Not really, but this issue does need everyone’s attention…
This is the FIRST in a series of stories focused on the Lake Gladewater Dam and published in the Nov. 6 issue of the Gladewater Mirror |
The Lake Gladewater Dam is going to fail.
For more than 15 years, the mantra has been “the clock is ticking.” Now that regular inspections are happening, it’s possible to track the steady deterioration of the 73-year-old structure, which was constructed with an effective 50-year lifespan.
Without substantial intervention in the near-future, the projected timeline anticipates an emergency situation in the next five to 10 years.
There’s no cause for panic, but preparation is absolutely necessary, now. Authorities are working simultaneously to prevent a catastrophe by shoring up the dam for decades to come and to prepare for a catastrophe if certain triggers are met or the dam begins deteriorating rapidly and failure becomes imminent.
Multiple lives would be lost.
Failure also means hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and in lost revenues. It could wipe out Gladewater’s only water source. Local infrastructure will be wrecked. Major transportation routes will be inundated, possibly washed out. Flooding will have impacts downstream in Gregg County.
City of Gladewater officials are aware and actively working on a solution. They’re closely-monitoring the dam. They’re coordinating with partners in Gregg and Upshur County, across the state and at the federal level. They’re pursuing grant funding to cover the significant costs that will be required fix the structure long-term.
An initial estimate puts the price tag at as much as $15 million.
Gladewater doesn’t have funds on hand to begin the engineering and repairs today. The hope is that if enough people here speak out, someone will listen.
– By JAMES DRAPER
Part 2: Regular dam inspections show ongoing deterioration
Part 3: Gladewater dam creates community’s sole water source
Part 4: Plan for the Worst…
Part 5: …Work for the Best
Part 6: What can you do?
Part 7: Aging dams become common problem for U.S. communities
Add’l: Landscape Ecology assessment by E. Simpson, Aug. 2, 2024