The 1,100-foot long, 62-foot high dam of dirt, clay and rock, was built in 1956 and for years has shown its age. Seepage, which is common to earthen dams, has been excessive at Acton Lake, according to ODNR spokesman John Wisse.
He said water from the lake works its way under the dam, comes out on the back side and is channeled away from the area. The ODNR website indicates that the dam “has displayed visual signs of underseepage since construction in 1956.”
“It is need of repair — not emergency repair like it needs to be done next week, but it is a high-hazard dam and the condition is not rated very good,” said Wisse.
High-hazard dams are given that official designation to describe what would happen if they failed, leading to severe property damage and probable loss of life.
For the past several years, the state has studied the problems at Hueston Woods before coming up with a plan for remediation. Still, funding was not automatic, given the state’s backlog of capital improvement projects in parks. The state owns 116 other dams, many of them in state parks.
The State Controlling Board earlier this week released $14,799,184 for the repair project at Hueston Woods. It clears the way for the project to begin in May.
The state has selected Sunesis Construction Company of West Chester as the contractor on the project. Work is expected to run through this summer and next year, with completion set for December of 2015.
Mark Lockhart, park manager at Hueston Woods, which spans the Butler County-Preble County line, and Sycamore State Park in Trotwood, said ODNR had much to consider while planning the repairs, including the impact on wildlife and the local economy.
Lockhart said the biggest move was making the commitment to keep the lake level at its normal depth during construction.
“We decided that was a little more costly but well worth the effort to keep fisheries intact, not affect wildlife, not affect recreational use of the lake as well,” said Lockhart.
That decision will help prevent the loss of tourism dollars to the region. While final figures are not available for 2013, Lockhart said 1.6 million people visited in 2012.
Lockhart said closing the lake for this project was never an option. Similar projects in other states, including the one at Lake Cumberland State Park in Kentucky, led to a sharp drop in tourism when lake levels were lowered temporarily for dam repairs.
To preserve the lake level at Hueston Woods, Lockhart said the dam will be repaired one section at a time. A temporary dam will be built along a section and the water will be pumped out to allow work to proceed.
“Then when they are finished working, they will refill it with water and pull the pilings out,” said Lockhart.
The process will be repeated along the entire face of the dam.
The move to maintain the water level has the support of Charlie DeArmon of Oakwood. DeArmon is the Commodore of the Hueston Sailing Association, which promotes sailing education and competition.
“We were worried that they would have to drain the lake, the first season in 57 years that we would not be able to sail,” DeArmon said. “We can’t wait to get out there and sail.”
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