ASDSO eNews
The Monthly Newsletter of the Association of State Dam Safety Officials August 2010 |
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August in Review
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-National Committee on Levee Safety Stakeholder Workshop held in Covington, KY
-ASDSO
Training committee reviews proposals for Technical Seminar on
Fundamental of Reinforced Concrete Design of Hydraulic Structures
-ASDSO Dam Owner workshops held in Georgia and Ohio
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Looking Ahead to September
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19-23 Dam Safety '10 in Seattle
Time to Pay Your ASDSO Dues for FY11.
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In This Issue
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--From the Director's Desk
--Brian
Bellmore, Michigan Technological University, and Erin Dovel, College of
New Jersey win ASDSO Undergraduate and CSD scholarships
--NM Program Drafts New Amendments to Dam Safety Rgulations
--More Dam Safety News from the U.S. and Abroad
--Dam Safety '10 Update
--Promote Your Organization to Students
--Other Training
TECH TOOLS, RESEARCH, & PUBLICATIONS
--More Options for Downloading ASDSO Computer Animations
--Recent Publications
FEDERAL AGENCY UPDATES
--MSHA Reviewing Existing Metal & Nonmetal Standards for Dams
--EPA Announces Public Hearings on Proposed Coal Ash Regulations
FOCUS ON LEVEES
--ASDSO Levee Safety Priorities
--Hearing on Flood Preparedness
FOCUS ON SECURITY
--Changes to State Dam Security Panel
MEMBER NEWS
--It's ASDSO Membership Renewal Time
--Retirements & Promotions
--August Sees Record Number of New Members
NEWS FROM RELATED ORGANIZATIONS
--Canadian Dam Association Update
A LITTLE HISTORY--A Personal Account of the August 1916 Lake Toxaway Dam Failure |
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In the Spotlight
| From the Director's Desk
 By Lori C. Spragens
Speaking
of networking, the month of August was another month of travel and
outreach. On the 11th, several ASDSO representatives attended the second
of a series of stakeholders meeting in Covington, KY held by the
National Committee on Levee Safety--a traveling outreach effort that
will hit many parts of the country over the next few months to get
feedback on a proposed national plan to create a levee safety program.
Over 100 people participated. A side benefit was the opportunity to meet
local city and flood control managers, company reps who own dams and
levees, and emergency managers from Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, many of
whom are ASDSO members.
Continuing to offer a state perspective
to national infrastructure protection policies, several state members of
the Dams Sector Government Coordinating Council and I attended the
quarterly meeting of the DHS Dams Sector Coordinating Council on August
17. Held in Atlanta, our focus was on long-term planning for the council
after stopping to review many accomplishments over the past few years.
On
August 24, your president, Dave Gutierrez, took a day-trip from
Sacramento to San Diego to represent ASDSO at the quarterly meetings of
the Intergovernmental Flood Risk Management Committee. ASDSO has had
representation on this high-level coordinating group for the past year.
Members include top officials from the Corps of Engineers, FEMA, and
many of the non-governmental organizations such as the Association of
State Floodplain Manager and the National Association of Flood and
Stormwater Management Agencies.
Late in the month, I made a
presentation to the National Hydrologic Warning Council Board of
Directors to promote a new partnership with this group. Earlier this
year, their executive director, Glenn Austin, met our board of directors
and provided a similar presentation about the NHWC. It is hoped that we
can define some specific projects to work on together in the near
future with a emphasis on assisting dam owners. For more information on
the NHWC click here.
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Meet ASDSO's 2010-2011 Scholarship Winners |
ASDSO Names 2010-2011 Scholarship Winners
The
ASDSO Scholarship program is intended to motivate promising college
students to consider the field of dam safety engineering. We're thrilled
to award scholarships to the best and brightest civil engineering
students. Through this annual ASDSO civil engineering scholarship, we
are delighted to be able to assist two of the most deserving and well
rounded individuals within our community in pursuit of their civil
engineering degree.
