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Dam's future in doubt after heavy rains cause breach

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By ALGIS J. LAUKAITIS / Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 - 12:24:19 am CDT

Last month, the rain-swollen Big Blue River breached a small dam about three miles southeast of Milford. Now officials hope area residents will help them decide what to do with the nearly century-old structure.

The concrete dam, known locally as the Hammond Dam, is part of the Blue Bluffs Wildlife Management Area, owned and operated by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Heavy rains in early June caused the river to breach the 100- to 150-foot long dam and cut a new channel to the south. When it did so, the river took out part of a park and about four irrigated acres.

If you go

Area residents and other interested persons are invited to a public meeting to discuss the future of a small dam on the Big Blue River at the Blue Bluffs Wildlife Management Area. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Webermeier Community Library, 617 Second St., in Milford.

Even before the breach, there was little water stored behind the dam, due to siltation. Also, some time in the past, someone used dynamite to blow two big holes in the dam, possibly to release more water for irrigation during a drought. But the holes get plugged up with debris.

The structure was built in 1911 as a hydroelectric dam. It was turned over to Game and Parks during the 1970s and has been used mostly for fishing and recreation.

Pat Molini, wildlife division district manager for the state agency, said the dam is not structurally sound and is a silt trap. It also acts as a barrier to prevent fish from swimming downstream.

Molini said the dam’s future could affect about a dozen cabins upstream.

He encouraged the cabin owners and other interested parties to attend a 7 p.m. meeting Wednesday at the community library in Milford. Representatives from Game and Parks and the Seward County Roads Department will be present to answer questions.

Molini said the state agency hasn’t decided what to do with the dam. One option is to take out part of the structure to prevent future breaches. Removing the entire dam probably won’t happen, he said, because it could harm bridges upstream and downstream.

Seward County Roads Superintendent Russ Daehling said he would like to see the top portion of the dam removed, the footings left in place and the river returned to its original channel before the June breach.

Leaving the footings of the dam in place would help prevent further cutting of the channel upstream and protect a  U.S. 6 bridge that could be undermined from erosion, Daehling said.

Seward County also has a bridge about 200 feet downstream of the dam. Daehling said the new river channel to the south is trying to work behind that bridge, located on 224th Street.

The county road has been closed since the heavy rains and repair plans have been drawn up, Daehling said. However, he is waiting for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before proceeding with the work, estimated to cost $200,000.

Daehling also encouraged area residents to attend the meeting. “It would be nice for them to give their opinion on what they would like to see as far as the future of the dam,” he said.

Reach Algis J. Laukaitis at (402) 473-7243 or alaukaitis@journalstar.com.


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Dan wrote on July 24, 2008 7:52 am:
" The Seward County bridge is upstream of the dam a few hundred feet, not downstream. It's closing has made the transportation of farm equipment a nightmare for the local farmers. The road a mile east (Council Oak road) is narrow and very curvy. Someone is going to get hurt. The dam should of been removed years ago. Hopefully they will let Daehling get on with what he wants to do and get the bridge reopened. "

 Jonathon wrote on July 24, 2008 10:41 am:
" Dams will usually prevent trout from going upstream to spawn. Fishing could definitely be improved by removing an unnecessary dam. It sounds like that would be the best option. "

 catfish wrote on July 24, 2008 12:03 pm:
" not a lot of trout (if any) in the blue, but the channel cats would like it gone "

 Milford native wrote on July 24, 2008 4:19 pm:
" This dam meant a lot to me as a teenager, we used to spend a lot of time out on the platform just listening to the water and hanging out. It was one of the few times we stayed out of trouble and it will be greatly missed. Its a shame that it won't be there for other generations. "

 Al wrote on July 24, 2008 8:59 pm:
" These heavy rains are typical of what man made climate change will bring to us in the future. On the positive side, removal of the dam will help restore the area to its natural state. It is wrong for people to try to change the course of rivers for their own convenience. We dont own this planet, we are all just temporatry residents. "

 whatever wrote on July 24, 2008 11:34 pm:
" Normally I'm not in favor of destroying old structures but this old dam is a piece of work and needs to go. It's simply an eyesore. The untold story here though is the number of old hydroelectric dams that aren't "in use" that still exist in this state. The story being that most people aren't aware of how progressive in it's day and for the times Nebraska once was in power generation. Most of those that built the dams and powerplants are long since dead. But there may be a few who remember the days when they actively produced electricity. What happened to the equipment? Why did they go by the wayside? What technology did they use that with today's electronics could be more efficient that what we use now? Can we learn something from the progressives of the past that will help us now? This is one of those situations when your history teachers were teaching you the merits of learning history you should have been listening. We spend too much time in this country reinventing the wheel. Take another example. Without going into details a U.S. plane manufactures several decades ago developed some "new technology" something "no one else had or thought of". That was until a World War II buff happened on one of the planes and informed the company that the Germans had used the same technology during World War II on one of their most successful fighters several decades earlier. There is lots to learn. Young people listen to the older generations stories. Ask questions and record the answers. Many of the solutions and answers to today's problems have already been resolved but we simply have ignored them or forgotten them. Go to the library and start reading "old books" and I mean "old". Doesn't matter what but after reading a few your interest and curiosity will be ignited. "

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