Everything done on or for Lake Delhi is in partnership with the DNR. The dam facility under the jurisdiction and guidelines established by the DNR. The DNR specified the water level the lake was lake at, and how much it could be lowered in advance of high water.

The dam is not public, it is owned by the association, which paid above and beyond their taxes to maintain it and the public areas. The Lake is public.

Please speak to the facts

It has been determined that, according to the USGS Manchester gauge at highway 20, the water flow which caused the flooding at Lake Delhi and the damage to the Lake Delhi dam was somewhere between 30,000 to 35,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) which is an enormous amount of water, an Act of God rate. No flood control project is typically built to control a flow of those proportions. A normal flow at this location might be 300-450 cfs, so at the peak of the flood, water was moving at 100-times a normal rate.

The Lake Delhi Dam is managed in cooperation with and under the guidelines of the Iowa DNR, as well as with other local, state and federal agencies. Emergency responses included lowering the lake level in advance of the high water, according to DNR guidelines and notifying the Jones County Emergency Services of actions taken on the dam during this high water event. DNR officials, the Delaware County Engineer, the Delaware County Sheriffs department and others were also present at the dam and in direct communication.

Lake Delhi is a public lake. The tax district and association own the dam; Lake Delhi residents’ money maintains the dam and two public beaches open to everyone. Two public county parks with boat ramps and numerous other boat ramps provide anyone access to the lake.

The LDRA had begun a specific project two years ago to restore power generation to the dam, and the required paperwork has been submitted to the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC). This is not only a very green effort to produce clean alternative energy for Iowa, but will also make the Lake Delhi dam and Lake Delhi much more financially able to take care of the dam and Lake in the future when proceeds from the sale of the electricity will add to the funds needed for upkeep, maintenance, and improvements.

Lake area property owners contribute $1.62 million in property taxes—nearly 9 percent of property value in Delaware County and about 10 percent of the county's annual budget and 31 percent of the Maquoketa Valley Schools annual budget.

The Lake Delhi dam was last fully inspected by the DNR in May of 2009, and although a few minor repairs were still needed to be made following the flooding of 2008, no major structural problems were found on the dam, said Lori McDaniel, supervisor of the DNR’s flood plain and dam safety section.
“There really isn’t much that can be done when we get into an extreme situation like this where water overtops the structure. The water is just too strong to hold back at that point,” said McDaniel [DNR representative].

Please speak to the facts:

It has been determined that, according to the USGS Manchester gauge at highway 20, the water flow which caused the flooding at Lake Delhi and the damage to the Lake Delhi dam was somewhere between 30,000 to 35,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) which is an enormous amount of water, an Act of God rate. No flood control project is typically built to control a flow of those proportions. A normal flow at this location might be 300-450 cfs, so at the peak of the flood, water was moving at 100-times a normal rate.

The Lake Delhi Dam is managed in cooperation with and under the guidelines of the Iowa DNR, as well as with other local, state and federal agencies. Emergency responses included lowering the lake level in advance of the high water, according to DNR guidelines and notifying the Jones County Emergency Services of actions taken on the dam during this high water event. DNR officials, the Delaware County Engineer, the Delaware County Sheriffs department and others were also present at the dam and in direct communication.

Lake Delhi is a public lake. The tax district and association own the dam; Lake Delhi residents’ money maintains the dam and two public beaches open to everyone. Two public county parks with boat ramps and numerous other boat ramps provide anyone access to the lake.

The LDRA had begun a specific project two years ago to restore power generation to the dam, and the required paperwork has been submitted to the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC). This is not only a very green effort to produce clean alternative energy for Iowa, but will also make the Lake Delhi dam and Lake Delhi much more financially able to take care of the dam and Lake in the future when proceeds from the sale of the electricity will add to the funds needed for upkeep, maintenance, and improvements.

Lake area property owners contribute $1.62 million in property taxes—nearly 9 percent of property value in Delaware County and about 10 percent of the county's annual budget and 31 percent of the Maquoketa Valley Schools annual budget.

