Government Market News StaffThe city of Rochester, Minnesota, will spend $13.3 million to modify the Silver Lake dam, dredge the lake, build a pedestrian bridge and extend trail connections. A designer was recently hired for the project, and bids for construction will open after the design is completed in 2026.
It has been 30 years since Silver Lake was last dredged. As part of the project, the city will remove approximately 200,000 cubic yards of material from the lakebed and deposit it in a containment cell reservoir 8 miles west of Rochester. Dredging the lake will enable the city to manage the effectiveness of the dam’s flood-control system and maintain the channel’s hydraulic profile.
Removing sediment from the lake will improve flow effectiveness while increasing lake capacity during normal and flood conditions. The city will be able to reuse the sediment while simultaneously enhancing recreation opportunities, water quality and wildlife habitat around the lake.
The city will also make modifications to the dam to improve safety and reduce costs. The dam’s current state requires costly maintenance and ongoing repairs, prevents the construction of a pedestrian underpass, blocks aquatic wildlife movement and presents a drowning hazard. The goal of the modification project is to return the dam to a more natural pathway by removing traditional dams.
The city will start by building a rock fill control structure dam to create a separate channel for fish and aquatic habitat. This will also create a 750-foot series of cascading pools, providing recreational opportunities for residents. Because the dam will feature non-mechanical structures to maintain flood elevations, the project will significantly reduce associated maintenance costs. Finally, the modifications will reduce the risk of dam failure and remove drowning hazards.
The project will build a dedicated 12-foot-wide pedestrian bridge to provide residents with adequate pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Currently pedestrians are relegated to a narrow stretch of sidewalks that is suboptimal for shared-use and is too close to vehicular traffic. The bridge, in addition to a separate pedestrian underpass, will ensure pedestrians and cyclists will have safe access to the lake’s trail network.
The city of Rochester is located 87.5 miles southeast of Minneapolis.
Photo by Wikideas1
