Lake Delhi Dam Reconstruction

Lake Delhi is a seven-mile long reservoir on the Maquoketa River in eastern Iowa, formed by a 500 foot long dam that was breached during the flood event of July 23–24, 2010. This paper describes the dam's reconstruction, which was split into two phases to accommodate the timeline of the design and permitting process. Phase I work included repair and selective reconstruction of the existing gated spillway and powerhouse. Phase II included reconstruction of the eroded southern embankment and construction of a new 200 foot wide labyrinth weir spillway to provide additional hydraulic capacity.

The impact of the Lake Delhi Dam Reconstruction project on the Delhi area is remarkable. New homes and remodeled properties around the lake created construction jobs to feed the local economy. In the towns of Delhi and Manchester the positive impact on businesses such as restaurants, retail, marinas, and lumberyards is clear. The Lake Delhi Dam Reconstruction Project did more than restore a pool; it restored a community.