Bids Taken On Lake Spillway

County officials hope to have the spillway in the Hayden Lake dike a permanent fixture before spring.

The commissioners took bids this week on the job to turn the temporary spillway into a concrete spillway. The 50-foot-wide spillway was hastily constructed last March when disaster officials feared that the heavy snowpack would overwhelm the lake and flood surrounding homes.

The spillway released water into a field behind the dike, where the county dug a hole to help the water drain into the aquifer.

The cost of the work will be offset by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The commissioners put the job out to bid twice. The first time, the county specified that the work must be done in 30 days, and they received only one bid.

This time they also had a 60-day option, and received four bids. The bid should be awarded next week.

, DataTimes