 ASDSO
Senior Undergraduate Scholarship - ASDSO's Scholarship Committee has
awarded a $7,500 scholarship for the 2010-2011 academic year to Brian
Bellmore, a 5th year undergraduate at Michigan Technological University
pursuing a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor's in Surveying
Engineering. Brian's activities at MTU include Secretary of the MTU
Student Chapter of the American Congress of Surveying and Mapping,
former Vice President of the Lambda Sigma Honor Society and Student
Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Brian has
completed six summer internships with four different firms which include
Coleman Engineering of Michigan, William H. Smith and Associates of
Colorado, Mead and Hunt Engineering of California, and J.F. Brennan
Marine of Wisconsin. In his water resources career Brian has performed
HEC-RAS modeling to determine vulnerability of floodplain residents,
designed dam spillway geometry, created a wells location database using
ARCGIS, and created a canal alternatives analysis using HEC-RAS and
Civil 3D. Brian has also worked as a hydrographic surveyor mapping
streambeds using echo sounding and Hypack software and mapping
floodplains using Surveying Total Stations and GPS. Brian is pursuing a
career as a civil engineer in water recourses and plans on graduating in
the spring of 2011.
 The
New Jersey-Pennsylvania Council for Safe Dams Scholarship - The CSD
awarded a $2,500 scholarship to Erin Dovel, who is currently studying
Civil Engineering at the College of New Jersey. She has maintained a
focus in water resources, including coursework in hydrologic
engineering. Erin is entering her senior year of undergraduate
work, and hopes to graduate with a Bachelor's degree in May 2011. She is
currently treasurer of The College of New Jersey's Engineering Honor
Society, and has been on the Dean's list for 5 consecutive semesters.
Erin's other collegiate activities include the Society of Women
Engineers, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, and ASCE. She has also worked
with the Monmouth County Park System as a seasonal ranger and event
planner. Erin is interning at the New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection (NJDEP), where she works within the Dam Safety
Section. Upon graduation, Erin hopes to pursue a Master's Degree in
Water Resources or Environmental Engineering.
ASDSO Scholarship
Committee Chairman John Moyle, Manager of the NJ Dam Safety and Flood
Control Section, notes, "ASDSO is proud to play a role in the
development of our nation's future leaders and we hope these
scholarships will help direct them to a career in dam safety."
Congratulations to both of these fine scholars! We hope to see Brian and Erin at Dam Safety '10!
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| Latest News |
State Program News
The
New Mexico Dam Safety Program has drafted amendments to its dam safety
regulations. The amendments were prompted by a change in the
statute in 2009 that increased the size of a jurisdictional dam from 10
feet in height and 10 acre-feet to 25 feet in height and 50
acre-feet. Opening the regulations for changes is also an
opportunity to improve areas of the regulations. A copy of the
proposed changes, hearing notice and supporting documentation can be
downloaded at www.ose.state.nm.us/water_info_dam_safety_rules.html.
In other news:
--University of Utah climbing robot could inspect dams
--New design could provide wave protection for embankments
--Follow-up from Arizona and Iowa dam failures, Kingston ash spill
--Corps to install additional drains at Howard Hanson Dam
--Controversy over fixing MT wilderness dam with modern tools
--Heavy rain potential underscores need for EAPs for TX dams
--Problems remain at dams at US-Mexico border
--A look at Minnesota dams
--MSHA plans to change mining dams standards
--Dam removals, repairs, incidents, much more...
Read more about these items and others.
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ASDSO Conferences & Training
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 Dam Safety '10 Update
Conference registrations will be accepted until COB on Wednesday, Sept. 15. (After that date, please register on-site at the Washington State Convention Center.)The
Dam Safety '10 program committee has assembled an extensive conference
agenda, filled with a wide range of technical sessions and networking
opportunities. Also on the schedule: --Seattle Mariners Baseball Game ** --Golf Outing at Harbour Point ** Golfers - Plenty of Slots Still Open--Specialty Workshop on Internal Erosion & Piping Damage to Dams Sold Out--Soapbox 1: Private Dams on Federal Property --Soapbox 2: Is a New Approach Needed for Dam Failure Investigations? --Third Annual National Dam Security Forum --ASDSO Awards Luncheon --Field Trip to Cedar Falls and Snoqualmie Falls ** --Guest Tour: Tastes of the Northwest ** ** Advance registration for these limited-capacity activities is strongly encouraged. Take advantage of the opportunity to view abstracts of conference papers being presented at the conference. See the agenda with document links. Guestrooms at the ASDSO group rate at the Grand Hyatt Seattle and the Hyatt at Olive 8 are now sold out.
