Kimball Bottoms Repairs Delayed | Video

Joel Porter | 5/7/2012

Signs of life are returning to the Kimball Bottoms area south of Bismarck. Boats have access to the water, however, the entire area is in drastic need of repair.

"Demands on these facilities are just going to increase," Burleigh County auditor Kevin Glatt said.

"The only other thing we can do is sit on it as is, and just let people use it. Because it`s just going to get ridiculously expensive to try to haul riprap and make those repairs that are needed," county commissioner Jim Peluso said.

The Army Corps of Engineers owns the land but leases it to the county. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department was in charge of repairs on the area, including shoring up the parking lot which was undercut by floodwater.

"Lo and behold, when the cost came back at this point in time, Game and Fish has terminated the contract, and there is no plans at this point in time to move forward with repair at that area," Michael Gunsch said. Gunsch works for Houston Engineering, the firm formerly tasked with designing repairs on site.

County leaders say its doubtful they`d have the money to clean up and repair the recreation spot. With no FEMA reimbursement on the horizon, they say user fees are a possibility.

"I think we need to go into this under the auspices that whatever improvements, repairs, enhancemants are made down there will be made at 100 percent county cost at this point," Glatt said.

County engineer Marcus Hall plans to continue seeking repair estimates in hopes of finding a solution the county and taxpayers can afford.

Commissioners approved bids to clean up the Kniefel Landing near Misty Waters Marina north of Bismarck. They awarded the contract to Bohlman Trenching of Thompson, North Dakota. Work is expected to begin sometime in June. That ramp is also usable in the meantime.

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