The Lake Delhi dam was last fully inspected by the DNR in May of 2009, and although a few minor repairs were still needed to be made following the flooding of 2008, no major structural problems were found on the dam, said Lori McDaniel, supervisor of the DNR’s flood plain and dam safety section.
“There really isn’t much that can be done when we get into an extreme situation like this where water overtops the structure. The water is just too strong to hold back at that point,” said McDaniel [DNR representative].

Please speak to the facts:

It has been determined that, according to the USGS Manchester gauge at highway 20, the water flow which caused the flooding at Lake Delhi and the damage to the Lake Delhi dam was somewhere between 30,000 to 35,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) which is an enormous amount of water, an Act of God rate. No flood control project is typically built to control a flow of those proportions. A normal flow at this location might be 300-450 cfs, so at the peak of the flood, water was moving at 100-times a normal rate.

The Lake Delhi Dam is managed in cooperation with and under the guidelines of the Iowa DNR, as well as with other local, state and federal agencies. Emergency responses included lowering the lake level in advance of the high water, according to DNR guidelines and notifying the Jones County Emergency Services of actions taken on the dam during this high water event. DNR officials, the Delaware County Engineer, the Delaware County Sheriffs department and others were also present at the dam and in direct communication.

Lake Delhi is a public lake. The tax district and association own the dam; Lake Delhi residents’ money maintains the dam and two public beaches open to everyone. Two public county parks with boat ramps and numerous other boat ramps provide anyone access to the lake.

The LDRA had begun a specific project two years ago to restore power generation to the dam, and the required paperwork has been submitted to the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC). This is not only a very green effort to produce clean alternative energy for Iowa, but will also make the Lake Delhi dam and Lake Delhi much more financially able to take care of the dam and Lake in the future when proceeds from the sale of the electricity will add to the funds needed for upkeep, maintenance, and improvements.

Lake area property owners contribute $1.62 million in property taxes—nearly 9 percent of property value in Delaware County and about 10 percent of the county's annual budget and 31 percent of the Maquoketa Valley Schools annual budget.

The Lake Delhi dam was last fully inspected by the DNR in May of 2009, and although a few minor repairs were still needed to be made following the flooding of 2008, no major structural problems were found on the dam, said Lori McDaniel, supervisor of the DNR’s flood plain and dam safety section.
“There really isn’t much that can be done when we get into an extreme situation like this where water overtops the structure. The water is just too strong to hold back at that point,” said McDaniel [DNR representative].

FEMA’s stated mission:
FEMA’s Mission is to reduce the loss of life and property and protect communities nationwide from all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters. FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery and mitigation.

It seems to me shameful to deny this support they claim as their mission to a place that impacts so many and a county that will be devastated as a result. I don’t see the leadership FEMA claims it is its purpose to give.

Thank you to Governor Culver. The people of Lake Delhi and those who love it are working hard too. We appreciate and need everyone's efforts.

Your compassion is well placed. My Aunt and Uncle were only able to move back to their home a couple of days ago. I understand.

I don't think it has to be one over the other. Without hope and progress toward a return of the Lake, I worry residents won't choose to return.

I'm not denying what you've stated, I have no idea where that information comes from. You took issue with my post with regard to the Des Moines Register's article and so I followed that up with the DNR's statement, from their website, reiterating that "no major structural problems were found on the dam" and that nothing much could be done, due to the forces of nature--too much water.

From the DNR's website: http://www.iowadnr.gov/news/10jul/lakedelhi.html

The Lake Delhi dam was last fully inspected by the DNR in May of 2009, and although a few minor repairs were still needed to be made following the flooding of 2008, no major structural problems were found on the dam, said Lori McDaniel, supervisor of the DNR's flood plain and dam safety section.

"There really isn't much that can be done when we get into an extreme situation like this where water overtops the structure. The water is just too strong to hold back at that point," said McDaniel.

The department is currently working with local communities across the state to establish and review emergency plans for similar situations that could occur.

"No matter how hard we may try, there are times when the forces of nature are just too much for manmade structures. That's why it is important that we be well prepared for emergency situations like this," said McDaniel.