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Commission extends Elm Creek dam grant and approves safety inspection
Summary
The board agreed to renew a prior KDWP grant of up to $40,000 for Elm Creek dam renovations, authorized an engineering safety inspection (estimated $3,000) and signaled interest in pursuing a second-phase grant if needed.
The Bourbon County Board of Commissioners voted to renew an existing Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) grant related to renovation of Elm Creek Lake’s dam and authorized a safety inspection by an engineer recommended by staff.
Don George, district fisheries biologist for KDWP, told commissioners that KDWP had originally offered up to $40,000 for dam repair work and asked the county to renew the grant so invoicing could continue into the next fiscal year if work remains unfinished. George said extension requests are common when projects are being actively worked on.
Commissioners and county staff discussed the project’s scope, rising cost estimates since the original 2021 work plan and the risk of draining the lake before an affordable repair plan is in place. County engineer Frank Young (AG Engineering) recommended a full safety inspection to document leaks, valve condition and other issues; Young’s estimate, cited in the meeting, is about $3,000 and he is approximately 60 days out for scheduling.
Commissioners approved a motion to renew the existing KDWP grant and to fund the safety inspection. They also discussed pursuing a second-phase grant (another KDWP award up to $40,000) and other funding sources — including donor, city or transient guest tax funding and potential volunteer or National Guard engineering assistance — but said larger repair funding would need a detailed engineer’s report and formal cost‑share plan.
KDWP reiterated that state reimbursement would be issued after project invoices are submitted and that the original grant covered specified repair areas, not every leak discovered on inspection. Commissioners directed staff to secure the inspection and to return recommended next steps and cost estimates to the commission.
