Ames Construction modifies dam structure ahead of spring construction

By Editor | March 7, 2025 |

By Anna Jauhola
As winter drones on, some work has been done at the Lake Bronson Dam site on the warmer days. During the week of Feb. 3-7, semi-loads of large chunks of concrete were seen traveling through the town of Lake Bronson, spurring many questions.
“The contractor (Ames Construction) modified the existing structure to prepare for spring and allow for work to begin/continue in late winter through the spring,” said Sara Berhow, public relations supervisor for Minnesota Parks and Trails Division, in an email.
Ames Construction of Burnsville, Minn., was officially awarded the Lake Bronson Dam Reconstruction project bid on Tuesday, Aug. 6. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources began the drawdown of Lake Bronson in mid-September.
Berhow said the concrete pieces residents saw being shipped through town were removed to make sure water doesn’t go back into the lake during construction.
For now, the dam site will remain quiet, she added. Ames will not do more work while the weather remains cold, and they plan to restart construction in mid-March.
Just as a reminder, Lake Bronson State Park remains open and will remain open throughout dam reconstruction. Although Lakeside Campground and its Extension will be closed during construction, Two Rivers Campground will be open for campers. There are 96 campsites available in its three loops.
Plans to replace the Lake Bronson Dam have been in the works for more than 10 years. The 2020 bonding bill provided $20 million to move the project forward. In 2023, the DNR secured another $4 million to further fund the project. That same year, Kittson County received a $2 million grant from the State Park Road Account to build the bridge and road above the new dam as the county owns those structures.
Ames Construction bid $28,492,398.28 for the project. The engineers estimated it would cost $25,665,478.
To cover the rest of the funds needed, the DNR secured money from its own Natural Resource Asset Preservation Funds.