Dam evaluations on tap for Henry County sites

Henry County’s Stormwater Department has received the go-ahead to get proposals for professional engineering studies for three dams which have been identified as in need of immediate attention.

The structures at Lake Cindy, Lake Dow Estates and Swan Lake are all classified as Category 1 dams, which means a breach could result in “loss of life and catastrophic personal property damage,” according to county officials. About two dozen dams in that classification are in the county, most of which are owned by private citizens or homeowner associations which have neither the financial resources nor the expertise to evaluate and repair them properly, county staff indicated.

A consultant with the appropriate experience in dam work will be solicited, and any information from subsequent evaluations will be brought back to the commissioners for a determination on the course of action and costs involved.