MARSHALL — Repairs are planned for a small dam in Island Lake Township, which would help slow down stormwater flow and erosion, county staff said Tuesday. Lyon County will be helping with some of the project costs, using up to $13,000 of buffer enforcement funding.

County commissioners heard the funding request at their regular board meeting. Lyon County Soil and Water Conservation District Administrator John Biren said Area II Minnesota River Basin Projects was planning to do repairs on a dam in Section 27 of Island Lake Township. The dam is located about five miles west of Lynd.

Biren said Area II plans to replace the existing culvert in the dam, raise the top of the dam about six feet, and build a 40-foot emergency spillway. The repairs would reduce the peak outflow of the dam, and help prevent erosion, he said.

According to data from Area II, the updated dam would have an average of 5.5 acre-feet of stormwater storage per year.

“Hopefully we can get this built this year,” Biren told commissioners.

The total estimated cost of the repair project is about $81,500. Biren said Area II was seeking buffer enforcement funding from Lyon County, to help with cost sharing in the project. Lyon County cost sharing would make up 15% of project costs, with landowners paying 10%, as well as operations and maintenance costs, Biren said Tuesday. State appropriations for Area II would cover 75% of project costs.

Commissioners voted to approve buffer enforcement funding, not to exceed $13,000, for the project.