If you don't have a confirmed reservation, there are many hotels in
downtown Seattle that are within a short walking distance to the
Convention Center. Examples: Paramount Hotel phone (206) 292-9500 Sheraton Seattle phone (206) 621-9000 Seattle Hilton phone (206) 624-0500 Dam
Safety '10 exhibit spaces have sold out, but sponsorship
opportunities are still available. If your company would like to
enhance its overall visibility within the dam safety professional
community, sign up for a sponsorship now. Details are on the Dam Safety '10 web page. Calling All Trivia Fans and Competition Fiends! ASDSO
will hold a special Dam Safety '10 Trivia Competition in conjunction
with this year's poster presentations. Last year was the first
time that ASDSO conference attendees had the opportunity to participate
in a Poster Presentation Trivia Contest, and Darren Protulipac of
Ontario Power Generation won the $100 prize. Be sure to look for
this year's entry form in your registration packet!
Promoting Dam Safety To Students
The
Committee on Education Outreach invites ASDSO members to contribute
items for the Dam Safety '10 Student Lounge. Tables and bulletin
boards will be available for giveaways and information on employment
opportunities, internships, and co-ops. For more information, please contact Sarah McCubbin-Cain, 859-257-2102.
Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming Geotechnical Webinars, Currently Under Development:
October 12: Guidelines for Assigning Erodibility Parameters to Soil Horizons for SITES Analysis
November 16: Pitfalls in Quality Control Testing for Earthfill
December 14: Estimating Shear Strength Parameters Using Empirical Correlations
Each
90-minute interactive webinar will be taught by Danny K. McCook,
P.E. Registration details will be available in mid-September.
Other Training
Existing Dam Hydropower Retrofit Workshop
Worcester, MA - October 19-20, 2010 [Alden Research Laboratory, Inc.]
41st Ohio River Valley Soils Seminar (ORVSS XLI) National Infrastructure - Dam and Levee Safety
Louisville, KY - October 20, 2010
Call for Abstracts: Environmental & Water Resources Congress 2011,
May 22-26, 2011 (date correction) - Palm Springs, CA. Submission Deadline: September 7, 2010.
Call
for Abstracts: 4th International Conference on Grouting and Deep
Mixing, February 2012, New Orleans, LA. Submission Deadline:
August 31, 2010.
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Tech Tools, Research, & Publications
|  Tech Tools: ASDSO Computer Animations
Both Flashplayer and Windows Media Player versions of ASDSO's new computer animations are available in the Resource Center. Click here
to view options for downloading animations of failures by piping and
overtopping, and a depiction of a "perfect to imperfect dam."
New reports of interest now available for free download are:
Free-Surface Turbulent Fluctuations and Air-Water Flow Measurements in Hydraulics Jumps with Small Inflow Froude Numbers [Hydraulic Model Report No. CH78/10]. University of Queensland. School of Civil Engineering
Peer-reviewed
report on hydraulic jumps, a strong dissipative mechanism marking the
transition from supercritical to subcritical open channel flow.
Managing sediment in Utah's reservoirs. Utah Division of Water Resources
The
latest document in the "Utah State Water Plan" series provides
important information regarding a significant issue that is negatively
impacting Utah's water supply. It examines the impacts of sedimentation
in Utah's reservoirs and estimates current and future storage losses. It
also discusses several sediment management strategies that can be
implemented at reservoirs to ensure their future usefulness. Several
Utah case studies are presented as well as the basic economics,
potential environmental and other impacts of sediment management.
Potential funding sources are also included. It includes recommendations
that can assist the water community to meet the sediment challenge.
For links to these documents and a list of recent publications & resources on dam and levee safety topics, visit the Recent Publications page of ASDSO's Resource Center.
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| Federal Agency Updates |
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
A
request for information regarding the safety of dams at metal and
nonmetal mines was published in the Federal Register on Friday, August
13, 2010. Interested parties have 60 days from the publication
date to provide comments. MSHA is interested in comments and input
from all interested parties.
Summary of the
posting: Dam failures at metal and nonmetal mines have exposed
miners to life-threatening hazards. The Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MSHA) is reviewing its existing metal and nonmetal
standards for dams. The Agency is concerned that some dams pose hazards
because they are not designed, constructed, operated, and maintained to
accepted dam safety practices. MSHA is considering approaches to better
protect miners from the hazards of dam failures and is soliciting
information to help determine how best to proceed. Link to the
posting:
www.federalregister.gov/agencies/mine-safety-and-health-administration
EPA Announces Public Hearings on Proposed Coal Ash Regulations - Extends Comment Period
The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting seven public
hearings on the agency's proposal to regulate the disposal and
management of coal ash from coal-fired power plants. According to
the EPA, this is the "first-ever national effort to ensure the safe
disposal and management of coal ash from coal-fired power plants."
