundred thousand now versus several million to do dam repairs later," said Jacobs.

The committee told Jacobs to keep investigating the option of buying some homes that could possibly be taken to the county board at a later date.

Jacobs said the land and water department continues to clean up after the June flooding including the county parks. A walking bridge is being replaced at Sidie Hollow, a temporary stream crossing at Esofea Park is being repaired and some repairs are being made to Jersey Valley Park.

The committee discussed a recent proposal by an advisory committee set up to do some strategic planning. The committee came forward last month with some a proposal to combine departments including combining land and water conservation with zoning and sanitation.

"I think your department has enough work as it is without adding a whole bunch more on top of it," committee chairman Will Beitlich said.

"There are good and things both ways," Jacobs said. "There are some efficiencies both ways. There definitely are some possibilities there."

Jacobs said she would like to see the zoning board of appeals stay as a separate committee.

"The land and water department in other counties may not be as intense in other counties," Beitlich said. "I have heard where other counties have teamed up and it really hasn't been any kind of money saver, it is just another way of doing business."

"I guess I feel like, 'show me where it is going to save us anything and what it is going to save us,'" committee member Herb Cornell said.

Lunde said there may be some savings if staffing can be reduced.

"I am trying to keep an open mind about it," Jacobs said. "Your first instinct is to say no way but then as you start to think about it some things could work."

Jacobs said the two departments do cover some similar areas.