Blood From a Stone: Lessons Learned Removing an Unsafe Dam

摘要

Faced with a failing dam and regulatory pressure to take action, the dam owner made their position clear - full cooperation with any removal scheme, but they could not "get blood from a stone". The family that has owned property for multiple generations did not have the financial means to remove the hazard. The Martin Farm Dam was constructed in 1965 to provide for aquaculture and as a recreational asset for a young family. Unfortunately, decades of neglect meant that by April 2016 the structure was in imminent danger of failure. Faced with a plugged riser, partially collapsed spillway pipe and rising water levels, the dam owner contacted the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) Dam Safety Division, which was previously unaware of the dam. Inspections revealed a heavily wooded embankment and a slowly progressing internal erosion failure that had removed a significant portion of the downstream embankment. DSS-WISE Lite was used to assess potential downstream impacts, resulting in a significant hazard classification. Recognizing that the situation was not within their means to address, in 2017 the owner engaged GreenTrust Alliance (GTA), a green infrastructure non-profit, as an adviser Concurrently, the MDE Dam Safety Division performed frequent inspections, investigated possible funding sources, and met with senior state and local officials, emergency managers and other parties to convey the urgency of the matter. The record-setting rains of 2018 prompted the Dam Safety Division to construct an emergency siphon to lower rising water levels. This action convinced key decision makers that dam failure was a real possibility By emphasizing both the public safety hazard and the ecological benefits of restored wetlands and streams in an environmentally sensitive watershed, GTA was able to obtain grant funding to remove the dam, which was completed in January 2019. This presentation explores lessons learned from this project, touching on need for a project "champion", the tools used to inform decision makers, the regulatory flexibility and predictability needed to fast-track construction, and the adaptability of the project partners to deliver the project while meeting regulatory goals and avoiding impacts to sensitive wild brook trout populations downstream.