Vernon Broadcaster - Printable Version

Story originally printed in the Vernon Broadcaster or online at www.vernonbroadcaster.com

Published - Thursday, July 02, 2009

Jersey Valley repairs to begin later this month

The Vernon County Land and Water Conservation Committee, Friday, accepted a bid of $2.113 million to repair the Jersey Valley dam.

The bid was the lowest received for the repair project. It came from Veit and Company of Rogers, Minn. Phil Hahn, the land and water conservation department resource conservationist, told the Vernon County Board, Tuesday, that Veit should have equipment on site by July 20 and should begin drilling holes to repair the dam by July 27.

The committee opened bids on Friday. The engineering firm that designed the repair, AECOM of Madison, had estimated the repair to cost $2.5 million.

Hahn said all of the bids received were clustered around the $2.5 million figure, “which was a validation of the engineers.”

Three other bids received included $2.346 million from Judy Company of Kansas City, Kan.; $2.879 million from Hayward-Baker of Roselle, Ill.; and $3.476 million from Layne of Butler, Penn.

Hahn said the bidding process was “very tightly controlled” and all of the bidders visited the dam and received the same information.

The county received a $4 million community development block grant from the state Department of Commerce (DOC) to pay for repairs at high hazard dams. The county also has $500,000 from the state stewardship program that was secured by State Rep. Lee Nerison (R-Westby) for the Jersey Valley project.

Caryn Stone of the DOC’s emergency assistance program told the county board that while the $4 million has some strings attached to the grant, the money would be immediately available to be used to pay to buy homes below high-hazard dams, repair dams and dredge the boat landing at Sidie Hollow park.

Stone said the state initially had $40 million to deliver in grants through its emergency assistance program. In addition, the state recently received $75 million from the federal government to be used for “future flood protection, which Stone said included repairing dams.

She said Vernon County could also be eligible for that money.

Stone said the $4 million in the grant would have a performance period lasting until Dec. 31, 2010. However, she would extend that if the county had projects in the works and money left to use.

The county has been under orders from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to repair Jersey Valley dam since 2005. The county also has ongoing repairs at the Seas Branch dam and the Hidden Valley dam. In addition numerous other repairs are needed, especially at Runge Hollow dam, which had considerable damage done to its auxiliary spillway during flooding in August of 2007 and June of 2008.

Because the county received the grant money for dam repairs, the committee’s action last week was all that was needed to get the ball rolling on the Jersey Valley repair, county conservationist Kelly Jacobs said.

Jacobs told the board that the land and water conservation committee has not yet approached those who own homes below high-hazard dams to see if they want to sell their property. Stone said the sales have to be voluntary and the county can’t use imminent domain to facilitate the sale of property.