By M. Cory Broussard

March 1, 2006 | HYRUM -- The City Council heard a proposal Thursday to start an investigation into the condition of Blacksmith Upper Dam, which the federal government deemed hazardous in a letter sent to the council.

The dam was inspected by state engineers in September and found that the dam did not meet minimum standards set by the State Legislature. According to a document from the state engineers, the dam's spillways are ill prepared to handle a major storm event and the dam itself has two locations where water is leaking through. The letter gives the council 90 days to respond with a plan to bring the dam up to state minimum standards.

Jay Franson, an engineer the city hired to evaluate the dam, said that the cause of the leaks was unknown, but most likely from cracks in the bedrock that the dam sits on.

Franson stated that if the leaks were fixed the dam could produce $3,000 to $5,000 more a year, which could cover the cost of the repair.

Mayor Dean Howard proposed and the council approved a plan to begin excavation on the dam to determine the cause of the seepage.

Once the leaks are fixed, the city will make a proposal to the state for funds to bring the dam up to the minimum standards. The dam is currently not a priority for the state, but once the proposal is made Franson believes state funds will be available within five years. State funds would cover 80 percent and the city would be required to provide the other 20 percent of the cost of the project, Franson said.

Franson was quick to say that even though the dam has been deemed hazardous by the state, it was still very low risk. As long as the council begins working on fixing the situation the problems could be avoided, he said.

Howard approved a proposal to respond to the state's letter and begin work to bring the dam up to minimum standards.

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