FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

[chrisg]

Since the flood early this year, when a wall of water spilled over our dam, taking is down, FEMA has said they will not assist anyone (they are vacation homes that got hit the hardest).
My saying was that I?m ?looking for a lake, only found a DAM river; well there is no more DAM. And FEMA is saying they won?t help to re-build it, as it?s private. Well people?s homes are private, but they assist them, so that is the difference? FEMA also want to get their money back from money they gave to repair the dam from previous floods. Can you sue a government agency?

Apparently the lake had been around since the 60?s and a generation has grown up knowing it. It would appear that from letters to newspapers in the area, that there are some Iowans that feel that having water is not needed and people with boats are spoiled, and have too much money (and give it to them instead).

Well my lake home is now a creek home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYmB1NW7wPs

 

[bruceb58]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

Its a private dam. It's the homeowner's responsibility. As a taxpayer, I don't want to pay for it.

 

[LadyFish]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

Wow! I also read all the comments below the video and a couple of other videos relating to it. A lot of devestation.

I would think that on any dammed up lake property that owners would be required to have flood insurance. It's not that expensive. There is no such thing as a 100 year flood zone anymore. This past year has been proof of that.

BTW Our neighbor sued FEMA after hurricane Ike. but we are required to have flood insurance. FEMA was supposed to pay what insurance didn't, but they were too busy covering people with NO insurance. The whole system is messed up.

 

[roscoe]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

sorry chris, private dam, private lake, private vacation homes


Don't add up to an emergency living situation.

While I agree that lakes and water are important, many places don't have them. If the people don't want to pay, I guess they aren't important to the people in your state.

Be glad you don't have to pay for everything that was damaged down river.

Ever think of moving to a water rich state so you can enjoy your boat more?

 

[bassman284]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

Sorry but I don't think its going to happen. The lake association (home owners) opted out of federal flood insurance saying it was too expensive. Afraid they don't get a "do over".

Actually, it was the Delaware County supervisors who opted out of the federal flood insurance program basically because they didn't want to get into flood plain management. The home owners couldn't buy flood insurance if they wanted to.

This link explains some of it: flood insurance

And while the dam was privately operated by the association, the lake was open to the public with two public ramps and two county run parks.

(c&p) Since 1989, Lake Delhi property owners have paid property taxes in their Benefited Lake Tax District, to provide funds for the LDRA to operate. These funds, along with LDRA membership fees, donations, and grants have been used to repair the dam and dredge Lake Delhi in the past.
HSEMD notes that although LDRA operates the dam, a case can be made that the taxing district owns the dam. They will argue that this taxing district is a public entity; therefore, FEMA should assist in funding efforts to rebuild the dam. If the appeal is won, FEMA would pay 75% of the dam's costs, the state would pay 10%, and the locals would have to pay the 15% balance.

3/4 of the homes are valued at less than $200,000 and about 1/4 are (or were) the sole residence of the owners. Not riviera fat cats, just folks like us.

Probably more than you ever wanted to know.

 

[bassman284]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

Lake Delhi Home Values
Assessed Valuation
More than $500,000 -- 6
$250K to $500K -- 97
$150Kto $250K -- 193
$100K to $150K -- 197
$25K to $100K -- 231
Less than $25K -- 106
Total Properties -- 830
Source: Delaware County Assessor

Keep in mind, these values are predicated on these being lake front homes. Those that still exist are estimated to be worth no more than half and possibly as little as a quarter of that value, assuming there is any market for them at all which is unlikely. Yes, I know. Their tough luck. I'm not necessarily arguing that the dam should be rebuilt on the public dime, although that's probably the only way it will happen. I'm only talking about what's at stake.

FEMA is perfectly willing to build a $5 million bridge over the gap in the dam. Estimates to rebuild the dam are around 9 to 10 mil. The bridge will contribute next to nothing to the local economy. The dam will restore the tax values of the properties (previously about 10% of Delaware county property tax collections) and attract several thousand non-resident visitors every weekend during the boating season.

 

[NYBo]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

I live on a small, private man-made lake. About 25 years ago, the dam was declared unsafe. We were given two choices: find a way to fund repairs or the Army Corps of Engineers would notch the dam by 10' to reduce the pressure on it. The latter would have emptied almost the entire lake.

It took an act of the county legislature to form a special tax district (the lake falls within 3 different towns), and we had to cede all homeowners association property to the tax district. I now pay a special tax based on the lakefront footage I own.

 

[cribber]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

The Delhi Lake homeowner spoke their minds when it came to opting out of the Federal Flood Insurance program and should take the brunt of the costs to rebuild this man made structure that created a special tax district as their cash cow. If I get flooded out with no flood insurance I'm just SOL so to speak because home owners insurance doesn't cover flood damage. FEMA should contribute what they are willing to pay to build a bridge and the county/state should be responsible for the rest if they want to make this a resort/recreational area again.

Just my 2 cents because I live in Florida and I'm required to carry home owners insurance along with a separate hurricane rider and I live in the middle of the state. Good luck to y'all and hope they can work it out.

 

[roscoe]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

Sounds like this was not handled right from the start.

The county and or state should have been paying an annual fee for the parks, launch ramps, and guaranteed access for the public. Those monies should have been used to 1- buy flood insurance, 2- future repairs on the damn, 3- purchase additional liability insurance.

