More problems revealed at Ryerson dam
HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials said that ongoing monitoring of the dam at Ryerson Station State Park in Greene County shows that it is continuing to move and develop new cracks. “Our priority continues to be ensuring the health and safety of residents living downstream of the dam,” said DEP Deputy Secretary of Water Management Cathleen Curran Myers. “We will continue to monitor and study movement of the dam and its foundation, and whether the existing dam can be rehabilitated or replaced.”
The ongoing monitoring, conducted by consultants Gannett Fleming Inc. of Camp Hill, showed that a park access bridge downstream of the dam also is moving, though no damage to the bridge is evident. The update was reported to state officials in a meeting late last week.
No cause for the damage to the dam has been determined, and investigations will continue. Until movement of the dam foundation is complete and structural damage ceases, a final assessment of the damage to the dam and its future viability cannot be provided.
The 62-acre lake formed by the dam was drawn down immediately July 28 after joint inspections by DCNR and DEP uncovered serious structural concerns, including dramatically increased seepage and cracks in the concrete structure.
In August, the state agencies decided to remove a portion of the dam spillway to prevent the reservoir from refilling after heavy rains and runoff, which could have further stressed the damaged structure. The partial spillway removal was completed Aug. 24.
Despite the current state of the dam, officials are searching for ways to restore recreational water uses at the park, which features picnicking, hiking, camping and a seasonal swimming pool. The 1,164-acre Ryerson Station State Park opened in 1967 in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania near the West Virginia border. The concrete dam across the North Fork of the Dunkard Fork of Wheeling Creek was built in 1960.
“We are exploring the potential for restoration of a stream channel through the accumulated silt and sediment in the former reservoir area,” said DCNR State Parks Bureau Director Roger Fickes. “DCNR will be meeting with federal and state biologists to further investigate this possibility in order to provide recreational opportunities to the local community until we determine the future of the lake.”
Other stakeholders attending the Sept. 8 meeting were representatives of local legislators’ offices, the Greene County Conservation District, Consol Energy and Duke Energy.