It’s been seven years since the dam at the Chandler’s Mill Pond was structurally compromised. Since then, there have been tests, borings, surveys, and several engineering firms have been hired. Yet, the Chandler’s Mill Pond dam is still incomplete after being compromised again back in 2020 due to exceptional rainfalls.
At last week’s board of supervisors meeting, questions were at long last answered about the status of the dam. The update came in the form of an email from John Kirk, the Capital Programs manager of the Department of Wildlife Resources, who is in charge of overseeing the repair of Chandler’s Mill Pond Dam.
According to Kirk, the grates on the spillway had been removed, and the storm debris was stabilized. Furthermore, the erosion-damaged spot around the fish ladder had been stabilized and a temporary culvert installed along with a bypass channel to keep water levels low.
However, according to Kirk, delays can be attributed to issues ranging from the impact of the coronavirus on contractors, to the supply chain and to the weather.
“We are working with our consultant engineer on drawings needed to finalize the remaining renovation work the email continued. “I expect to have those complete within the next couple of weeks.”
From there, Kirk stated that a new primary spillway will be installed to make sure the pond remains at a level that doesn’t impact Route 3 like it did back when it flooded in November of 2020 and June of 2021. Afterwards, the bypass channel will be blocked off and, hopefully, the dam will be restored to its previous condition.
Unfortunately, the pond has to remain drained until all the work is complete, and Kirk did not have a clear timeline for when the water levels would be restored.
To say the board had some strong words for how the whole project had been handled is a bit of an understatement.
“I would love to see that pond filled with water before the leaves turn this fall,” Vice Chairman Woody Hynson stated to county administrator Norm Risavi. “And I know you can get tough, be mean, and turn red. It’s time for you to do a Woody Hynson impression and tell them that if they can’t get a job done, then we don’t need to send any more tax money from the county to the state. They have run out of excuses, and I’m tired of it.”
Chairman Darryl Fisher was the last to speak up, stating, “All of us are as frustrated as the rest of the citizens of this county about that pond. I don’t have a clue what the answer is. I believe you could take a backhoe and some dump trucks full of dirt, some filter cloth, and some riprap, and you could plug the hole and let the water run through the spillway. It may not meet any of their specs if that were to happen, but it’d hold water.”
After the many delays and setbacks, it will certainly take some serious work for the faith of the county’s citizenry in the project to be restored.
Supervisors and citizens are frustrated by the lack of progress
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