Race to patch-up enormous 60ft crack in Utah dam caused by expanding ice, ... trends now
Workers have raced to patch-up an enormous 60ft crack in a Utah dam after expanding ice caused it to open up, threatening a gorgeous town that lies below it.
On Monday, the Garfield County Sheriff's Office announced that the Panguitch Lake Dam was damaged after discovering 'traverse cracking on the upper portion of the dam.'
Although the split has caused water to pour into the town, state and local leaders said that there is no imminent danger to the 1,800 residents.
But officials have still warned the community to prepare for a possible evacuation if conditions worsen, and provided a list of procedures at a town meeting on Wednesday night.
Everett Taylor, an assistant state engineer for dam safety with the Utah Division of Water Rights told residents: 'I can't say that the emergency situation is entirely averted, but I´m very, very encouraged by the progress we've made today.'
On Monday, the Garfield County Sheriff's Office announced that the Panguitch Lake Dam was damaged after discovering 'traverse cracking on the upper portion of the dam'
Panguitch, a small city in Utah, is thought to have gotten its name because of its immense population of rainbow trout that live in the many lakes in the area. (pictured: storefronts in town)
Taylor added the process of lowering the reservoir could take several days as two feet of water remained above the crack on Wednesday night.
Workers have managed to cover 45ft of the crack with boulders and plan to relieve some of the pressure against the dam by making large cuts across the ice sheet.
Video of the opened dam showed rushing water flowing downstream as Taylor said that the ice sheet had pushed up against it and caused the top to crack.
'This can be orderly,' he said. 'If the notice is that the dam has broken or breached, we have time.'
Crews were seen working to stop the water from surging through the crack as they operated excavators around the dam and dropped large boulders.
The fissure was first noticed by local officials on Monday night during an inspection, before they announced the level two breach risk to the public on Tuesday.
A level two breach risk is a designation in the middle of the three-prong scale that means there is potential for dam failure.
If there is a breach, state and local law enforcement would team up with the Red Cross to evacuate Panguitch, which sits about 10 miles downstream from the dam.
Circleville, another tiny town located farther downstream, could face a lower flood risk if there is a breach.
