Page 16 - BuildingJob inIowa

to apply to a different federal funding agency. Whatever the cubic feet per second capacity of the original design.49 The
reason, the dam was approved for $6,880 in WPA (rather dam’s local promoters countered by requesting a smaller
than PWA) funding on October 18, 1935.45 But the dam was dam costing $20,000, pleading that it would not otherwise
still not built. In July 1936, Frederika residents decided to be possible to make up the difference locally between the
repair the dam themselves “[w]ithout waiting for a federal amount granted by the state and federal governments and
grant to build a new dam.” Although it is not clear why this the total cost.50 But the Corps evidently rejected the coun-
happened, the WPA grant was eventually withdrawn and the terproposal, and plans for the dam were again stalled.
project rescinded in February 1937.46
Finally, in March 1940, the town of Frederika decided to fore-
The movement to build a new dam began to gain renewed go federal funding and requested bids on a smaller dam. The
momentum in May 1938, when the Wapsie Fish and Game low bid was $15,000, but with further plan revisions, this
Club expressed an interest in acquiring WPA funds to re- was ultimately reduced to $10,000. Of this amount, $8,500
build the dam. State engineers were later sent to inspect the would come from the state and $1,500 from a local bond is-
site, and in September 1938, Governor Nelson G. Kraschel sue. The bond issue was approved unanimously on May 29.
promised that the state would “finance the larger portion” of In June 1940, five years after a new dam was originally pro-
the dam and adjacent park improvement.47 The WPA was re- posed, construction was finally started. The dam was built
ported to have made a grant of $3,000 towards this project by Welden Bros. of Iowa Falls, and was completed by the end
shortly afterwards, and again the construction of the dam of August. It was 135 feet long, and was located just down-
seemed assured.48 stream from the old dam. It was 2½ feet wide at the top and
13 feet wide at the base. Wing walls at each end of the dam
But again problems arose. The most significant problem was extended both upstream and downstream from the dam, and
that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers declined to accept the rose four feet above the crest of the dam. The construction
proposed design of the dam approved by the WPA engineers. material, most likely some combination of concrete and rock,
The Corps wanted a much larger dam, capable of handling was never identified in newspaper articles.51
24,000 cubic feet of water per second, rather than the 7,500

Photograph of Frederika Dam, 2010 (from USFWS).
14 University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist