Latest Dam Safety News

Latest Dam Safety News

Association of State Dam Safety Officials – May 26, 2010

Hadlock dam failure trial underway in New York; Many dams impac= ted by spring floods; Massachusetts legislature considers dam bill; New Virginia dam rules questioned; Near-failure of New Hampshire dam examined; Howard Ha= nson dam fix continues; Environmentally damaging releases from deteriorated Herb= ert Hoover Dike deemed essential for public safety; Special investigative serie= s on coal ash storage and regulation; New Jersey case demonstrates complexities = of enforcement; Dam rehabilitation, construction and removal nationwide; India approves draft Dam Safety Bill 2010...

NATIONAL NEWS<= br>
EPA Proposes Coal Ash Rule, Sets Time For Comme= nt, 05/04/2010, (AP)
Article on EPA proposals on regulation of coal ash quotes speakers from ASD= SO's Southeast Regional Conference in Charleston, WV.

EPA Announces Plans to Regula= te Coal Ash, 05/04/2010, [EPA Press Release]
The U.S. EPA is proposing the first-ever national rules to ensure the safe disposal and management of coal ash from coal-fired power plants.

Communities improving public safety through riv= er restoration , 05/8/2010, Fly Rod & Reel Magazine (blog)=
American Rivers eleased the new film, “Restoring America’s Rivers: Preparing for the Future,” w= hich tells the story of how community leaders around the country are improving public safety and solving problems like flooding by restoring rivers and working with nature, not against it. The film examines four communities in = New Hampshire, Pennsylvania<= /st1:State> and Washington where dams are being removed and levees set back in an effort to restore floodplains and give rivers room to spread out, while making communities sa= fer and more resilient to weather extremes, and restoring vital habitat for fish and wildlife.

Obama Administration backs Bush-era plan for Co= lumbia Basin salmon , 05/20/2010, The Oregonian
The Obama Administration submitted its update to= a 2008 Bush-era plan that tries to square dam operations with protecting wild salmon in the Columbia Basin, making relat= ively minor changes. Oregon has argued that th= e fish need higher flows in the Columbia River than the plan envisions, while salm= on advocates contend the surest way to save the fish is to remove four federal dams on the lower Snake River.

EPA Releases 16 Electric Utilities' Plans for C= oal Ash Safety, 05/24/2010, EP Magazine
The EPA is releasing action plans that describe = the measures 16 electric facilities are taking to make their impoundments safer= .

U.S. Kentucky
EPA coal ash pond options include closing, line= rs, 05/04/2010, Louisville Courier-Journal

U.S. Kentucky Tennessee Mississip= pi
American Rivers releases plan for better flood management, 05/13/2010, [American Rivers Blog]
In light of disastrous flooding in Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi, American Rivers identifies four priorities for a national flood management = plan: (1) Remove or repair unsafe dams (2) Restore and protect floodplains (3) Protect wetlands (4) Reform flood insurance.

U.S., Alabama, Georgia, Pennsylva= nia, Tennessee
= Coal's dirty secret, 05/25/2010, Facing South - Online Magazine of the Institute for Southern Studies
First installment in an in-depth, week-long series on the growing national problem of coal ash and the political battle over regulations. This install= ment cites several failures of coal ash impoundments: July 2002 - Georgia Power/Southern Company's Plant Bowen in Bartow County, Ga. August 2005 - PPL's Martins Creek power plant in Pennsylvania's Northampton County December 2008 - TVA impoundment in Kingston, TN January = 2009 - TVA's Widows Creek plant in northeastern Alabama

U.S., Tennessee Disaster in East Tennessee, 05/25/2010, Facing South - Online Magazine of the Institute for Southern Studies
Investigative report on the Kingston coal ash slide of December 2008 and its aftermath - the second installment in a series.

STATE-BYP-STATE AND INTERNATIONAL= NEWS

Alabama (See also: U.S.)
Details emerge on EPA plans for Alabama's toxic= coal ash ponds, 05/16/2010, Birmingham News
Alabama's ten ash ponds cover more than 2,300 acres and contain more than 24 million cubic yards of coal ash. Pending new EPA rules, the ponds may be retrofitted with liners or eventually shut down and replaced with other typ= es of storage.

