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Dworshak Dam deemed deficient by Corps of Engineers
February 20, 2008, 3:53 pm
The Corps of Engineers is inspecting and assigning safety ratings to all of its dams using a rating system titled Dam Safety Action Classification.
Dworshak Dam received a DSAC rating of II, which is the second highest level of risk and is considered “urgent and either unsafe or potentially unsafe.”
According to the report, Dworshak presents “no immediate danger to people and property below the dam,” however, should a failure occur, the risk to public safety and economic consequences would be “very high.”
Port of Whitman County Properties and Development Manager Debbie Snell said if the dam were to fail the impact on the Port of Wilma, located in the southeast corner of Whitman County, and the surrounding area would be devastating.
“I think the whole (Lewis-Clark) valley should be concerned about it,” Snell said. “If Dworshak is undermined ... that’s a big volume of water to come down the river at once.”
Inspections and studies show that seeping and leaking water is passing through the dam’s foundation and joint drains. However, the report stated that “the probability of failure at Dworshak Dam is relatively low.”
Dworshak Dam is located on the Clearwater River near Orofino. The Port of Wilma is about 40 miles downstream from the dam.
The Port of Whitman County also manages the Port of Almota, located about four miles downriver from Lower Granite Lock and Dam, and the Port of Central Ferry, which is about 50 miles downriver from the Port of Wilma.
For updates, see DNews.com or Thursday’s edition of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
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