The Hydroelectric Dam in Fort Dodge hasn’t generated a spark of electricity since the early 1970s. but it’s still managed to get a lot of attention since then.

The latest development occurred last month at a time when city officials thought they were on track to remove the Hydroelectric Dam and the so-called Little Dam farther downstream. The City Council was set to award a contract for the removal of both dams on Dec. 10. But at about 4:30 p.m. that day a representative of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers called a consulting engineer for the city and said the permit for the removal of the dams would not be issued because the State Historic Preservation Office had concerns about the project. Since then, city officials have met with the Army Corps of Engineers and the historic preservation office to try to reach a resolution.

The dam was built in 1918. It was shut down in 1971.

The city tried to sell the dam in 1981, but didn’t get any buyers.

In 1982, a company that did business under the names Page Hydro Power Systems, Iowa Hydropower Development Co. and FORIA Hydro Corp. introduced a plan to restart it. Variations of that proposal were discussed until 1995.

In 2003, a new plan to restart the dam was introduced by Fort Dodge Hydroelectric Development Corp. In 2005, the city’s voters approved a $7 million bond issue to pay for restoring the dam. The bonds were never issued and in 2006, a study showed the company’s plans weren’t feasible.