<= span style=3D'font-family:Arial'>California=
Reservoir's capacity to more than double= , 05/10/2010, San Diego Union Tribune
San Vicente Dam raise to begin this spring. According to the San Die= go County Water Authority, the $568 million project will be the largest of its kind in the world, adding an additonal 117 ft t= o the 220-ft-high dam.

Army Corps of Engineers discusses timeline for = Dam work, 05/13/2010, Bakersfield Californian
Work on two dams at Isabe= lla Lake could begin in October 2014. The work will address concerns over seismic activity, seepage, potential for overtopping, and a poor foundation on the Auxiliary Dam. A dr= aft EIS is expected in November 2010 and a Dam Safety Modification Report shoul= d be complete by December 2011.

Army Corps unveils timeline for work on Isabell= a Dam, 05/18/2010, Kern Valley Sun
Army Corps personnel spoke May 12 at a meeting at the Odd Fellows Hall in Kernville regarding the ongoing issue of the two dams at Isabella Lake. The Overview of Risk Driving Potential Failure Modes (= PFMs) identified nine Primary PFMs in the main dam, t= wo more in the spillway, four in the Borel Conduit= , and nine in the Auxiliary Dam. Internal erosion and seismic stability are prima= ry concerns.

Benbow Dam removal to be studied; Orick creek g= ets funding, 05/20/2010, Contra Costa Times
The American Rivers and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Restoration Center has awarded California State Parks a $75,000 grant to st= udy how Benbow Dam can be removed.

Canada Ontario
Port Dover dam project causes $190,000 headache= , 05/05/2010, Brantford Expositor
Canadian community given deadline of May 21 to dredge huge amount of sedime= nt released from Silver Lake when stop logs removed from = Misner dam. Ownership of the dam is in questions, but Norfolk County took charge after learning that the dam was in danger of failing.

Connecticu= t
Persistency pays off with new Lake Forest dam, 05/21/2010, Bridgeport News
Since 1969 members of the Lake Forest Association have been fighting bureaucratic priorities and a lack of funds to repair and improve a 1,650-f= oot dam. The new dam should be done by June, according to the group's dam repair coordinator.

Florida
Army Corps on edge as Lake Okeechobee fills with rain, strains against feeble dike, 05/18/2010, Palm Beach Post
USACE says it has no choice but to destroy fragile estuaries around Lake Okeechobee to keep residents living around its eroded dike safe. A 2006 study suggested that the Herbert Hoover Dike= has been deteriorating for years because of water pressure from the lake.

G= eorgia (See also: U.S.)

Idaho
Feds won’t budge on levees , 05/5/2010, Idaho State Journal
A levee system in Pocatello that was decertified by FEMA = in 2008 must undergo heavy cleanup before it can be recertified. One of the key projects includes sediment and vegetation removal.

Illinois
Belleville bike trail threatened; city seeks pa= rtner to pay for draining pond, 05/17/2010, Belleville News-Democrat
Proposed trail runs over the deteriorated Peterson Pond dam. If the city ca= nnot come up with about $200,000 to drain the 6.5 million-gallon pond, it will h= ave to return a $250,000 state grant. Fixing the dam would cost at least $500,0= 00.

India
Cabinet approves draft of Dam Safety Bill, 2010= , 05/13/2010, Net Indian
The Union Cabinet approved a draft Dam Safety Bill 2010, to be introduced in Parliament. The action came after Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal adopted resolutions in 2007 empowering Parliament to legislate on dam safety in those states. Per India's Constitution, its Parliament is empowered to legislate on certain matters provided two or more States give consent for such legislation.

Kansas
Officials: Area Safe Around Lee's Summit Sinkho= le, 05/21/2010, KCTV Kansas City
A sinkhole was discovered near a dam at Summit Mill Lake. Public Works officials are dropping the lake level and plan to monitor the damaged area.=

Kentucky (See also: U.S.)
Two die in Ky. floods; Metcalfe dam in danger of collapse; roads closed, 05/03/2010, Lexington Herald-Leader=
At least 23 counties and eight cities declared states of emergency as a sto= rm system dumped as much as 9 inches of rain in the state during the weekend. A voluntary evacuation of residents downstream of 7-acre Dunham Lake took place as a 450-ft-long dam was overtopped.

Kentucky, Tennessee
Lake still rising; No issue with Wolf Creek Dam= , 05/05/2010, Commonwealth Journal - Somerset
Lake Cumberland water level up after heavy rains, but USACE says there are = no signs of danger from increased pressure on Wolf Creek Dam, which undergoing= a $584 million rehabilitation in an attempt to stop uncontrolled seepage.

Maine
Project for dam floated, 05/24/= 2010, Kennebec Journal
A proposal has been filed to convert the New Mills Dam in Gardiner into an electric-generation facility.

Massachusetts
Dam safety bill emerges from House Environment Committee; Local legislators are impetus behind dam bill, 05/06/2010, Wicked Local Mattapoisett
The Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture has favorably reported a bill entitled “An Act relative to dam repair, removal and replacement.” The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Marc Pach= eco, D-Taunton, requires the Commissioner of the Department of Conservation, the Commissioner of Fish and Game, the Division of Fish and Wildlife, and the <= span class=3DSpellE>Riverways Program to complete an inventory and classification of dams in the state by July 1, 2011. The bill also includes= a local option for municipalities to acquire privately held dams through purchase, lease, gift, eminent domain, or otherwise. The Senate will review= the bill.

Region’s residents to form dam think tank= , 05/06/2010, Taunton Gazette
Nature Conservancy to lead May 10 panel discussion on purpose and condition= of local dams, pros and cons of removal versus repair.

Freetown selectmen hope state will transform Fo= rge Pond, 05/23/2010, Fall River Herald News
Recent actions show how the fate of three neighoring Assonet River dams is closely entwined: Fo= rge Pond dam nearly collapsed in February. After the state DCR and state Rep. D= avid Sullivan convinced Gov. Deval Patrick to free $190,000 for an emergency breach, the dam was partially breached last month= . In March, a nearby Monument Dam also nearly collapsed during historic flooding. Now Freetown selectment have asked the state Division of Ecological Recovery to consider breaching Monum= ent Dam and installing a fish ladder on Tisdale Dam.

Michigan
Ann Arbor officials have the next year to consi= der two options for fixing Argo Dam, 05/04/2010, Ann Arbor News=
Ann Arbor City Council approves consent agreement resolving disputed dam sa= fety order issued by the state last August. The order required the city to dewat= er the dam's headrace and take other actions to address safety issues; the sta= te was especially concerned about the dam's toe drain system. The new agreement contains provisions for vegetation management, emergency response actions, monitoring and reporting, and a timeline for selecting an option to repair = the toe drain system or reconstruct the embankment.

Minnesota
New London dam to be replaced this summer, West Central Tribune - Willmar
$2.6 million project to replace Mill Pond dam is beginning, should be compl= ete by late fall. The existing leaky high-hazard-potential dam, built in 1865, = will be replaced by a large labyrinth weir. Funding for the project is coming fr= om state bonds.

Luverne dam project may cost more than anticipa= ted, 05/18/2010, Worthington Daily Globe
Improvements to the Rock River dam are estimated to cost approximately $90,000 more than the anticipated cost-share dollars available. Plans are to replace the existing low-head dam structure with a series of rock riffles — a change that will increase safety at= the site.

Mississipp= i (See also: U.S.)
Lake Dockery Repairs To Be Finished Soon= , 05/21/2010, WAPT Jackson
$1.3 million project to repair dam that failed in June 2004 should be compl= ete in 1-2 months. The state operates the dam; the city of Byram will = take control of it when the repair work is done.

Montana
PPL runs disaster drill simulating dam failure<= /span>, 05/20/2010, Great Falls Tribune
PPL Montana creates an exercise meant to protect the public and its employe= es in the event of a dam failure. The company uses a combination of worst-case weather events and mock mechanical malfunctions for the simulation.

Nevada
Nevada's most historic dams, 05/24/2010, Lahontan Valley News
A blog highlighting the journeys of journalist Rich Moreno as he travels to notable dams in the west.

New Hampshire
Flood of missteps cited in review of Dorrs Pond= dam, 05/12/2010, New Hampshire Union Leader
Missteps contributing to near failure of Dorrs = Pond dam in Manchester on Feb. 26 included failure to remove stop logs from the spillway over the winter, sandbags not placed on dam abutments, lack of pro= per equipment, and communication problems. The city has asked for $125,000 in s= tate funds to match city money for improvements to the dam. Article includes lin= ks to March DES review of the Dorrs Pond Dam and a= map showing what parts of Manchester would be affected if the Dorrs Pond dam broke.

More testing before decision on fate of Durham = dam, 05/24/2010, Foster's Daily Democrat
Additional concrete testing needs to be conducte= d on the Oyster River Dam. Core samples revealed internal problems with concrete deterioration. Repairs would likely cost over $1 million.

New Jersey
Clinton Town prepares for dam, dike repairs, 04/29/2010, Star Ledger
$673,240 contract to repair a historic dam awarded; $914,000 state grant w= ill cover engineering and most of the construction costs. State engineers say = the dam has some cracks and minor deterioration, but that a nearby dike has be= en weakened over time. Trees will be removed from the dike, and the structure will be raised by a foot.

Wyckoff officials, homeowners share ideas for rebuilding dam , 05/06/2010, Bergen County Record
Wyckoff residents and officials unable to = agree on who should pay for repairs to the 100-by-14-foot steel and concrete dam= at 7.5-acre Rambaut Lake. NJ DEP may e= mpty the lake if it is not brought into compliance with 500-year flood regulati= ons; repairs and modifications are expected to cost from $650,000 to $1.25 mill= ion.

Nosenzo Pond Dam repairs mean West Milford's o= pen space purchase is imminent, 05/23/2010, NorthJersey.com
The 265 ft. long Nosenzo Pond Dam will soon un= dergo repairs. The state required work to remediate the dam after the structure = was classified as a significant hazard. Estimated cost: $250,000.

DEP says draining Rambaut Lake in Wy= ckoff 'not on its radar' , 05/25/2010, NorthJersey.com
State officials say = they will not breach the dam on the 7.5-acre lake without a lengthy legal proce= ss. The significant-hazard dam needs repairs estimated to cost between $650,000 and $1.25 million and is overdue for inspection by owners; the lake has ha= d no official owner since a homeowners association disbanded in 2008 after brin= ging suit against the township and nearby homeowners to force their contributio= ns to maintain the lake. Recommended repairs and actions include removing a g= ate from the top of the dam, installing a valve handle with a locking cover for ease of maintenance, repairs to concrete, replacement of warning signs, cutting vegetation, seepage monitoring, stability analysis, and dredging of the lake. The state currently lacks funding to breach the dam.

New York
Trial begins in Hadlock Pond dam failure case<= /span>, 05/10/2010, Glen Falls Post-Star
More than 100 property owners are plaintiffs in the trial over the July 20= 05 failure of Hadlock Pond dam in New York.

Hadlock Pond dam lawsuit, 05/10/2010, Glen Falls Post-Star
List of plaintiffs and defendants involved in lawsuits stemming from the 2= 005 Hadlock Pond dam failure

Sides trade blame for dam failure<= /a>, 05/11/2010, Albany Times Union
Hadlock Pond dam was barely two months old whe= n it failed on July 2, 2005, rapidly draining a 220-acre lake. Civil trial testimony has included mention of improperly compacted soil, incompletely sealed joints between Jersey barriers w= ithin the dam, and a teenager's report of water spurting from the dam face two w= eeks before it failed.

Corinth considers options for eroding dam, 05/24/2010, Glens Falls Post-Star
Repair costs for the Upper Reservoir could cost up to $800,000, according = to engineers. Although the state offered the village $300,000 in grants, ther= e is still not enough money to cover the expenses.

Firm applies for upgrades to Natural Dam, 05/24/2010, Watertown Daily Times
Cellu Tissue has submitted an application with= the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a 40-year license on its Natural = Dam hydroelectric project.

Ohio
Chagrin Falls dam will be lowered to develop for= mer mill

, 05/20/2010, Sun Star Courier-Clevel= and
Chagrin River Watershed Partners are helping administer a $400,800 grant that has been received to pay for lowering a dam as part of the development of the abando= ned Cleveland Street paper mill. The EPA awarded the grant after the dam was deemed unsafe.

City, ODNR work on 'sinking' situation near riv= er, 05/23/2010, Zanesville Times Recorder
A sink hole appeared in the levee between the Muskingum River and Zanesville= canal. Preliminary investigation is estimated at $10,000.

Oregon
Gold Ray Dam to be removed, 05/05/2010, KDRV News
Jackson County, Oregon officials voted to use up to $6 million in federal a= nd state funds to remove 106-year-old Rogue River dam decommissioned as a hydro facility in 1972. If the dam is completely removed by this October, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds will cover $5 million of the project's cost.

