Fortunately we haven't had any issues in Indiana with all the rain, snow melt and flooding, even with the scares of a potential dam failure up on Freeman-Shafer (that was later reported to be misinformation). However, there have been instances in Indiana during such weather events, so I thought I'd share one of those.
Lake Salinda is (was) a 126 acre lake built in 1947 in Salem, Indiana. It now serves as a backup water supply to the city, having lost nearly half its surface acreage at one point due to siltation over the years. Back in May 2004 a series of extreme wet weather events led to a partial dam failure. You can read the news report here: Damage to Lake Salinda dam to be assessed
The lake was closed to all recreational boating and has been for the past 3-4 years while they determined what to do and how to pay for it. A firm was hired to inspect the damaged structure and design the new improvements. Ultimately the project was contracted out and work started to reconstruct and improve the structure, bringing it back up to full compliance at a cost of ~$1.3-$1.5 million dollars (I believe that is what I read). That process is still ongoing and you can read an update along with viewing some before and after pictures here: Lake Salinda Dam Improvements
Posted by: |