Construction on new LaPrele Dam to begin March 9

DOUGLAS (WNE) — Construction on a new LaPrele Dam will begin March 9 but will be a multi-year endeavor, the Converse County commissioners were told last week. 

During their Jan. 20 meeting, the commissioners received updates on several major projects in the works, including the LaPrele Dam. 

Work on the new dam is scheduled to begin in about six weeks, but the first year will primarily be setting up the staging area and transporting materials. 

Some “infrastructure modifications” on Ayres Natural Bridge Road will need to occur first. 

The road leads up to the staging area for the equipment and materials, but the road was not originally built with heavy equipment in mind, project engineers told the commission. 

The project includes setting up additional signage to help keep nonconstruction travelers safe as the heavy construction traffic is brought in and out of the narrow, two-lane county road. 

The new dam will replace the now-demolished 115-year-old dam that had developed serious cracks and was posing a threat of collapse and flooding downstream homes and the iconic Ayres Natural Bridge Park. The old dam was torn down last March, and the rest of the year was used for planning its replacement. 

The new, $187 million LaPrele Dam, set to be built downstream of the original site, is fully funded. The project is covered through a combination of state and federal funding. 

This story was published on Jan. 28, 2026.