Pennsylvania
East Branch price tag: $280M, 05/05/2010, DuBois Courier-Express
Repairs likely to take seven years; USACE evaluation in 2007 and risk analy= sis in early 2008 determined that the dam was at risk of a piping failure. Repa= ir options include an earthen extension, a concrete structure or a concrete cu= toff wall. More info: www.lrp.usace.army.mil/rec/lakes/ebdam_safety.htm.

DEP Fines Rex Energy for Violations in Clearfie= ld County, 05/13/2010, Gant Daily
Company fined $45,000 for numerous significant violations of the Oil and Gas Act, Clean Streams Law and the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act association with the improper construction of the Alder Run Land LP 3H well site and centralized impoundment.

Rhode Island
Officials in R.I. issue an alarm, 05/12/2010, (AP)
Four dams in state breached during spring flooding, and many more overtopped and were close to breaching. The State Department of Environmental Management.employs just one dam-s= afety inspector, who was solely responsible for emergency inspections of 42 dams during the flooding.

Dam safety depends on compliance from owners, 05/12/2010, Channel 10 News
Report on RI dams focuses on dam ownership issues and Blue Pond Dam which failed during historic flooding event of March 30 through April 2.

Tennessee (See also: U.S., Kentuc= ky)
ORNL dam to undergo repairs this summer<= /em>, 04/30/2010, Knoxville News Sentinel
Planned repairs to White Oak Dam, which serves as a backstop for Oak Ridge National Laboratory's radioactive discharges, prompted by 2008 FERC inspect= ion that determined that the dam could overtop during extreme rainfall. The Department of Energy will pay to widen the earthen dam and armor its downst= ream portion with riprap.

Flood damages park, golf course, 05/02/2010, The Tennessean
City officials are currently estimating approximately $85,000 in damage to = the city parks, much of which was caused by May 2nd failure of the dam at Long Hollow Golf Course. About 40 feet of the irrigation dam gave way during hea= vy rains.

<= span style=3D'font-family:Arial'>Flood Forces Dam Break, Evacuations, Road Closu= res, 05/02/2010, Channel 5 News
Failure of Long Hollow Pike Dam dam near Gallatin reported= .

Tennessean in-depth report: Army Corps of Engin= eers struggled with dams, forecasts, 05/09/2010, The Tennessean<= br> How USACE officials worked to minimize flood impacts during Middle Tennesse= e's greatest flood on record since a series of dams were built along the Cumber= land River, which flows through Nas= hville. Record high lake levels threatened to overtop dams like Old Hickory in Hendersonville, Tenn. and J. Percy Priest in Nashville after more than 17 inches of rain fell in some areas.

Special Report: Disaster ahead?, 05/09/2010, Jackson Sun
Deregulated dams could threaten public safety. Up to 40 dams in West Tennessee are scheduled to be reclassified and= no longer inspected by the state for safety within the next five years. The li= st includes 10 high-hazard dams.

No One Alerted Dam Was Open During Flooding, 05/10/2010, WSMV Nashville
Citizens of Nashville are wondering if the Corps gave them all of the neces= sary information regarding the opening of Old Hickory Dam. The NWS said it didn't need to release the information about the dam opening because it was continuously sending out flood warnings detailing at what it believed the r= iver would crest.

Corps defends actions during Tenn. flooding, 05/11/2010, (AP)
The release of water from a dam upstream of Nashville during historic flooding has prompted a U.S. Senate inquiry into whether the public was adequately warned about rising waters downstream.

Special Report: Dam disaster ahead<= /a>, 05/13/2010, Jackson Sun
Up to 40 dams in West Tennessee, including some high-hazard potential water= shed dams, will be exempted from state regulation within the next five years due= to an exemption in state law. Poor maintenance on dams is common unless state inspectors are persistent. The Jackson Sun reviewed more than 3,000 documents from dam inspections in West Tennessee. In nearly every case, state safety inspectors had to make multiple requests before owners corrected problems. If dams are reclassified as farm ponds and state inspections cease, proper maintenance = is questionable at best.

