The first phase of construction to repair the damaged levee at the Oktibbeha County lake finished over three months ahead of schedule, after crews worked quickly through dry weather conditions to fix sections of the structure on the multi-phase project.
County supervisors approved bids on the first work orders in August, all of which came back under budget. Through a federal grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the board was able to secure nearly 80 percent of the $690,000 needed for the project's initial round of work.
As part of the grant agreement, the county paid $120,000 of the total to repair sections of the levee near the roadway. A portion of the 800-foot structure threatened to cause a failure at the roadway.
"If we did not fix that, it would've washed out the road," said District 4 Supervisor Bricklee Miller.
The three remaining phases to fix the north end of the levee will replace the metal stem of the slide gate valve on the lake riser. The gate controls water levels in the lake, and the valve will cost $6,000 to replace.
Around three feet of water will be placed back into the lake for wildlife in the area, county engineering staff confirmed, but the lake cannot be filled any higher since the project remains ongoing.
Following the stem and valve replacement, supervisors must broach mending the spillway and determine how to handle water seepage issues. The emergency spillway will be dug up and replaced. All seepage issues would be resolved soon after.
The remaining work items are not included in the county's fiscal budget for this year, and will need to be satisfied through similar grant awards, matched in part with county funds. County engineering staff will present a project update and future cost estimate at the upcoming Nov. 21 meeting. All additional repairs to fix the north end of the levee sit at around $4 million.
Repairs to the levee come amid past discussions of possibly acquiring the lake's Wet N' Wild water park, while assuming the lease of the lake. The board stopped short of acquiring the lease last month, but approved a costa analysis assessment to retain as much information as possible of the lake's financial history ahead of an acquisition vote.
District 1 Supervisor John Montgomery and Miller voted against the assessment last month. District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard and District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer supported acquiring the lake to provide the county with more recreational options, and District 5 Supervisor Joe Williams said he wanted more information about the lake before making a decision on the possible acquisition.
For more, see the Nov. 18 edition.