Safety a Strong Concern with Dams in Muskingum River Basin
The dams in the Muskingum River Watershed are fighting a battle against age, wear and tear. And presently, they are losing the battle.
After nearly seven decades of service, safety issues have developed with several of the dams in the flood-reduction system in the Muskingum River Watershed. The federal government is well aware of this concern and is actively preparing plans to address the need at an estimated cost of between $510 million to $680 million to prevent progressive deterioration of the structures that could lead to failure and potential fatalities, injuries and property damage.
Four of the dams and one levee in the system of reservoirs and dams constructed in the 1930s for flood reduction and water conservation in the Muskingum River Basin of eastern Ohio have been classified as “Urgent” by the federal government. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), which owns and operates the dams in the system, reports that Beach City, Bolivar, Dover and Mohawk dams, along with Zoar levee, have a dam safety classification of “Urgent,” which is the second highest classification in the dam safety rating system.
Dams in the “Urgent” category are a high federal priority for corrective and maintenance repairs since they have a moderate level of uncertainty and failure of the dams could be triggered by flooding and/or earthquakes. Dam failures can lead to fatalities, injuries and property damage.
Only dams in the “Urgent and Compelling” category have a higher safety concern since they already are “progressively deteriorating under normal conditions,” according to the federal government.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is committed to repairing the dam safety deficiencies at Dover, Bolivar, Mohawk and Beach City in an expeditious manner along with our long-standing non-federal sponsor, the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District,” said Col. Dana Hurst, district engineer and commander of the Huntington (W.Va.) District of the USACE, which oversees the projects in the MWCD region. Col. Hurst also recently provided information about the condition of the dams during a hearing before the Economic Development and Environment Committee of the Ohio House of Representatives.
In the Muskingum River Watershed flood-reduction system, the USACE operates the dams, and the regional MWCD manages the reservoirs behind the dams. The reservoirs, some of which have permanent pools of water (lakes) for water conservation and recreation programs, hold floodwaters temporarily for safe release downstream during flooding conditions.
According to U.S. law, the federal government pays the bulk of the costs associated with the repair and maintenance work for the dams. These projects also require the financial assistance of a non-federal local entity. In the case of dam repairs and maintenance in the Muskingum River Watershed, the MWCD has committed to serve as the non-federal local sponsor. The estimated cost of the non-federal local share of these projects to be paid by MWCD is between $95 million and $135 million.
“The MWCD has committed to the USACE that it will be responsible for the local share of the dam safety assurance projects for the dams in the Muskingum River Watershed,” said John M. Hoopingarner, MWCD executive director/secretary. “Given the benefits at risk, it is impossible to overstate the importance of this initiative.
“These major repairs to the structures in the Muskingum River Watershed are critical to the health, welfare and safety of everyone in the watershed.”
Ownership of the dams in the Muskingum River Watershed, originally constructed for flood reduction and water conservation, was transferred by the MWCD to the USACE through the federal Flood Control Act of 1939. The MWCD was organized in 1933 to develop a plan for flood reduction and water conservation in the region, and to work cooperatively with local, state and federal governments to construct, operate and maintain the system.
MWCD has proposed an assessment of property owners in the 18-county MWCD region as authorized by Ohio law to fund its portion of the repairs and maintenance for the dams, as well as related projects that would lead to improved performance of the system of reservoirs and dams. The MWCD, which has never levied an assessment in its 74-year history, estimates the proposed assessment and projects will begin as early as 2008. According to the MWCD, 94 percent of the nearly 500,000 parcels of property to be billed under the assessment would be for $12 per year, and 96 percent would be for less than $50 annually.
Fourteen dams and reservoirs were constructed by the USACE in a partnership with the MWCD in the 1930s. Two other dams and reservoirs – Dillon in 1959 and North Branch Kokosing in 1972 – were constructed later.
Since the construction of the system, billions of dollars in potential property damage has been spared from flooding as a result of the operation of the 16 flood-reduction dams in the Muskingum River Watershed, according to the USACE.
Nationwide, the USACE recently began lowering the water level at Lake Cumberland in Tennessee as a result of similar concerns over the condition of Wolf Creek Dam on the lake. The USACE will spend an estimated $300 million to repair the dam. During a nationwide evaluation of USACE dams, the federal government determined six dams were actively failing and 26 others (including the four dams and one levee in the Muskingum River Watershed) require immediate attention before they reach the next risk level.
For more information about the MWCD, visit www.mwcd.org.
