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June 2018
The
Basin Alliance for the
Lower Mississippi in Minnesota (BALMM) will meet Wednesday, June 20, at 9 a.m. at Oronoco City Hall, 115 Second St. N.W., Oronoco.
Agenda
as follows:
-
9 a.m.: “Oronoco Dam Removal and Zumbro River Restoration Project” – Terry Lee, retired Olmsted County Water Resources Coordinator
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9:30 a.m.: Tour of Zumbro River Restoration Project -- Caitlin Brady, Water Resources Coordinator, Olmsted County Environmental Resources
- Noon: Adjourn
The small city of Oronoco, north of Rochester in Olmsted
County, once boasted a lake created by a dam on the Zumbro River. Now it’s
benefiting from the dam’s removal that led to better water quality and new
recreational opportunities.
Lake Shady was a reservoir on the Zumbro River created in
1937 by a dam, according to the Olmsted
County website. By the late 1970s, sedimentation had largely ended
recreational use of the lake. Then a major flood in 2010 washed away part of
the Oronoco dam and heavily damaged a bridge over the river.
Local partners then launched the Oronoco Dam Removal and
Zumbro River Restoration Project. Removing the dam meant the loss of the lake.
The former lakebed is now a public park with a variety of recreational
opportunities. The dam was replaced with rock rapids, the river restored to
natural meanders, and excess sediment placed out of the floodway so it can't be
washed downstream.
At the June 20 BALMM meeting, Terry Lee, former Olmsted County Water Resources Coordinator and now retired, will provide an
overview of the Oronoco Dam Removal and Zumbro River Restoration Project with
lessons learned. A tour of the restoration site will follow. Be sure to dress
for the weather and walking.
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