ASDSO
members are encouraged to review the proposed new rules regarding the
safety regulation of the impoundments that hold the coal/fly ash waste. A
handful of affected state dam safety officials have been reviewing the
draft options proposed by the EPA and are currently crafting a
response/recommendation that may be submitted on behalf of the ASDSO
Board of Directors. It is still somewhat unclear as to what the impact
of any EPA regulation may have on state dam safety regulatory programs.
Each
hearing will begin at 10:00 a.m. and continue until 9:00 p.m. with a
break at noon and 5:00 p.m. local time. The hearings will continue past
9:00 p.m. if necessary. People who wish for a guaranteed slot to
speak must register no later than three business days before each
hearing. Additionally, walk-ins and written comments will be
accepted at each hearing. The agency will consider the public's comments
in its final decision.
August 30: Hyatt Regency, 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Va
Sept. 2: Grand Hyatt, 1750 Welton Street, Denver, Colo.
Sept. 8: Hyatt Regency Dallas, 300 Reunion Boulevard, Dallas, Texas
Sept.14: Holiday Inn Charlotte (Airport), 2707 Little Rock Road, Charlotte, NC
Sept.16: Hilton Chicago, 720 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Ill.
Sept. 21: Omni Hotel, 530 William Penn Place, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Sept. 28: Seelbach Hilton, 500 Fourth Street, Louisville, Ky.
To pre-register to speak at the hearings, call (703) 308-8429 or sign up online at
www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/industrial/special/fossil/ccr-rule/ccr-form.htm
The deadline for written comments has been extended till November 19, 2010. Submit comments at:
www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480b36329
More information about the proposed regulation: www.epa.gov/coalashrule
Chart comparing the two approaches: www.epa.gov/coalashrule/ccr-table.htm
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Focus on Levees
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ASDSO Levee Safety Priorities
As
reported in last month's eNews, the National Committee on Levee Safety
(NCLS), in its work toward implementation of a National Levee Safety
Program, continues to hold Stakeholder Outreach Workshops around the
country to try to reach as many interested parties as possible.
The workshops provide the opportunity to give feedback to the NCLS on
their recommendations for a National Levee Safety Program. The
ASDSO leadership has developed a document detailing priorities for
implementation of a National Levee Safety Program that members and
supporters may want to use when attending NCLS Levee Stakeholder
Meetings or when engaged in any discussions involving levee
safety. (The priorities document can be found on the Levee Safety
Activities page of the ASDSO website.) The document is based on a
questionnaire format used by the NCLS and it presents a series of
questions asked of NCLS Review Team members and ASDSO's responses.
Please review these priorities and take advantage of a Stakeholder
Meeting in your area. The next scheduled workshop will be October
6th in Dallas, TX. Please review the workshop schedule for
additional dates. Contact Mark Ogden
for more information or questions on the ASDSO priorities or to find
out about an invitation to a workshop near you. Don't forget that
the Levee Safety Activities page of the ASDSO website provides links to
NCLS resources and information and previous ASDSO information on levee
safety. The NCLS resource links include the draft 2009 report to
Congress, several issue papers, a draft proposed legislative framework
for implementing the recommendations of the NCLS, and the schedule of
upcoming NCLS Stakeholder Outreach Workshops and other events.
Hearing on "Flood Preparedness & Mitigation: Map Modernization, Levee Inspection, & Levee Repairs"
On
July 28, the Subcommittee on State, Local, and Private Sector
Preparedness and Integration and the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster
Recovery heard testimony on "Flood Preparedness and Mitigation: Map
Modernization, Levee Inspection, and Levee Repairs." The purpose
of this hearing was to evaluate preparedness and mitigation efforts
among flood-prone communities and responsible federal agencies, by
evaluating the accuracy of the FEMA flood map modernization process, its
impact on states and localities, mechanisms for dispute resolution, and
the impact of levee inspections and certifications on determinations of
flood risk.
