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John “Jack” Helin
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TAB 5
The Chieftain (Bonner Springs, KS)
September 25, 2002
Dam Repairs Put Lake in Jeopardy
Author Scott Summers
More than 20 years after a state inspection revealed potential safety hazards with the dam at
North Park in Bonner Springs, city officials are beginning the process of making the necessary
repairs. Several problems with the dam the downstream slope is too steep, erosion has occurred
in some areas, spillway pipes are in poor condition, trees are growing along the downstream
slope and some water seepage are noted in the inspection report. It remains unclear exactly
when problems with the dam were first discovered, although the most recent letter sent to the
city by officials at the Kansas Division of Water Resources said corrective measures were first
approved by the state on Sept. 15, 1982.
At that time, the city was given until Jan. 1, 1985, to complete the repairs. However, those
repairs were never made and both sides evidently lost track of the situation for several years.
"Apparently it's been going on for a long time," said City Manager John Helin, who began
working for the city about two months ago.
The city received its most recent letter from the Division of Water Resources outlining problems
with the dam about four months ago. That letter gave city officials until Aug. 1 to come up with
a plan to correct the deficiencies, develop a timeline for carrying out the plan and inform state
officials of the city's intentions. The city has submitted a tentative plan, although officials are
still working out the details.
If the repairs are not made in a timely manner no specific deadline has yet been given it is
possible state officials could order a controlled breach of the dam, which means the city would
lose its only public lake. The option of the city draining the lake, which would have eliminated
the problems with the dam altogether, was presented at the City Council's most recent meeting,
Sept. 16. However, council members did not like the idea of taking away the recreational and
environmental benefits the lake provides.
While Helin said he believes city crews could perform some of the necessary repair work, City
Engineer Bill Legge's preliminary estimates indicate the city's out-of-pocket expenses could still
be about $120,000. "The question we've got to figure out is how do we pay for it?" Helin said,
noting that the city's budget is already "tight." Repairing the dam could present the city with an
opportunity to make improvements to the one-lane road that provides access to the Fun Valley
Municipal Swimming Pool. "As long as we're going to do this, we might as well make it wide
enough for two lanes," he said.
Timing of the project is also an issue. Temporarily closing the roadway atop the dam for repairs
could mean cutting off the only access route to the swimming pool. "Obviously, we don't want to
lose the use of the pool next summer," Helin said. Depending on how critical state officials deem
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