West Dam project moving ahead

Twelve years after it sprang a leak and drained, West Dam is on the fast track to being full.
The Custer City Council at its Nov. 18 meeting unanimously approved a bid from RESPEC Engineering for a that will see the dam breached, creek diverted and a storm water pollution prevention plan formed. This work, known as Task Order No. 5, is among the first steps to the complete reconstruction of West Dam, something the city has been trying to do for over a decade.
The city has already let bids for pilot channel excavation, dam breach and other associated work, the first phase of the project that, if all goes well, could see water back in the pond as early as 2026.
Trent Bruce of DGR Engineering discussed the project at the council meeting, saying he was representing an ad hoc committee formed to get the project moving forward.
Bruce said building a pilot channel, breaching the dam and installing sediment erosion control devices will help facilitate future phases of the project because it will help dry out the pond area and allow for excavation of material in a less costly and more timely manner.
That excavation is phase two of the project, with phase three being the reconstruction of the dam.
“Our goal here is to move this along as quickly as possible to allow for the dam to be reconstructed in a methodical manner,” Bruce said.
Bruce said one of the things the city and committee has been waiting for is the completion of the 60 percent plans for the project, which were recently received. Those plans are key into knowing what reconstruction of the dam would look like.
While the fear was the cost of the reconstruction of the dam would cost between $4 and $5 million, the new plans have the total of the project estimated at $3 to $3.5 million.
Also at the meeting was Steve Bareis of RESPEC Engineering, who told the council the cost estimate includes a 10 percent contingency, so it’s possible the project could cost even less.
“At this stage we can’t dial in but we feel confident about (the estimate),” he said.
Mike Tennyson, who is on the ad hoc committee working on the dam reconstruction, told the council the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPP) was not included in the scope of work RESPEC was doing because it is sometimes prepared by a contractor doing the work or others involved.
“We didn’t really have a clear idea of what that was going to entail and what we would need,” he said. “We were just working on it this afternoon and got it pretty well where we need it.”
Tennyson said funds will need to be raised to help foot the bill for the project, and to that end a fund with Black Hills Area Community Foundation was formed—the Custer Community Development Fund.
A capital campaign will soon begin and people will be asked for donations to the cause. Once there is enough money for the project phase three will begin, and the money from the fund will be given to the community to pay for the project.
Tennyson said the fund was named the Community Development Fund rather than having West Dam specifically in the name because it could also be used for other community development projects such as the Custer Community Center or phases of the Harbach Park project.
Tennyson said the Black Hills Area Community Foundation invests the money while it is waiting to be spent, and its management fees are reasonable.
“It’s a good place to park money,” he said.
Also on the construction front the council heard from Dana Foreman of DGR Engineering, who updated the council on the ongoing wastewater treatment plant renovation and improvement project.
Foreman said the Submerged Attached Growth Reactor basins are nearly complete. The east basin has all of its piping complete and rock in, with the wood chip mulch over top. The same was expected to be completed for the west basin later in the week.
Foreman said after that work is complete there would be final cleanup and some gravel work done in the area. In the blower building, work will continue into the spring on HVAC, electrical and other equipment.
“We are getting close to the end,” he said.
The spring will see a push to start everything up, he said, and to that end the council was asked for and approved a change order on the project to add pressure gauges and gate valves, which will help monitor the system as well as allow for more areas for the system to be isolated when maintenance or repairs are required.
In other news from the Nov. 18 meeting, the council:
• Approved the second reading of Ordinance No. 922, which updates the city’s ordinance regarding short term rentals. It was said at the council’s previous meeting the amended ordinance cleaned up language regarding hosted short term rentals. The amendment to the ordinance was so it met the intent of what they city council sought. In these rentals, owners of homes who live in the homes may rent out rooms in the home for short-term use.
• Approved the second reading of Ordinance No. 923, which deals with manufactured housing parks. No significant changes were made to the ordinance, which deals with any new or expanded manufactured home park.
• Approved the first reading of Ordinance 925, which puts the rules of the Custer Bark Park in ordinance format. Alderwoman Peg Ryan said the ordinance allows the sheriff to intervene if people at the dog park are not following the rules.