Since the epic failure of the federal levees
in New Orleans in August 2005, additional levee failures occurred during
the Midwest floods in 2008 and the historic spring floods earlier this
year in Rhode Island and Tennessee.
On March 18, 2010, 16
Senators signed a letter to FEMA and the Corps of Engineers citing
challenges in the ongoing flood map modernization process. Among the
areas listed were: a lack of communication and outreach with local
stakeholders; a lack of coordination between FEMA and USACE in answering
questions about both flood mapping, flood insurance and flood control
infrastructure repairs; a lack of recognition of locally funded flood
control projects when determining flood zones; the affordability of
flood insurance; inadequate time and resources to complete repairs to
flood control structures before flood maps are finalized; and potential
impacts new flood maps might have on economic development.
This
hearing provided an opportunity for the subcommittee to evaluate
mapping methodologies and map dispute resolution mechanisms, hear
suggestions for improved outreach to local residents and stakeholders,
and determine options for local governments to finance levee inspections
and repairs.
Witnesses were:
--The Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works, USACE
--Sandra Knight, Deputy Assistant Administrator, FEMA Federal Insurance & Mitigation Administration
--The Honorable Bob Mehlhoff, District 26, Montana House of Representatives
--Dr.
David Maidment, Director of the Center for Research in Water Resources
& the Hussein M. Alharthy Centennial Chair in Civil Engineering, The
University of Texas at Austin
--Sam Riley Medlock, JD, CFM, Policy
Counsel, Association of State Floodplain Managers and member of the
National Committee on Levee Safety
--Robert Rash, P.E., P.L.S., Chief Executive Officer & Chief Engineer, St. Francis Levee District of Arkansas
--Dr.
Joseph Suhayda, Interim Director, Louisiana State University Hurricane
Center and Chairman, Independent Technical Review Committee, FEMA/USACE
Louisiana Storm Surge Study
More information and testimony are posted at:
hsgac.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_id=7d2c0f20-cda5-4b67-bdab-4085c7d55bb9
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| Focus on Security
| Changes to the State Dam Security Panel
A
few notable changes are being made to the State Dam Security Panel,
which is part of the GCC/SCC Dams Sector: Roger Adams will replace
Dennis Dickey as the primary representative from Pennsylvania with Tom
Bold the alternate. Randy Fessler will replace Mike Sutliff as the
alternate from California.
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Member News | Don't Forget to Renew Your Membership!
It's
once again time to renew your ASDSO membership. Your current
membership expires on September 30, 2010. To help reduce ASDSO's
mailing costs we are asking members to use the easy on-line renewal
feature of our website. Simply click here and log in using your ASDSO user name and password.
Thank you for your continued commitment to ASDSO and to the improvement of dam safety in the U.S.!
Plan Now to Make Your 2010 Donation to ASDSO
 ASDSO's
official fund drive will begin in October, but it's never too early
to begin your charitable planning. Contributions from Patron Donors and
Sustaining Members support the continuation of important ASDSO
activities, including the Peer Review Program, Student Outreach, Public
Awareness of Dam Safety, and the Undergraduate Scholarship.
Watch your mailbox for your donor card or make your tax deductible contribution through the donation page on our website.
Thank you to our members who have already contributed this year!
Retirements
 After over 30 years of service to the State of Michigan, primarily in the DNRE Dam Safety Program, Jim Hayes
is retiring from state service on August 31 to pursue more relaxing
endeavors. According to Byron Lane of the Michigan program, "We
will wish him well but will sorely miss him and his near encyclopedic
knowledge of dam safety in Michigan. I've found over the years that he's
personally been to nearly every dam I've ever asked him about.
And he's a great guy to boot." Thank you, Jim, for your many years of dedication to dam safety, and best wishes for your retirement!
Ed Fiegle, Program Manager for Georgia's Safe Dams Program
will be retiring on September 30th after working for the state for over
31 years. Mr. Fiegle served as an officer and board member for ASDSO
and was ASDSO President in 1999-2000. He served on the training
committee, the Constitution and Bylaws committee and the National
Watershed Coalition committee. Mr. Fiegle has been very active in
promoting engineering. He has been a member of the Georgia Society
of Professional Engineers since 1986. He served as GSPE President
for two consecutive terms. Mr. Fiegle was twice awarded the
"Engineer of the Year in State Government" by GSPE, and was named 2010
"Engineer of the Year." Mr. Fiegle plans on enjoying his
retirement years by following the teams of his alma mater, Georgia Tech;
spending more time with his granddaughter; and tackling unfinished
"honey-do" projects.
