Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – Bucks Mill dam is one step closer to being removed from the Pelican River just south of Detroit Lakes.
The Becker County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase and installation of an $18,125 property line fence to be constructed as part of a sale agreement with the nearby property owners.
Once the sale is complete, a 570-foot-long, and 6-foot high, chain link fence will be erected on the seller’s property in an effort to prevent trespassing.
During the meeting, Barry Nelson, chair of the Becker County Board, said the current project design won’t raise, or lower, the water table in the surrounding area.
“They are going to place stones specifically engineered to only allow the same amount of water flow that the dam allows,” Nelson said. “So, it’s not going to lower, or raise, any water tables as it currently sits.”
After the fence is installed, Minnesota DNR officials will begin to make preparations to remove the dam and reroute the Pelican River into its original waterway, which was changed when the original dam was constructed in the late 1800s.
Commissioners said they expect the Minnesota DNR to present their removal plan to the board in coming months as the sale and fence construction move forward.
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