ALTAMAHAW, N.C. — Alamance County Emergency Management continues to monitor a dam that's leaking, causing some concerns downstream.
Since then, the NC Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Quality Dam Safety Division (NCDEQ) and the State Emergency Management Office have been in contact with representatives from Alamance County Emergency Management Office (ACEM) as well as Glen Raven Mills, owner of the dam.
Chip Ferguson, Hazmat Specialist with ACEM, said Emergency Management is conducting spot checks, especially after significant rain events. After the last significant rain event, the water flow in the breach area returned to near-initial flow rates when it was first discovered, but no worse, according to Ferguson.
The NCDEQ classified the dam as "low hazard" and it remained that way since the leak was discovered. According to Ferguson, the most recent breach models still showed that a breach would have minimal impact to property downstream.
Still, Ferguson said ACEM continues to update property owners nearby with the most current information available.
The latest information from NCDEQ and the dam owner project repair efforts for late August or early September, according to Ferguson.
Water activities downstream have been impacted by the leaks. Brian Baker, Director of Alamance Parks, said Altamahaw Paddle Access remains closed. The three closest accesses downstream are open, with warnings posted about the dam. Those include Shallow Ford Natural Area, Great Bend Park at Glencoe and Glencoe Paddle Access, according to Baker.
