In Fall of 2018, Rice County was hit with a severe storm system including multiple reported tornadoes. The storm resulted in substantial damage countywide including storm debris deposited in Roberds Lake. The 2019 legislative session resulted in funding provided from the state to remove the storm deposited material. The funding did not become available until July 2019, unfortunately making it too late in the 2019 season to retrieve items in a safe manner due to water clarity.
Using sonar technology, the bottom of the lake has been surveyed to locate the items for removal. Rice County has contracted with R&R Search and Recovery to remove storm related debris from Roberds Lake. The removal will commence on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 and continue for several days. Due to the short window of time to conduct the debris removal in a safe manner due to water clarity, this work is deemed an essential service to be conducted this spring.
We ask nearby residents and the public to respect social distancing guidelines and allow the contractor to perform the necessary work unimpeded. As we are in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic right now we would like to stress the need to for the public to refrain from approaching the areas and workers as the contractor completes the necessary work.
If there are any questions or concerns, please contact Rice County at 507-332-6113 or send an email to rcplanningzoning@co.rice.mn.us.
