Marina moved to new location; Concession stand, other buildings also relocated to deter flooding

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Ben Rodgers / The Sun Denny Lorenz, Stutsman County parks superintendent, points to some of the concrete work at the newly constructed concession building on the Jamestown Reservoir on Thursday.
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Ben Rodgers / The Sun Denny Lorenz, Stutsman County parks superintendent, inspects the new range in the newly constructed concession building on the Jamestown Reservoir on Thursday.

Talk about it

Looking out of the window at Lakeside Marina across to the island it’s not difficult to see the level where high water reached during the floods of the past two years.

“It’s something I don’t think I’d ever want to go through again,” said Denny Lorenz, Stutsman County parks superintendent

From the marina’s new location, 20 feet higher than the old one, it’s hoped this building will stay dry for decades to come.

The marina and the concession stand at Pelican Point now both sit at 1,460 feet elevation, 6 feet higher than the glory hole, which water spilled into in 2009.

“If these buildings ever flood there’s going to be a lot more people in trouble,” Lorenz said.

Both buildings faced hardships in the years past with high water. The marina was diked and relocated and the concession stand was diked and was still pummeled with ice, Lorenz said.

He said the campgrounds were probably built in the early 1960s after the dam was constructed in the 1950s.

“We’ve done a lot of smaller work but nothing this major,” Lorenz said of the upgrades.

At Pelican Point Campground, formerly Smokey’s, ice destroyed the old building, so a new one was built about 200 yards up on higher ground.

“This should be the end of this building flooding up here,” Lorenz said.

The new building is complete with a new range and storage rooms with a cathedral-type ceiling. The cost, according to Sandy Eckelberg, Stutsman County accounts and property coordinator, was about $266,000 with a 50/50 grant with the county and the Bureau of Reclamation.

A garage was also relocated after 2009 left much of the campground inundated.

“People don’t like new changes but once they get used to them they say ‘hey that’s not so bad,’” Lorenz said.

Outside Lorenz and his four employees laid a retaining wall and cut blocks for the ground as well.

“We decided we’re not bricklayers but we’ll see how they come out and I think we did a pretty good job at it,” he said.

Across the reservoir at the Lakeside Campground, the comfort station has a completely new look as well.

The building was gutted, added onto by about 12 feet for handicap accessible showers and toilets, and re-roofed for a cost of about $105,000, Eckelberg said.

“The existing building got an overhaul then an addition,” she said.

The upgrades make the building comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Lorenz said.

Back at Lakeside Marina the building’s old location gets ready for the addition of a shelter.

“Our plans are to take off in the spring. We’re going to kick off with some kind of grand opening and we’ll have expanded boat rentals,” said Mike Kessler, marina operator.

Lorenz said that if the marina wasn’t moved in 2009, water would have gone to the top of the roof, completely destroying the building.

“These things aren’t going to go anyplace, they’re going to be here,” he said.

Sun reporter Ben Rodgers can be reached at 701-952-8455 or by e-mail at brodgers@jamestownsun.com

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