white river

Officials from the engineering firm Ayres Associates Inc. are offering to craft detailed ideas for park improvements that would be possible if the city chooses to dismantle a deteriorated dam at Echo Lake and drain the manmade waterway.

Ayres is proposing a “Dam Removal Park Master Plan,” partly to help Burlington voters make informed decisions in a possible citywide referendum in November on the question of removing or maintaining Echo Lake.

The report due in June also would discuss ideas that involve preserving the lake, although some Burlington aldermen are balking at the idea of investing in park amenities on top of an estimated $5 million needed to salvage the onetime mill pond.

With costs projected as low as about $1 million to drain the lake, such an undertaking would give the city more flexibility to build new attractions such as boardwalks around a restored White River.

Adam Schneider, an engineer with Ayres Associates, told aldermen Tuesday most cities that drain aging lakes simply let a river or stream resume flowing naturally, rather than attempt to create a new public recreation site.

“This is a pretty unique opportunity to do something with the space after the dam is removed,” Schneider said.

In an earlier report on Echo Lake options, the consulting firm discussed such amenities as a pedestrian bridge, boardwalks and fishing docks.

Burlington Park Board members, who have endorsed draining Echo Lake, also discussed soccer fields, hiking trails and a disc golf course among improvements that could be considered in place of the former lake.

Burlington City Council members are scheduled March 15 to decide on ordering the new park master plan from Ayres Associates. The study would cost $64,000.

Some aldermen made clear Tuesday that they want to consider options not only for draining Echo Lake but also for salvaging and restoring the historic former mill pond.

Of the potential new study, Alderman Jon Schultz said: “The end result should be two very solid options.”

Aldermen expect to decide by August whether to put the Echo Lake issue up for a November advisory referendum, allowing Burlington voters to offer their own recommendations on whether the lake should be maintained or removed.

State regulators have determined that the city-owned dam at Echo Lake no longer meets state safety standards. As a result, the dam either must be expanded and upgraded or it must be taken down.

The former mill pond was created in the 1800s. It remains popular with wedding parties and other groups at the adjacent Veterans Terrace event center. But the 70-acre impoundment also has become neglected and polluted in recent years, with water depths reduced to an average two feet.

Ayres Associates has calculated that saving Echo Lake would cost more than $5 million to modify the dam and dredge the lake bottom. City officials say borrowing $5 million to maintain the lake would increase property taxes for the average homeowner by $68 a year over 20 years, or a total of $1,368.

Removing the dam and draining the lake would cost less, with estimates ranging from $1.1 million to $2 million. Borrowing $1.5 million to remove the lake would cost the average homeowner $20 a year, or a total of $409.

Any recreational amenities added to the site would require an additional expense to be decided by the city separately.

Some aldermen said Tuesday they would be hard-pressed to justify spending more on park improvements if the city ends up investing more than $5 million to save the lake through dam upgrades and dredging.

Referring to the $5 million estimate, Alderman Tom Preusker said: “We want to be careful if we start exceeding that.”

Alderman Shad Branen said the city could afford more recreational features if the dam is removed for the estimated $1.1 million to $2 million, leaving more dollars available for secondary improvements.

If the city spends $5 million on rebuilding the dam and dredging, then wants to provide new park features, Branen said: “The price tag just continues to increase.”