Saving the dam is the best option for all

To the Editor, 

Mr. First’s letter (that appeared in the Dec. 4 issue of the Monticello Express) erroneously suggests that one of the two proposed alternatives for the Mon Maq Dam is a “whitewater park.” At the Aug. 24, 2017 meeting, the Jones County Conservation Board made it clear that whitewater-type structures would not be acceptable to funding agencies, as they would block upstream fish passage due to the velocity of the water flow. If the dam is destroyed, in whole or in part, there will be no “whitewater park.” 

Mr. First’s letter is also in error when it suggests the dam area “offers little, if any access for boating, fishing, river recreation of any kind.” There is a boat ramp upstream of the dam, which is used by motorboats and kayakers to go upstream from the dam for recreational activities, notably including fishing. This ramp is also a landing point for canoeists coming from upstream. Any canoeist wishing to continue downstream, at water levels when canoeing is normally done, can easily portage around the dam and enter the water again by going around the observation deck and entering the downstream pool. Canoeists and boaters initiating a downstream trip usually enter the water at the nearby canoe rental or at a place upstream from it. 

In it’s application for grant LHDP Project #16-04, the Board admits that “Angling is also a popular form of recreation associated with this section of river…Mon/Maq lies in a transitional area of the Maquoketa River that provides good fishing opportunities for channel catfish, smallmouth bass, and walleye.” That application claimed that there would be “little change in the downstream habitat and fishery following restoration.” In other words, no improvement by removing the dam. It is a matter of common knowledge that fishing is good both upstream and downstream of the dam. At the Aug. 24, 2017 meeting, Board member Dave Tabor admitted that fishermen are one of the groups most opposed to removing the dam. 

At low water flows it is common to see people fishing or wading below the dam or on the apron. The observation deck provides an opportunity to enjoy the 440-foot waterfall created by the dam. It is truly a picture of man’s work in harmony with nature. 

The dam provides a safe and scenic recreational area. In Mr. First’s words, it already offers “recreational opportunities for all ages for all times.” It would be a grotesque waste of taxpayer’s money to remove it. 

Saving the dam is an alternative still under consideration by the Jones County Conservation Board. For further information on saving the dam, please visit the website at https://friendsmonmaqdam.com/.

Donald W. Bohlken

Indianola, Iowa