Juglans dam and bridge are in process of being removed

After years of conversation and controversy about how to replace the dam at the outlet of Albert Lea Lake, the Shell Rock River Watershed District is moving ahead to do just that.

Work began about a month and a half ago to remove the more than 90-year-old Juglans dam and bridge, and after clearing out the former structure, construction crews this week were preparing the land for a new type of dam.

Andy Henschel, project manager with the Shell Rock River Watershed District, said the former dam and bridge dated back to 1921 and were in very poor condition. Juglans is an old name for the swampy area near the outlet of the lake.

Henschel said Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ dam safety officials had said the structure could fail at any time.

The project had gone through a couple design phases but made a big step forward when the district purchased 258 acres of property — including the area where the dam sat — for $2.56 million with a Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage grant.

For many years, the question was who owned the property, or had rights to the dam, and the district resolved that by purchasing the property, Henschel said.

The purchase price came from an appraisal of the land.

He said instead of having a fixed-level dam made out of concrete, the new structure will be more natural-looking with a rock-arch rapids design. It will have a series of stepped pools with large boulders placed in arches and will include a water management structure — where water levels can be controlled — and an electric fish barrier. The design was made by Barr Engineering Co. of Minneapolis.

The structure is on the south end of Albert Lea Lake off of Freeborn County Road 19.

Henschel said the structure is key for the district’s ability to manage the rough fish population. He said there are two new invasive species within 100 miles of the Albert Lea area, and he hopes the fish barrier will prevent carp and other bottom-feeding fish from entering the lake.

The project is expected to result in improved aquatic habitat, improved waterfowl nesting, breeding and feeding, an increase in desirable fish populations and improved water quality.

ECI out of Oakdale was awarded the construction, for $2.4 million, as the low-bidders.

Of this cost, about $1.8 million will be paid through Lessard-Sams grants, $700,000 of which was awarded during the last legislative session for the fish barrier.

Of the remaining cost, about $200,000 will be paid for through DNR dam safety funds, and the district is paying for roughly $400,000, Henschel said.

He hoped the majority of the project would be completed by the end of the winter, with it fully completed by June.

Henschel said it is exciting to see the project moving forward. It was a concern when he started working for the district in 2001.