The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

October 7, 2009

Cleanup project getting murky

Water-diversion project at Clear Lake estimated to cost $800,000

By Brian Ojanpa

WASECA — A water-diversion project aimed at cleaning up Clear Lake in Waseca has become soaked with concerns.

Costs, engineering issues, even questions about the long-term efficacy of the plans have conspired to stagnate the project.

“This has been on the drawing board for four or five years,” Waseca County Coordinator Bruce Boyce said of the county/city of Waseca effort to mitigate water runoff into the lake.

The runoff emanates from an adjacent swampy area known as Gaiter Lake, which lies across from Clear Lake along Highway 14.

The project is now estimated to cost $800,000, a figure that has escalated primarily due to property-acquisition costs involving about a dozen affected landowners.

“Easements are probably the single-biggest increase in the cost of the project,” Boyce said. That cost has risen to about $250,000.

Meantime, cost-versus-benefit questions have arisen among landowners, said Waseca City Council Member John Clemons.

Clemons said concerns include how the diverted built-up sediments will be drained, and whether the extra water diverted would flow into adjacent properties.

The project’s progress also has been affected by city personnel changes. Waseca has had a turnover of engineers since the project began, and is contracting with its current one on an interim basis.

Waseca Mayor Roy Srp said the aforementioned questions must be answered before the city can proceed with the project.

“But the city can’t go it alone. We will not put this solely on the taxpayers of Waseca.”

Boyce said the county wants to proceed with the project. The two government entities entered into an agreement several years ago to be partners in the effort.

The city’s share of the cost is an estimated $425,000. The county would pay $375,000 due to a $100,000 cap limit on its share of easement payments.

Srp suggested that the slow-moving project is in keeping with its aims.

“It took a long time to pollute lakes in southern Minnesota, and it’s going to take a long time to clean them up,” he said.



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