Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Site inspections were performed recently on several local dams, to see what repairs, if any, need to be done.
UNDER INSPECTION — Tony Fletcher, a civil engineer 1 and state dam inspector for the Maine Emergency Management Agency, emerges from the dam at Arnold Brook Lake June 29, following a site inspection of the concrete structure. Assisting him at left is Jim Kaiser, interim director of the Presque Isle Public Works Department. Fletcher visited several dams in the Star City, looking for structural problems.
Tony Fletcher, a civil engineer 1 and state dam inspector for the Maine Emergency Management Agency, was in Presque Isle to inspect the dams at Hanson Lake, Echo Lake and Arnold Brook Lake.
“It was time to do inspections on several local dams. I had great cooperation from the Public Works Department and Presque Isle Fire Department. They’re really good to work with,” said Fletcher, during his inspection of the dam at Arnold Brook Lake.
Fletcher said Arnold’s structure is holding up quite well, given its age.
“This is one of the few places we can get a view of the interior structure. We usually only get external views, like at Hanson. I only found a few minor issues here. Considering this dam is about 40 years old, that’s remarkable,” said Fletcher.
Staff photo/Kathy McCartyTONY FLETCHER, a civil engineer 1 and state dam inspector for the Maine Emergency Management Agency, takes measurements during the June 29 inspection of the dam at Arnold Brook Lake in Presque Isle.
At Hanson, Fletcher found the gate to be leaking “a couple hundred gallons a minute.”
“Hanson has a pond, not a box like Arnold’s. To seal the flow is difficult to do. We don’t like to send divers down not knowing what’s in the water. Echo Lake’s dam will also need a more detailed inspection, for the same reasons. It’s difficult to get a good look at structures like those, compared to the concrete dam at Arnold,” Fletcher said, noting the concrete at Arnold has held up well over the years.
“The Corps of Engineers did a good job designing it,” he said.
Hanson and Echo had similar problems, according to Fletcher, with access being limited. He said each structure is “nearing the end of its life” and will need replacing. He said he understood replacement won’t take place any time soon, given the cost involved and the current economic climate affecting communities nationwide.
With maintenance, Fletcher said the dams still have a few good years possibly.
“Like any well-constructed structure, they need maintaining. The ultimate goal is to replace them. It’s a heavy burden to the town. Now’s the time to start looking for funding,” Fletcher said.
The three lakes were created as recreational facilities and as a way of controlling water levels in the community.
“Arnold Brook Lake was started around 1971 and completed in 1972. It consists of 390 acres or about 2,890 acre feet and requires 4,590 acre feet capacity for breach of dam,” said Code Enforcement Officer George Howe, who along with Fire Chief Darrell White, assisted Fletcher in inspecting the dams.
Jim Kaiser, interim director of the Public Works Department, also assisted with the inspection process.
“I had a crew move the boulders at Arnold to allow vehicles to get right down to the dam. It’s been quite interesting, getting a first-hand look at the dams, especially Arnold’s. I’ve only been on the job a short time but I’ve learned so much. This is proving to be quite the learning experience,” said Kaiser.
GETTING A CLOSER LOOK at the inside of the dam at Arnold Brook Lake during a recent inspection are, clockwise from top: Code Enforcement Officer George Howe, Fire Chief Darrell White and Interim director of Public Works Jim Kaiser.
