Wolfe Creek Dam Problems

[kreyfish]

I was watching the news last night and they had a segment on about preparations and possible evacuations should the dam break. I knew that it was leaking, but I didn't think that it was this bad. They said that they (TVA?) were instructing people to get emergency weather radios for any alerts that would be sent out.

Has the problem gottent this bad or is this the typical TV news story that creates a lot of excitement over nothing? One thing they failed to mention during the report was what was being done to fix the problem...typical TV.

I think that I heard that this is going to take several (7?) years to fix...does anyone have the real scoop on the situation?

[buzzking]

failing to plan is planning to fail
they are just preparing for the worst, it could happen but it wont, if left unrepaired i would say it would more than likely fail in the next 25-35 years, but they got it under control

[riverman]

Construction will begin in 2007 on a 7 year, 3 hundred million dollar project to repair the leaking dam. In the meantime they're trying to prepare those who live downstream for the worst. I've heard rumours of a new warning system similar to those used in areas that are prone to tsunamis.

[WF]

I had heard that they were lowering the water level in the lake now to begin repairs. Is it not until 2007? The water is awfully low. Do you know why it is so low?

[buzzking]

fall drawdown

[kreyfish]

"failing to plan is planning to fail" I couldn't agree more...but it seems that this information/warning should have been covered a long time ago. It just struck me a odd that they are JUST NOW getting this information out.

Had I NOT known about the situation down at the dam, I would have thought that it's collaps was only days away. That's TV news for ya.

[kygorski]

I have been fishing at the dam for the past few days, they are not doing much generating, but that could be because the lake level is so low.But the dam story is really old news,they have been talking about this problem since august.I dont think the dam will break, if they were really concerned they would curtail traffic over the dam by heavy trucks. If it broke, i would have river front property for a little while at least.

[SpotBoy]

>I had heard that they were
>lowering the water level in
>the lake now to begin
>repairs. Is it not
>until 2007? The water
>is awfully low. Do
>you know why it is
>so low?


I think the main reason the lake is so low is remember we are around 9 inches behind on rain fall !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mkspw]

I think about the dam sometimes when camped below it or fishing the river up the river from Burkesville. Hopefully if anything goes wrong with the dam everyone would have enought warning to get out.

[Viking]

I remember a few years back they worked on the dam for a couple of years. They had traffic lights on the dam for years. They said that they were strengthing the dam then.