Dam Inspector

[engatwork]

came and inspected the dam yesterday. Says they had sent a letter giving me a heads up that they were coming but I don't remember seeing a letter. Anyway, comes through a closed gate, down a heavily wooded 1/4 mile driveway and pulled down to the house. Wife was here and he announced himself and headed down to the dam to do his thing. The guy did not leave a card and the wife and I thought it was someone casing out the joint (I was at the mill). I called the local Sheriff and told him about it. He said that he would make some calls. He called back about an hour later and it seems the Department of Natural Resources has an Environmental Protection Division with a Safe Dams department. He was down from ATL inspecting my dam. Quick google search reflected a whole bunch of paperwork dictating existing dam requirements. First time I've ever seen it. The dam was built in 1935 and even if it failed I own the property it would flood. Go figure.

When we become fully socialist the DNR will be on the front line in my opinion.

What a bunch of bull.

[t walgamuth]

Some people have no people skills.

[MTI]

A few years back there was a private dam failure that killed some folks on Kauai. Big criminal and civil lawsuits. Dam owner, who owned a Honda dealership, is doing jail time.

[MS Fowler]

Back in the late 1970s, or early '80s there was a failure of a dam that was impounding coal refuse sludge. It killed a number of people. Army Corps of Engineers was tasked to develop a program to have all small dams evaluated. Many states also adopted some minimum practices for the design and construction of small dams.
Biggest problem with old small dams is the lack of maintenance--trees growing on the embankment etc.
Some people caused a problem and now everyone with a dam has to pay a price.

[engatwork]

I've got huge old pine trees growing on the non water side of the dam that are probably 50+ years old. I do keep the water side and top of the dam cleaned up. It will be interesting to see what kind of feedback I get from em.

[97 SL320]

There is a small fishing lake I know of ( I don't fish ) that traps borrowing animals to prevent a breach of the dam end. Their concern is that if the dam side fails the EPA /DEP / and others will prevent them from rebuilding it.

[BAVBMW]

Originally Posted by 97 SL320

There is a small fishing lake I know of ( I don't fish ) that traps borrowing animals to prevent a breach of the dam end. Their concern is that if the dam side fails the EPA /DEP / and others will prevent them from rebuilding it.

What have the animals been borrowing? Do they have something akin to a library?

MV

[Botnst]

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Back in the late 1970s, or early '80s there was a failure of a dam that was impounding coal refuse sludge. It killed a number of people. Army Corps of Engineers was tasked to develop a program to have all small dams evaluated. Many states also adopted some minimum practices for the design and construction of small dams.
Biggest problem with old small dams is the lack of maintenance--trees growing on the embankment etc.
Some people caused a problem and now everyone with a dam has to pay a price.

Then there was Johnstown .... Johnstown Flood - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[kerry]

Originally Posted by BAVBMW

What have the animals been borrowing? Do they have something akin to a library?

MV

Yes, which causes bookworms to undermine the dam.

[JB3]

My guess is you will hear nothing. If they have a problem with it, the first you hear about it will be a fine for non compliance. Bureaucracy at its finest.

We had a guy show up at our house in an unmarket car asking to come in doing an evaluation for property taxes. He was waving around a letter dated the previous year saying the city was sending around inspectors.

Im surprised this guy hadnt been shot he was so unoffical looking.

I took his ID and verified who he was with the cops, who told me they had received something like 40 calls on this guy. They could even describe what he was wearing to me.

[engatwork]

The director of the DNR called me today and apologized for the individuals appearance and explained that they are inspecting all dams in the county. He said there are no laws in place (yet) whereas dam owners have to comply with anything they offer as guidelines.

[kerry]

There's a civil servant doing his job. good for him.

[TylerH860]

Sounds like an interesting job.

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by JB3

My guess is you will hear nothing. If they have a problem with it, the first you hear about it will be a fine for non compliance. Bureaucracy at its finest.

We had a guy show up at our house in an unmarket car asking to come in doing an evaluation for property taxes. He was waving around a letter dated the previous year saying the city was sending around inspectors.

Im surprised this guy hadnt been shot he was so unoffical looking.

I took his ID and verified who he was with the cops, who told me they had received something like 40 calls on this guy. They could even describe what he was wearing to me.

LOL!

[engatwork]

What instigated the phone call was the email complaint I had sent to the director of the EPD yesterday afternoon.