This is what was done on one lake I am familiar with. Every few years the town board and the county don't want to pay the fees. THe lake association simply closes the gate on the ramp, and closes the park to non residents. Within a week or so, the fees are paid.
It was set up this way in about 1988, and last I heard, there was a couple million in the escrow account.

 

[chrisg]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

Gee did I start somthing?

 

[chrisg]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

sorry chris, private dam, private lake, private vacation homes


Don't add up to an emergency living situation.

While I agree that lakes and water are important, many places don't have them. If the people don't want to pay, I guess they aren't important to the people in your state.

Be glad you don't have to pay for everything that was damaged down river.

Ever think of moving to a water rich state so you can enjoy your boat more?

Well I did like my time in Michigan, but there are no jobs, As it stands, my boat is sitting in the garage.

As I see it, there were 2 good things that came out of this:
1) the zebra mussels will be dead.
2) I have recovered my tools!!!!!!!!

 

[chrisg]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

Now wait a second. These $200K homes are way above average for Iowa ($82,400). A lot of average Iowans would say they are the property of "fat cats" and they see no reason to reach in their pocket to rebuild the dam for so few people, people that are way better off financially than they are.

As to the flood management and the county board. They did in fact talk to the county and the people made it clear they did not want any part of it.

$82,400 for a home! where? Are you sure your looking at a data from this century? I was just informed that we now have a DAM webcam, so you can see whats (NOT) going on.


Just to let you know how high the water got, it was touching the bottom of my deck. I was lucky , the boats were out of the water, and I made the dock sections to come apart, so the frame is still there. ( and I was able to pull the decking up the hill.) so I only lost the stairs.

I found my wrenchs, pliers and socket wrench!




Also, I changed my signature.

 

[marine4003]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

Lots of good arguments for and against rebuilding this dam, the one argument about not rebuilding with "my" tax dollars cant apply..or shouldn't anyway..look at where our money goes..Haiti,for the last 15 years millions have gone there..too no avail..Katrina..millions and no end in sight...Texas to Fla..oil spill...no end in sight..and on and on..if it weren't accessible to the public and totally private,I'd say too bad..but making it public access and using public funds to build and maintain parks and ramps...well..its a public concern.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

the one argument about not rebuilding with "my" tax dollars cant apply..or shouldn't anyway.

Just because tax money gets wasted other places doesn't mean it should be used here....bad argument.

 

[bassman284]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

$82,400 for a home! where? Are you sure your looking at a data from this century? I was just informed that we now have a DAM webcam, so you can see whats (NOT) going on.


Just to let you know how high the water got, it was touching the bottom of my deck. I was lucky , the boats were out of the water, and I made the dock sections to come apart, so the frame is still there. ( and I was able to pull the decking up the hill.) so I only lost the stairs.

I found my wrenchs, pliers and socket wrench!




Also, I changed my signature.

chris, I went to the website and those old photos of the original dam construction are really interesting.

As to the $82,400 average, there is a fair amount of extremely low value real estate in Iowa. For instance, along the Missouri border, that might cover 5 or 6 homes. In Iowa City, that will get you a quarter acre lot.

 

[DayCruiser]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

Actually, it was the Delaware County supervisors who opted out of the federal flood insurance program basically because they didn't want to get into flood plain management. The home owners couldn't buy flood insurance if they wanted to.

This link explains some of it: flood insurance

And while the dam was privately operated by the association, the lake was open to the public with two public ramps and two county run parks.

(c&p) Since 1989, Lake Delhi property owners have paid property taxes in their Benefited Lake Tax District, to provide funds for the LDRA to operate. These funds, along with LDRA membership fees, donations, and grants have been used to repair the dam and dredge Lake Delhi in the past.
HSEMD notes that although LDRA operates the dam, a case can be made that the taxing district owns the dam. They will argue that this taxing district is a public entity; therefore, FEMA should assist in funding efforts to rebuild the dam. If the appeal is won, FEMA would pay 75% of the dam's costs, the state would pay 10%, and the locals would have to pay the 15% balance.

3/4 of the homes are valued at less than $200,000 and about 1/4 are (or were) the sole residence of the owners. Not riviera fat cats, just folks like us.

Probably more than you ever wanted to know.

Says above that the lake was open to the public. There are a LOT of quality of life projects that cities and towns spend money on. Not everybody agree's with the expense because they may never use the projects. But then again they benefit from pooled tax dollars that don't help other tax payers.
To lose any Lake is a tragedy and a blow to the public's quality of life. I would be for the repair if the general public has access. A lake permanently disappearing would be a nightmare. Then there is the loss of fish and wildlife

 

[chrisg]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

There were some interesting findings that came out of the report on the dam failure. One item to note was that where the breach was, there use to be a spillway, but then the county put a road over it (and the dam). It was that fill added to the top of the original spillway that started to give out. Which then cause it all to go...........

The original spillway had a 'wall' inside it, but the fill added above that wall for the road was what gave way. They also stated that even if the dam was fully operational (one gate was not fully open), the water inflow would still have gone over the top of the dam for several hours. (Since the road filled in the original spillway.) It would never be known if the original spillway, had the road not been added, would have survived.

Its just interesting that the county changed the makeup of the dam, without consideration for its structural integrity.

 

[bassman284]

Re: FEMA does not give a DAM about DAMs. We want our DAM Delhi DAM back!

They probably said, "Heck, it's never been used before so we don't really need it."