Land Bank denies existence of a plan to remove dams under Zylstra Lake

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Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 10:05 a.m.
by Jeff Noedel

On Saturday morning, San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Executive Director Lincoln Bormann was interviewed by SanJuans.Today regarding rumors and reports alleging the county agency intends to remove dams at Zylstra Lake.

There are two dams under Zylstra Lake. The larger upper dam, which forms the main 50-acre lake, has just been improved and is considered to be in good condition. “We just put a lot of money into repairing it ensuring that it’s sound,” Bormann said.

Bormann stipulated that the smaller lower dam, which forms a smaller 3-acre lake, is in “poor condition.” He said no decisions have been made about the lower, smaller dam, and that any deliberations would be held in public, as are most of the Land Bank Commission’s meetings.

Overall, Bormann said of the rumor about imminent removal of the dams, “This has really been blown completely out of proportion, frankly.”

Removing dams, he said, “is not even on the radar for the Land Bank Commission at this time. Anybody who has been out there knows this is really not a viable idea. This is not going to happen.”