Longtime ASDSO member Carl Montana
retired August 15 from French & Parrello, Associates, Wall
Township, NJ, where he had been Director of Water Resources. Mr.
Montana is a Licensed PE in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut,
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Delaware, Montana, Michigan
and, South Carolina. He has specialized in the planning, design and
construction of dams for more than 45 years. After earning his
B.S. Civil Engineering from Rutgers University, Mr. Montana worked for
the USDA Soil Conservation Service for 20 years and was the State Design
Engineer and State Conservation Engineer in New Jersey. He was a
member of the team that drafted the "State of New Jersey Best Practices
Guidelines for Dam Security" and has conducted a number of Vulnerability
Assessments on High Hazard dams. He has taught courses for
engineers and dam owners on the design, construction, operation and
maintenance of dams for more than 30 years. Mr. Montana is active
in several state and national organizations including ASDSO, where he is
a member of the Affiliate Member Advisory, Peer Review and Dam Security
Advisory committees. Mr. Montana was named "2008 Civil Engineer
of the Year in New Jersey" by the American Society of Civil
Engineers. Although he has retired, Mr. Montana plans to do some
consulting and to remain active in ASDSO.
Promotions
Schnabel Engineering, Inc, Glen Allen, Virginia, is pleased to announce the promotion of Michael Canino, Gregory Paxson, and John Harrison to principals of the firm.
 Greg
Paxson has more than 15 years of experience in analysis and design for
dam engineering projects and manages the dam engineering group in
Schnabel's West Chester, Pennsylvania, office. Mr. Paxson is an
active member of ASDSO and serves on the Affiliate Member Advisory
Committee. Mr. Paxson has presented numerous publications related to dam
engineering at ASDSO and other conferences. He is also a member
of the United States Society on Dams and the International Association
of Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research, Committee on Hydraulic
Structures.
John
Harrison has 20 years of experience in the inspection, analysis,
design, independent review, and construction inspection for new dam and
dam rehabilitation projects. Mr. Harrison received a Bachelor of
Arts in Philosophy from Saint Charles Seminary and Bachelor and Masters
Degrees in Civil Engineering from Villanova University. In
addition, Mr. Harrison was the 2002 recipient of the John J. Gallen
Memorial Award from Villanova University for outstanding technical
contribution to the engineering profession.
Michael
Canino, who serves as Branch Leader for Schnabel's West Chester, PA
office and is on the firm's Board of Directors, brings nearly 20 years
of experience in dam and geotechnical engineering to Schnabel. Mr.
Canino received BS degrees in civil engineering and architectural
engineering from Drexel University and his Master's Degree in civil
(geotechnical) engineering from the New Jersey Institute of
Technology. He is a registered PE in Pennsylvania, New York,
Alabama, and Delaware.
Record Number of New Members in August!
ASDSO
is pleased to announce that in the month of August over 150 new members
joined the association - so many that we cannot list all of them in
this month's E-News! However, if you are attending Dam Safety 2010,
please be sure to welcome these new individuals at the conference - just
look for a "First-time Attendee" ribbon.
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News From Related Organizations
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Canadian Dam Association
The CDA is busy with many activities, including:
--A management review - Details will be presented at the 2010 CDA general meeting.
--Continuing work on public safety guidelines for areas around dams.
--A new Technical Bulletin on Mining Dams
The
CDA Board is pursuing an initiative to establish a working
group/committee to address issues of concern to small dam owners and how
CDA can assist them in adopting the current Dam Safety Guidelines.
The
upcoming CDA conference in Niagara Falls, Oct. 2-7, will feature
approximately 100 papers, panel discussions, a trade show, and specialty
workshops on Emergency Management for Dam Safety; Inspection,
Surveillance and Data --Management; Concrete Technology; Risk Screening
Tool for Dam Safety Assessment; Slope Stability Analysis; Closure of
Oilsands and Mining Dams; Life Safety Modeling; and Extreme Floods.
Scheduled keynote speakers are:
Mr. Gerard Verzeni, Former Director of Dam Safety & the Environment for Hydro Quebec
--Dr. Ed Link, Senior research engineer with the University of Maryland Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
--Dr.
