The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has identified “serious problems” and a “significant risk to the public” at Ohio’s Buckeye Lake Dam, according to a report released this week.
The study, available online here, is the result of a year-long study and makes recommendations “for immediate and longer-term steps that should be taken to prevent the unacceptable consequences of a catastrophic failure”.
The dam is a 4.1-miles-long, earthen embankment structure completed in 1832 that is located in portions of Licking and Fairfield counties. The structure impounds more than 4.5 billion gallons of water at its principal spillway level, potentially threatening about 3,000 people and 2,100 homes in the projected failure inundation zone that stretches more than two miles downstream.
The Corps study shows Buckeye Lake Dam’s integrity has been significantly compromised — most likely as a result of man-made defects. According to USACE, more than 370 homes and other structures have been sunk into the dam’s embankment, while other portions have been dug away to accommodate pools, patios, utilities and drainage structures.
“All of this has weakened the dam and undermined its stability, increasing the likelihood that it will no longer be strong enough hold back the weight of the water behind it,” the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said in a release.
The impacts have been observable, ODNR said, with “significant” seepage, subsidence, persistent wet areas and structural deterioration becoming larger concerns.
The Corps recommended several immediate steps to reduce the risk of dam failure, including:
- Maintaining a lower “winter pool” water level to reduce stress on the dam and provide more storage space in times of excessive rainfall;
- Prohibiting additional structures from being built on the dam to prevent further erosion; and
- Increasing disaster preparedness measures, including the stockpiling of sandbags and fill material, as well as emergency response planning and exercises.
ODNR said the “safest solution for eliminating the risk of flooding” is to “drain the lake permanently”, though the agency is also considering replacing the dam with a new structure that meets current safety standards.
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