One more review of how Gooseberry Lake might become a reality in Ringgold county will be done in a series of meetings in September.
That was the news from the Gooseberry Lake Agency meeting held Thursday, July 23, the Mount Ayr city hall.
Details including naming officers were also handled in the annual meeting and a project review included in the meeting.
Dennis Hilger from the Southern Iowa Resource and Conservation and Development presented a project review to the group.
He noted that the Magellan Pipeline Company has estimated a cost of $3.2 million for pipeline replacement and $144,000 for right of way purchase to move the pipeline from under the lake site.
The November 2007 projection of costs for the project was $18,215,200, up from $10 million in October 2004.
With the newer estimate the maximum from the federal government would be $7,921,000 or 40 percent of the cost.
The project had originally been set for taking 2,365 acres but for the lake pool and 400 feet buffer area which is the maximum that can be taken by imminent domain, the amount of land needed would be 1,320 acres.
Under the minimum land scenario, the project would cost $16.9 million with $7.1 million for local sponsors including Ringgold county, the city of Mount Ayr and the Southern Iowa Rural Water Association.
If a USDA Rural Development loan and grant program were used for the program and 40 percent of the amount was a grant, the costs for the project for the county could be in the neighborhood of $1.34 million and the cost of the project for the city of Mount Ayr in the neighborhood of $720,000, Hilger estimated.
Dan McIntosh from the Southern Iowa Rural Water Association noted that there would need to be some re-engineering costs for the dam because of changes in regulations and possibly some more legal expenses than in the original scenario.
McIntosh also noted that progress is being made on the Clarke County and 102 projects and if these projects moved ahead first the Gooseberry Lake project might not be needed to meet SIRWA’s water need expansion and so would not be buildable.
Dennis Hilger presented a possible scenario on how the project could move forward.
The plan would be to build the structure with 1,320 acres, which would mean $7.1 million for local sponsors.
Discussion would be made with Seantor Tom Harkin’s office about the possibility of getting a Rural Development loan/grant to do the pipeline work and purchase the land needed for the lake. Having an estimate of the probability of getting the funding for the lake project through the Soil and Water Conservation Service once the preliminary work was done would be very important.
In Hilger’s scenario, step one would be to buy land first for an estimate of $2.53 million. The city of Mount Ayr and Ringgold county would do that using a Rural Development loan with 40 percent grant and a $1.5 million loan.
The next step would be to get the pipeline moved and this $3.28 million cost might be picked up by SIRWA with a Rural Development grant and $1.9 million in loans. Once the land was bought and the pipeline moved, the city and county would contribute the rest of their part of the funding to help the construction of the dam and lake.
The recreational aspects of the project would be worked out last, with the Ringgold County Conservation Board seeking grants and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources providing funding as well.
It was pointed out that if a request for appropriations was approved for the project after being made by Senator Tom Harkin’s office and other legislators, the project would need to move forward or there would not be an effort by the legislators again to help the project.
The question was if the people at the meeting would like to hold some future meetings to look at the feasibility of the project now or to leave the project on the shelf, where it was put at the March meeting of the group.
All three groups -- the city, county and SIRWA -- would need to review what portion of the project they would be willing to fund under the new scenario.
Mount Ayr mayor Don Solliday and county supervisor chairman Larry Ford said they felt that before they could commit the city or county to their shares they would like to see a public vote of some kind.
After a good deal of discussion, the Gooseberry Lake Agency board voted to set up a meeting Thursday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. at the Ringgold county courthouse assembly room to include the Mount Ayr city council, Ringgold county board of supervisors and SIRWA board.
At that time an up-to-date scenario for the possibilities of the project would be presented to all three groups in a meeting where no action would be taken.
The boards would then make a decision on their possible participation at regular meetings and their representatives would report back to a Gooseberry Lake Agency meeting to be held Thursday, Sept. 24, at 10 a.m. at the Mount Ayr city hall.
A decision not to move forward at that point could be the final one for the lake if SIRWA finds other sources for its water needs.
Also at the meeting, Mark DePoy, the new coordinator for the Southern Iowa Resource Conservation and Development office, was introduced to the Gooseberry Lake Agency board.
DePoy originally comes from Lafayette, IN, but has worked around the country in positions with the Soil Conservation Service, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management.
DePoy told the board that he was happy to be in the new position where he would influence economic development as well as conservation issues.
The board also heard a treasurer’s report that it had $21,583.68 in funds, so would not need to have any dues for the coming fiscal year.
Decisions on insurance and other matters were also put off until the September 24 meeting.
Annual meeting
Three items were handled at the annual meeting of the agency which preceded the regular meeting.
Elected as officers for the Gooseberry Lake Agency included Randy Bishop, chairman; Don Solliday, vice chairman; Larry Ford, secretary, and Dan McIntosh, treasurer.
Depositories for the coming year for agency funds were also set. Great Western Bank of Mount Ayr was set again as the group’s depository.
The board also determined that any two of the four principal officers could sign checks, the same policy as in the past.