SLAYTON — The Murray County Board heard a request for support from the newly-formed Lake Shetek Lake Association ad hoc committee at its Tuesday meeting.

After the flooding around the Lake Shetek area this summer, nearby property owners are concerned about the dangers of flooding again in the future and had an idea to build some dams to slow it down.

“Flooding cut off campers, including kids,” committee spokesman Lars Johansson told the board. “The only vehicles allowed to cross the flood waters were military vehicles. What if something happened to the campers? Now, it’s on record. If you don’t do something now, you will be liable. You may need a helicopter pad or there won’t be anyplace for it to land.”

Johansson and three other members of the Shetek Lake Association ad hoc committee had come to solicit the board’s support in erecting dams around the lake.

“I hope we can work together,” Johanson said. “We want to be on the same page.”

Johansson submitted a handout of photos to the commissioners and the audience that showed land near the lake and of some properties with road construction dams that helped control flooding in other areas of the country.

“There have been studies done to show up to 15 percent reduction of flooding with these road construction dams,” he said. “We don’t want to build something that would cost a lot of money without grants and so forth.”

Johansson suggested checking with Lyon County about a dam it recently built.

“As property owners, we want to get out there and show support of people who use the area,” he said. “There has been a study done on a Swedish lake over several years where the water levels were measured. It used to be 20 feet deep, now it is only 10-11 feet deep. Sediment is bringing up the lake bed. That lake is not fit to swim in.”

Johansson said lakes need to be dredged, but equipment is expensive.

“This county has a strong legal representation,” Johansson said. “Even townships have very serious rights. You can do more than you’re doing. Instead, we’re going out to fight the farmers, which we shouldn’t have to do.”

With Federal Emergency Management Agency grants, Johansson figured it wouldn’t cost anything to get something done.

“Are you working with the different watersheds?” Commissioner Lori Gunnink asked.

“We will work with anyone,” Johansson said. “The golf course, or Tracy, Slayton, Currie.” They all need help, too, he said.

Commissioner Glenn Kluis asked if the lake association committee had talked to the water and soil conservation district.

“We’re just getting started,” lake association committee member Jamie Thomazin said. “They met a couple of weeks ago.”

“Only one hand didn’t go up (in support),” Johansson said. “He was from Windom, but he was concerned about the amount of water we pushed toward him.”

The Lake Shetek property owners want to do this as inexpensively and efficiently as we can, Johansson said.

“We want to hold the water up so that it doesn’t try to pass through too fast and cause flooding again,” he said.

Board members said the Department of Natural Resources would be the best entity to contact.