Dam regs questioned; Lawmakers say exemptions in law should be studied, 05/13/2010, Jackson Sun
State Sen. Roy Herron and state Rep. Jimmy Eldridge are studying the farm-pond exemption i= n Tennessee's Safe= Dams Act of 1973. The exemption allows non-federal dams to be downgraded to farm ponds and go unregulated - regardless of size or hazard potential classification - if the water behind them is not open to the public and the property has fewer than three owners. Since 2008, the exemption has exempted from regulation 50-year-old watershed dams impounding lakes. The exemption = will apply to roughly 60 watershed dams within the next five years. Of the state= 's 137 watershed dams, 38 have a high-hazard-potential rating. TN DEC proposed legislation this session that would have required a study of Tennessee dams that are exempt from regulation from the Safe Dams Act. The department wanted to determine how m= any unregulated dams exist and what hazard categories were assigned each dam. T= here were not enough votes for the legislation to pass out of House or Senate committees, but this was before at least five dams in West Tennessee failed in early May.

Editorial: Stop exempting dams from state inspe= ctions, 05/14/2010, Jackson Sun
Editorial urges change in Ten= nessee's dam safety law, which exempts farm ponds without public access and having no more than two owners and watershed dams more than 50 years old.

<= span style=3D'font-family:Arial'>Herron: Inspect exempt dams, 05/18/2010, Jackson Sun (version also published in USA Today)
State Sen. Roy Herron asked authorities to inspect all of the state's high-hazard dams that are no longer regulated by the state due to an exempt= ion provided in the Safe Dams Act of 1973; says step is needed to 'protect human life.'

TVA decides to store ash at Kingston spill site= , 05/19/2010, (AP)
The Tennessee Valley Authority will permanently store onsite more than 2 million cubic yards of coal ash from a massive spill as part of the utility= 's second phase of clean up. At $270 million, the onsite storage will consist = of 25-foot-tall heap with no liner system beside the Emory River west of Knoxville.

Army Corps Is Criticized for Actions in Flood, 05/20/2010, New York Times
Responding to criticism from lawmakers, the Army Corps of Engineers on Thur= sday defended its release of water from Tennessee and Kentucky dams during deadly flooding= in Tennessee this month that left large sections of Nashville underwa= ter.

Dam inspections a 'huge step', 05/21/2010, Jackson Sun
The Tennessee DEC hopes future legislation will strengthen its authority to inspect and regulate all of the state's 1,200 non-federal dams; Department personnel will inspect unregulated dams this year, beginning with high-haza= rd dams, if it receives permission from the dam owners.

= Coal's dirty secret, 05/25/2010= , Facing South - Online Magazine of the Institute for So= uthern Studies
First installment in an in-depth, week-long series on the growing national problem of coal ash and the political battle over regulations. This install= ment cites several failures of coal ash impoundments: July 2002 - Georgia Power/Southern Company's Plant Bowen in Bartow County, Ga. August 2005 - PPL's Martins Creek power plant in Pennsylvania's Northampton County December 2008 - TVA impoundment in Kingston, TN January = 2009 - TVA's Widows Creek plant in northeastern Alabama

Disaster in East Tennessee, 05/25/2010, Facing South - Online Magazine of the Institute for Southern Studies
Investigative report on the Kingston coal ash slide of December 2008 and its aftermath - the second installment in a series.

Tennessee, Kentucky
Nashville Facing Possible Clean Water Shortage;= Lakes At Record Levels, But Corps Says Dams Safe , 05/03/2010, Chattanooga Times Free Press
USACE Nashville District is operating area dams along the Cumberland River = and its tributaries to minimize flooding and reduce lake levels due to heavy rainfall throughout Tennessee and southern Kentucky. Record high lake elevations has been recorded at several dams, including J. Percy Priest in Nashville; Old Hickory in Hendersonville, Tn.; and Cheatham in Ashland City, Tn. Wolf Creek Dam in Jamestown, Ky. and Center Hill Dam in Lancaster, Tenn. are being monitored 24/7, and the Corps is taking daily instrumentation rea= ding and inspection at J. Percy Priest and Old Hickory dams.

Texas<= /span>
Tarrant County levees may have tough time during federal inspection, 05/08/2010, = Fort Worth Star Telegram
Inspection of the 27 miles of levees protecting Fort Worth to take place soon. Dallas is prepari= ng to spend up to $150 million to fix its levees by August 2011 after its levees received an unacceptable safety rating last year.

