key partner to Woodlake as we continue to work through the repairs to the dam. ... However, Hurricane Matthew damaged th
Dear Woodlake Residents,
Woodlake CC Corp would like to thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to work through remediation to the Woodlake Dam. As many of you know, the catastrophic events of Hurricane Matthew, compounded by the close follow-on to Hurricane Hermine, placed a tremendous strain on our dam. We are proud that the dam safely held the unprecedented flood waters while so many others in the state broke under the strain. This was accomplished primarily through the extraordinary effort and dedication of Geosyntec engineers and their staff, Moore County Emergency Services, and our staff, in coordinating the response and execution of our Emergency Action Plan. We would also like to thank Moore County officials and the State of North Carolina for their invaluable support during the storm event for providing emergency services, including the mobilization of the National Guard and FEMA support. The North Carolina Division of Environmental Quality remains a key partner to Woodlake as we continue to work through the repairs to the dam.
Safety remains our primary concern regarding the dam, both for our residents and for those living downstream. As you know, the dam consists primarily of an earthen embankment with a concrete spillway allowing the passing of excess water. The good news is that the earthen dam remains solid. However, Hurricane Matthew damaged the spillway, causing a partial collapse on the down-slope side. Unfortunately, the damage extends beyond the visible collapse, requiring a complete rebuild of the concrete spillway in order to safely meet requirements. Additionally, safety requirements have increased since completion of initial construction. The existing spillway would not meet the current requirements, resulting in a completely new spillway design and build. As you can imagine, the cost for a new dam is significant. We recently reached a consent agreement with the state to complete interim dam work to come into safety compliance. We are proud to say that we have a path forward to meet the state's safety requirements. We have retained the services of a trusted and reliable dam engineering firm, Schnabel Engineering, and are moving forward with a design-build of the interim repair to the dam.
A partial breach of the dam is mandated by the consent agreement with the state(a full breach would remove the entire dam, both earthen and spillway). The interim repair requires removal of the existing spillway. This will allow the spillway to pass flow from a storm event without risk of dam over-topping or failure but will not allow any pooling of water in the lake. In order to return the lake to full pool and service, a subsequent final design and build is required, expanding upon the existing spillway in order to provide the added
capacity. Woodlake CC Corp is committed to finishing the dam remediation and will perform it as expeditiously as possible. We ask for your continued support and understanding as we work through the interim solution and towards the final solution.
Julie Watson General Manager
