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Riverfront homeowners warn dike repair could flood residences, ask why they weren’t notified
Summary
Several homeowners on the east side of the Big Sioux River said reconstructing the dike could raise water levels on their properties, urged more study on offsite impacts, and asked why they had not been notified about the proposal.
Multiple homeowners and residents told the Drainage Board they are concerned that reconstructing a dike to shift flow back to the main channel could increase water levels along the river’s east side and threaten roughly 20 homes. DJ Reker warned the plan would "raise it where everyone’s houses are located" and said he was not notified about the proposal; Craig Wadsworth and Brandon Bak echoed concerns about threats to family properties and unanswered questions.
Sean Lesnar told the board he has lived on the east side for 26 years and said the flooding problem is not solely a dike issue, attributing effects to drain tiles and city development and stating "reconstructing the dike is not going to work." Residents repeatedly asked whether channel cleaning or other measures would be required to prevent harming homeowners if flow is restored to the main channel. The board acknowledged these concerns and committed to additional meetings and feasibility work before any decision.
