Developing a vision for historic Flandreau Dam area

Improvements to the area around the historic Flandreau Dam have been discussed literally for generations, but few real changes have ever been made to the picturesque fishing and gathering spot.
That may be about to change.
A small working committee is in the process of being formed after this past week’s City Council meeting in Flandreau. The new City Administrator, now two years into his role in Flandreau, put the item on last week’s agenda for discussion.
Cole Turnquist told the small crowd gathered that he has heard people talk about their desire to see the area improved. He knows it is a destination and could serve the community much better than it already does. He wanted more community input as to what is the best for the future of that area and a vision for the dam.
“In the two short years that I’ve served in this role, I’ve heard several different ideas for development of that area; however at this time, I don’t feel I have an encompassing idea of what the community’s vision is for that area,” he said.
“I sit here today with no real agenda, hoping everyone can discuss the area surrounding the dam and the dam itself.”

The old Flandreau Mill Dam was constructed in 1881. It served as a flour mill for only a few years.
It was transferred to the City sometime around 1920, Turnquist said, and since then there has been little transition.
Meetings have been held to talk about possibilities and between 2009 and 2021, studies were done to look at alternatives to the dam itself over safety concerns. But the dam stands strong along with the decision to keep it.
What other improvements can be made to make the area a safe and inviting destination is where the conversation lies.
Included in the talks are the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, as FSST will be the one to most likely put in a replacement bridge over the area in the near future. The Army Corps of Engineers, Game, Fish and Parks, the East Dakota Water Development District, and the U.S. Wildlife Service also have a say in what happens, so it’s not a simple conversation.
But it appears a discussion the community is ready to return to.
Turnquist wants Flandreau to define a dream for the area.
“It’s a goldmine,” said Roger Janssen, who lives just above the dam. In the days before the meeting, he counted 57 vehicles visiting the south side of the river one day and 49 the next.
“People are drawn to water and it is a good fishing spot. People are there all the time. I’m tickled pink that we are talking about this, thank you.”
Primary and initial improvements could include the clean-up of debris, removal of strategic downed trees, increased signage promoting safety, the installation of safety equipment such as a railing and other barriers around actual dam itself, more routine mowing and spraying, and the development of recreational areas.
That is the short list for “attainable outcomes and goals for the area, a springboard for future action,” said Turnquist.