Greg Baecher, Professor of Engineering at the Glenn L. Martin Institute
and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University
of Maryland
--Dr. Paulj G. Samuels, Technical Director in the Water Management Department, HR Wallingford, UK
Technical tour will feature dams and hydro facilities in region, including the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority and OPG dams.
An interesting history of CANCOLD/CDA was published in the Summer 2010 CDA Bulletin.
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A Little History: A Personal Account of the August 1916 Lake Toxaway Dam Failure |
 (At right: A 60-foot-long
boulder washed downstream during the
Lake Toxaway dam failure. Source: NC Geological Survey)
Many thanks to Nancy Fisher of Seneca, South Carolina, who wrote to us
about the Lake Toxaway (North Carolina) dam failure of August 13, 1916.
"My
Grandmother as a young girl, had just walked over it on her way home
from Church (must have been a Sunday?) and heard it go. She used to tell
us about it. How it devastated the area and washed out so much
property." Nancy's parents, Suzanne and Haskett Whitmire, provided
the following personal account of the dam failure and its
aftermath.
As
told to me (Suzanne Bascom Stringham Whitmire) by my husband, Haskell
Whitmire: (b. 11/23/1928). Regarding the dam break at Lake Toxaway
in 1916:
"I was told by my Mother that the dam had been
leaking for a long time and they had had a lot of rain that
summer. When the dam gave way, it was Sunday, August 13, 1916.
My
Mother, Clara Owen (Whitmire), would have been in her 13th year at the
time. She and some others had walked over the dam that day on their way
to church, and they had noticed that the dam was leaking more than
usual. When they came back from church, they crossed back over the dam
and just as they got to the other side, they started to feel the earth
shaking. Then they realized it was from the dam breaking and the
water started pouring over it. There was a power house below the
dam, and someone shouted to the man in the power house to get out.
Fortunately, he did make it out just in time before the power house was
washed away. There was a deep gorge where the water was contained
so it didn't do any damage in NC, but when I was growing up, I could
still see signs of where the water had washed away a great part of the
shore line. The water, of course, continued on down the mountain
into South Carolina, and took the same pathway, which became Lake
Jocassee and Lake Keowee in the latter part of the 20th Century.
I
remember hearing the story about a man who was in his field down in SC
with his mules when the dam broke, and suddenly the water started rising
very fast. Fortunately, he was able to escape, though his mules
were not so lucky. They were both washed away, but, remarkably, no
human lives were lost in the flood. The story goes that the man ran to
tell his wife that God had lied when he said the earth would not be
destroyed by water again because it was happening right before their
eyes!
The dam had been holding
back Lake Toxaway, which had become a very popular tourist
area. There was a beautiful, 365-bedroom hotel on the lake. It was
filled with ornate furnishings and woodwork. A lot of tourists
came there regularly by passenger train from Brevard, NC, which was
about 20 miles away. It was such a popular resort that the train made
several trips daily. A lot of very well known and wealthy people
were regulars there.
A man named Jennings owned the hotel
and he had a caretaker for the hotel and for the several thousand acres
of woods that surrounded it. His name was Tolvin Miller. He and
his wife lived in a house next to the hotel. This man was my
mother's uncle. His wife was Cynthia Owen Miller, the sister of my
mother's father.
After the dam broke, the hotel closed
down and the area became almost deserted. Eventually the train
track was taken up. The empty hotel stood there for many years and
eventually was torn down. That was while I was still living at home. I
worked there for some time with my father and uncle while it was being
dismantled. The hotel and furniture were all made with beautiful
lumber. Someone from Tennessee had bought the hotel, and took the
wood to Tennessee and used it there to build houses. I remember,
before it was torn down, that they were selling all the furniture, but
many people just went in a loaded up their trucks without even paying
pay for it. The hotel was originally built back in the 1800s; I'm
not sure exactly when.
It wasn't until sometime in the
early 1960s that the dam was rebuilt. The area again has become a
popular tourist attraction with many lovely residential homes built
around the new Lake Toxaway."
--Transcribed by Suzanne S. Whitmire
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This
newsletter is written and distributed by the Association of State Dam
Safety Officials, 450 Old Vine St., Lexington, KY 40507. Contact ASDSO
by phone (859.257.5140), fax (859.323-1958) or by email.
ASDSO
Association of State Dam Safety Officials
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