The Lake Delhi dam in Delaware County gave way under the pressure of the rapidly rising Maquoketa River, decimating what had been a nine-mile-long lake. I posted the video below.
Thousands of acres of cropland inundated when the Lake Delhi dam burst may be difficult to harvest -- even if some of the crops survive. While some of the crops may recover, much of the pasture will be lost for the season because it will be too covered with silt and mud.
The water on the west side of the dam, which was a quarter-mile wide last week, spanned 100 feet on Monday. The water dropped a foot in four hours.
Here's the youtube video of the dam break in Iowa.
The dam is owned by the Lake Delhi Recreation Association and the group's director Jim Willey says it is committed to rebuilding the dam and restoring the lake.