Lake facilities recover after flood

• Image

John M. Steiner / The Sun A new concrete pad for the Lakeside Marina site was poured Tuesday. The marina’s new location is farther from the water and at a higher location as seen on the left. The old site is lower and to the right. Officials may use the old site for a picnic shelter.

Talk about it

Flood recovery efforts aren’t over in some parts of the city and they likely won’t be finished until 2010. But even with the delay, officials say the repairs will make the reservoir better and more user friendly.

Construction workers poured concrete at the Lakeside Marina site at the Jamestown Reservoir Tuesday. The hour-long project was conducted almost seven months after water spilled into Jamestown Reservoir’s

“glory hole” spillway last April.

The high waters damaged parts the reservoir, located in northeast Jamestown, flooding paths, bridges, boat ramps and requiring cabin owners to sandbag around their homes.

Rebuilding and repair will likely halt by today, said Denny Lorenz, Stutsman County parks superintendent. But the work will continue when the weather warms next spring — about a calendar year after the James River reached record flood levels.

“We want to be in a position next spring to be back in business in both facilities (Lakeside Marina and Pelican Point),” said Noel Johnson, chief operating officer for Stutsman County.

But even with a mild fall, the county had too much work to finish before freeze up, officials said.

“We just ran way out of time,” Lorenz said.

The renovations don’t come without a price, however.

Stutsman County is spending $200,000 on the projects in addition to a $200,000 match from the Bureau of Reclamation, Johnson said. Reclamation owns the Jamestown Reservoir.

Most of the renovations are in the Pelican Point Campground and Lakeside Marina areas.

County staff moved Lakeside Marina’s building to dry ground when waters rose last spring. Its new location, at an elevation of 1,460 feet, is 20 feet higher than its previous spot. It’s also 6 feet above the reservoir’s spillway level at 1,454 feet.

Lorenz said he expects the marina to return to its home next month.

The relocation is a welcome one for Mike Kessler, owner and operator of the Lakeside Marina business. Kessler had expected to take a 50 percent income hit this summer because of the high water. But with the new location, he may make up some of the lost revenue. The marina will better serve boaters and its beach-goers, once it’s closer to the road.

“Hopefully it (the new location) will improve it,” Kessler said.

A new setting is also under way for the concession building at Pelican Point Campground, located about 6 miles north of town on the west side of the reservoir.

The campground’s concession building had water above its roof seven months ago. Contractors laid drain tile at the building’s new location Tuesday, after workers poured concrete last month. The building’s new elevation is 1,460 feet.

The concession building, which was once a trailer home, will now be made of wood or steel and have a porch as well as a garage, Lorenz said. The new building will also likely have handicap-accessible bathrooms, storage space and a dining area overlooking the water.

“This one’s going to be way better,” Lorenz said.

The Stutsman County Commission will likely let the bid for the new building at an upcoming meeting.

In addition to moving buildings, the county made other efforts to prevent damage and reduce work should waters rise in the future.

The small cabins at Pelican Point, for example, had to be moved last spring when water encroached. Should the county have to move them again, Lorenz said, the job will be less labor intensive because the cabin’s wires are now set up with a quicker disconnect system.

Officials also placed the cabins on concrete slabs instead of flat ground. That makes it easier for machines to pick the cabins up, Lorenz said.

Renovations could be complete next year, Lorenz said, pending no flooding.

“I keep my fingers crossed that we’re not going to have high waters again this year,” he said.

Projects expected to be completed next year include rebuilding the rock walls along the embankments as well as electrical work and decks at Pelican Point.

Sun reporter Katie Ryan can be reached at 701-952-8454 or by e-mail at kryan@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, glory hole, pelican point, news, flood, recovery, dam, marina