Utah
River of fears, 05/04/2010, Sal= t Lake Tribune
Longtime observer questions channeling of the Rio Ruidoso after 2008 flood; remarks about maintenance and condition of Grindstone Dam.

Virginia
Virgina Dam Safety Regs Fall Below National Sta= ndard, 04/29/2010, ABC 13 News
Some Virginians worried about new less-stringent dam rules. Western Virginia Water Authority is proceeding with a $2 million upgrade on Sinking Creek Da= m, even though it is no longer required under state regulations.

Lake won't go down d= rain, 05/02/2010, Roanoke Times
Prior to legislation signed into law on April 8, 12-acre Rainbow Forest Lake was ordered to= be drained due to noncompliance with state spillway requirements. The dam will remain, provided the 100-family Rainbow Forest Recreation Association meets= new criteria: (1) develop a map to identify downstream property that could be affected by a dam's failure (2) monitor the dam daily (3) create an EAP, po= st the plans online, and file them with local and state emergency management offices (4) perform engineering studies (5) obtain insurance that covers downstream property owners in the event the dam fails, and (6) show that the dam's spillway can handle two-thirds of the flow generated by the maximum rainfall event recorded in Virginia. It is unclear if the existing spillway meets this final criterion, or the owners will be able to obtain insurance = on the dam.

Fairfax County briefs: Woo= dglen Lake dam repairs, 05/06/2010, Washington Post
Fairfax County is partnering with USDA NRCS and the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District to complete 4-month rehab to strengthen the dam's auxiliary spillway. Fairf= ax County is contribut= ing $600,000 for the project; $1.45 million is being provided through the feder= al American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Earthen dam proposed for water plan= , 05/20/2010, Charlottesville Tomorrow
After reviewing several proposals from two construction firms, Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority plans to build a 135'-tall earthen dam just downstream from the Lower Ragged Mountain dam. The n= ew dam would raise the water level by 45 feet, allowing for storage of more than t= hree times the amount of water held in the reservoir today. Estimated cost: $28.= 5 to $36.6 million, including final design and engineering.

Pigg River dam removal may need another look , 05/21/2010, Franklin News Post =
Rocky Mount Town Council is trying to decide whether or not to remove Pigg River dam after the= issue of the removal's impact upstream was brought to its attention. The water in= the area is already relatively shallow, and with the dam gone, some have estima= ted the river level may fall another 6 inches to a foot.

Washington
<= em>Gov. Gregoire, coun= ty, city officials urge federal government to speed up Hanson Dam repairs, 05/06/2010, Kent Reporter
After meetings in Washington, D.C., state and King County leaders optimistic that federal officials understand the urgency of securing funding for repai= rs of Howard Hanson Dam.

Wall to fix Howard Hanson Dam could cost $450M<= /span>, 05/10/2010, Seattle Times
USACE says $450 million estimate could change when study of alternatives for repairing right abutment is complete, but that it is "in the ballpark" for a permanent fix. A second round of interim repairs might cost $25 million, rather than $44 million as previously estimated.

Feds give $44 million to fix Howard H= anson Dam, 05/13/2010, Tacoma News Tribune
$44 million for critical interim repairs to Howard Hanson Dam included in t= he 2010 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill yet to be approved by Congr= ess. USACE officials plan to construct a 1,000-foot-long grout curtain along the dam’s right abutment before flood season begins on Nov. 1; the work requires 8 to 10 months. A shorter grout curtain installed in the abutment = last year is being tested.

Feds giving $44M for fix at weakened Seattle da= m, 05/14/2010, (AP)
$44 million for Howard Hanson Dam repair included in supplemental appropriations bill approved by the U.S. Senate committee on 5/13/10. Perma= nent repair - a cutoff wall running the length of the damaged abutment - would t= ake at least three years to complete and could cost $500 million.

Corps to begin inspecting levees in Tri-Cities , 05/20/2010, The News Tribune-= Tacoma
USACE holds public meeting on plans and safety ratings for Tri-City levees,= aka the McNary Levee System, and the Lower Monument= al and Ice Harbor locks and dams. The levees received the second lowest safety rating possible.

New hydroelectric dam to be first in county sin= ce ’80s, 05/24/2010, HeraldNet- Everett
Construction of a dam (12' tall, 65' across) in Snohomish County is planned= to go up this summer, and is expected to generate enough power for 2,000-6,000 homes. Estimated cost: $30 million.