President Donald Trump’s proposed budget contains $50.1 million for a safety project at the East Branch Clarion River Lake Dam in Elk County, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently announced.
“The allocations for the East Branch Dam Safety Initiative will allow us to continue to construct the full-length, full-depth concrete cutoff wall through the dam to address seepage issues,” said Corps spokesman Jeff Hawk. “Since its construction, the dam has prevented an estimated $415.5 million in damages, in fiscal year 2017 dollars.”
A cutoff wall contract, awarded in 2014, is expected to be finished by fall 2020 at the East Branch Clarion River Lake, one of 16 flood control projects in the Pittsburgh District. The site provides flood protection for the Clarion River Valley as well as the lower Allegheny and upper Ohio Rivers.
The total project cost is estimated at $248 million and consists of the cutoff wall construction contract, road improvements, instrumentation, lighting and other project requirements, officials say. The minimum 18-inch-wide continuous vertical concrete cutoff wall will be approximately 2,300 feet long with an approximate maximum depth of 250 feet through the existing embankment dam into bedrock, officials said.
“Following the completion of the cutoff wall construction, USACE will conduct an evaluation of the repair to ensure that it meets the agency’s dam safety standards,” officials said. “Upon verification, the district will implement a water management plan that incrementally raises lake levels while monitoring the performance of the repair. The district’s main objective is to ensure public safety while returning operation of the dam and management of the reservoir to its historical operation.”
After problems with the dam were unearthed in 2008, the Pittsburgh District put into place several interim risk reduction measures, including increased monitoring, continued on-site staffing, updated emergency action plans and lowered water levels in the reservoir to lessen the strain on the dam.
“These and other short-term actions have allowed the district to minimize dam safety risk while still fulfilling the authorized purpose of the dam until permanent risk reduction measures are completed,” officials said.
The East Branch was completed in 1952, the Corps reported on its website. Water stored at East Branch is released downstream during dry periods.
