Aging dams pose risk for state

Structural repairs estimated to cost  $573 million.

The aging Acton Lake dam at Hueston Woods State Park lake will require a major rehabilitation that will cost the state an estimated $5 million.

WHIO TV The aging Acton Lake dam at Hueston Woods State Park lake will require a major rehabilitation that will cost the state an estimated $5 million.

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By Jim Otte, Staff Writer Updated 9:44 PM Friday, August 26, 2011

COLLEGE CORNER — The aging Acton Lake dam at Hueston Woods State Park will require a major rehabilitation that will cost the state an estimated $5 million.

Dave Mohr, chief engineer for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said the dam is considered safe, but facing problems that cannot be ignored.

“The dam was built back in the 1950s and it has gotten to the point where portions of it are wearing out,” Mohr said.

The state has hired engineering consultants, DLZ Ohio, Inc. to study the 1,092-foot long, 62-foot high dam in order to quantify problems and identify possible solutions.

The consultant’s work, already approved by a state legislative panel, will cost $464,460.

In its contract the parks system directs the consultants to investigate a long list of problems and conditions including seepage below the dam and the embankment and foundation stability.

Given its size and location, the dam at Hueston Woods is classified as a “high hazard” dam, meaning if it were to fail is would result in loss of life and extensive property damage downstream.

Consulting engineers have already taken readings on water pressure below the dam from test wells.

Possible methods of repair include additional layers of rock and soil to be placed on the dam or construction of a new concrete wall at the top of the dam.

Mohr said the rehabilitation plan would depend on what the consultants recommend.

It is likely that much of the work will focus on the lake’s spillway, which has visible signs of erosion and cracking of concrete walls.

Mohr admits the $5 million price tag is a lot of money, but adds safety is a factor.

“Any dam rehabilitation and repair project has a safety component to just because of the type of structure it is,” Mohr said.

Project backlog growing

The project is among many in the state parks system that have been needed, but lacked funding.

According to Mohr, the backlog statewide is $573 million.

Hueston Woods is not the only park with a dam that is out of compliance with current state standards.

The west embankment of Grand Lake St. Marys, and dams at Indian Lake and Lake Loramie also made the list.

It is symptomatic of a larger problem nationwide that has seen the number of deficient dams on the rise.

The American Society of Civil Engineers reports the number of deficient dams across the country is now at 4,095. The same group said 1,743 “high hazard” dams are deficient and in need of repair.

Fixing those dams will require a major infusion of cash into the nation’s infrastructure. The Association of State Dam Officials estimated the cost at $50 billion.

Support for action

Sitting on his sailboat at Acton Lake, Martin Griffis of Germantown said he was unaware of the problems with the dam. He said just two years ago the state built new docks for sailboats at the marina. He supports the $5 million project to repair the dam.

“The dam is 50 years old and it is going to take some maintenance. I do not think that is out of the ballpark,” Griffis said.

Matt Appenzeller, executive director of the Preble County Chamber of Commerce, also voiced support for the project.

With 2.7 million visitors a year to the park, Appenseller said the Preble County economy depends on the park year-round.

“It is not unlike any other situation with infrastructure that a lot of cities and towns across the nation are going through you can pay me now or pay me later and if you wait to do that it is going to be a lot more expensive by waiting,” Appenseller said.

While other repair projects in Ohio wait for funding, the work at Hueston Woods has risen high enough on the priority list that money will be made available, according to the state.

Rehabilitation work on the dam and spillway could begin within the next two years.

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