MANKATO, Minn. — On Tuesday, the Blue Earth County Board of Commissioners voted to remove and replace a road and dam near Mankato.
The Rapidan Dam on the Blue Earth River was overrun with water and the flooded river eroded the banks, cutting a new channel around the dam on June 24, 2024. Homes and businesses across the region were damaged when heavy rains soaked large portions of Minnesota.
At a meeting on Aug. 27, the County Board approved the following resolution:
- Removal and replacement of the County Road 9 bridge, with funding from the Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief accounts and MnDOT disaster assistance accounts
- Work with FEMA on alternate or alternative procedures projects, including removal of the Rapidan Dam
- Restore the Blue Earth River in a channel established post-dam removal with the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, also seeking federal and state assistance funding
Since June 24, county staff have been working with federal and state partners regarding the dam and the bridge over it. A timeline for removal and needed repairs has not been released by officials at this time.
The Rapidan Dam was first built in 1910 to provide hydroelectric power to the region.
There are two FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers operating in the area for those in need of assistance. One is located in Mankato and the other is in nearby Waterville.
More information about the severe weather and floods that affected Minnesota this summer is available here.
