Officials: HVL Dam Slip Not An Immediate Risk

The spillway at the Hidden Valley Lake Dam

has been hard at work lately.

HVLPOA

(Hidden Valley, Ind.) - A surface slippage on the dam at Hidden Valley Lake has residents on edge, although it poses no immediate threat to the community say officials.

Dearborn County Emergency Management Director Bill Black says a slippage was noticed at the dame on Tuesday.

The discovery led to Hidden Valley Property Manager Bruce Keller activating an Emergency Response Plan. The dam has been placed on watch.

Black says state and local officials were on scene Wednesday and determined the dam is a concern, but no reason for residents to be alarmed.

“While any slope movement on a dam is a matter of concern this situation is not felt to represent an immediate risk to the dam. Normal water flow continues to pass through the principal spillway. There is no uncontrolled release of water and none is anticipated,” said Black.

The dam is being monitored every six hours by Hidden Valley engineers and employees for the time being.

Construction equipment will arrive at the dam within the next week to begin make repairs. The Hidden Valley Property Owners Association released a statement saying the “major” repairs have been scheduled for completion on December 16.

Reports will be sent to appropriate Indiana and Ohio officials on the progress of the project.

Possibly to blame for the slippage is the very wet year the tri-state has experienced in 2011.  The National Weather Service has recorded nearly 70 inches of rain at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport so far this year, well ahead of the region’s average annual rainfall of about 39 inches.