Construction is under way at Dover Dam on the installation of 17 large steel
bar anchors to provide increased stability of the dam until a permanent
rehabilitation project is started sometime in 2010.
Nick Krupa, Muskingum Area Manager for the Huntington (WV) District of the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said that workers will install the
3-inch diameter steel bars in the dam's existing foundation drains. Krupa
provided an update report on the project to members of the Muskingum
Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) Board of Directors during their
meeting today (Dec. 21) in New Philadelphia.
The MWCD, which was formed in the 1930s to develop and implement a plan for
flood reduction and water conservation that included the construction of
Dover and 13 other dams in the Muskingum River Watershed, is the federally
required local cost-share sponsor for the construction work at Dover Dam.
The MWCD has paid the USACE $27,600 toward its share of the $919,000
project, with the federal government covering more than 96 percent of the
overall cost.
The MWCD has determined that the continued work on Dover Dam as well as
other safety measures throughout the watershed will require a new funding
source to attract the hundreds of millions of dollars available in federal
funds.
Krupa told Board members that the Dover project is expected to be completed
by the summer of 2008. A contract for the work was awarded by the federal
government to Tab Construction Co. of Canton. Construction of the permanent
rehabilitation at the concrete dam located off Rt. 800 north of Dover is
expected to begin sometime in 2010 and cost about $100.8 million.
USACE officials have reported that the dam has stability concerns and needs
upgraded for effective performance in reducing the effects of flooding in
the watershed.
The USACE owns and operates the flood-reduction dams in the watershed, with
the MWCD managing the reservoir areas behind the dams where floodwaters are
stored temporarily for safe release downstream. Because of the safety
concerns associated with the dam, the USACE has classified the need for work
at the dam as "urgent," which is the second highest safety concern rating in
the United States.
Runoff rainwater managed behind Dover Dam flows from the northern section of
the watershed, including from portions of Carroll, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, Wayne and
Medina counties. The USACE has stated that a Dover Dam failure would have
catastrophic consequences downstream.
Three other dams in the Muskingum River Watershed - Beach City, Bolivar and
Mohawk - as well as Zoar Levee also were rated in the urgent category by the
USACE and are expected to undergo improvements in upcoming years, Krupa
said. The total cost of the upgrades at all of the structures is estimated
between $510 million and $680 million, with a federally mandated cost-share
obligation of between $95 million to $135 million.
MWCD officials have said the conservancy district plans to serve as the
local cost-share sponsor for the projects, with its share funded through a
proposed assessment of property owners in the 18-county MWCD region.
The MWCD has projected that 94 percent of the nearly 500,000 parcels subject
to the assessment would pay an annual fee of $12 per year. According to the
Ohio law that oversees conservancy districts, the assessment fee is
collected as a part of a property owner's regular county property tax
collection. Information about the MWCD and the assessment can be reviewed
online at the MWCD website at www.mwcd.org, and the
MWCD also can be contacted toll-free at (877) 363-8500.
The MWCD has used the income from its recreational facilities and the
stewardship of its lands, waters and other natural resources to fund all of
its operations to date. This has included the funding of the local share
required by federal law for dam repair work. The rising costs associated
with safety upgrades and maintenance in the system of reservoirs and dams
are more than the MWCD can generate from its traditional revenue sources.
The counties wholly or partially contained in the MWCD jurisdiction are
Ashland, Belmont, Carroll, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Holmes, Knox,
Licking, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Richland, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas,
Washington and Wayne.
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