Dam Gate Failure Posing No Immediate Threat

The failure Monday afternoon of one of the gates at the Lake Merriweather dam poses no immediate danger to the public, Rockbridge County emergency management coordinator Robert Foresman emphasized from the Goshen site later this evening.

Foresman confirmed that the residents can expect to see the Maury River rise 2 to 3 feet throughout Monday night and even into Tuesday morning. As of Monday evening, the river was already noticeably higher, and Foresman said water in Goshen Pass appeared to be more turgid. However, the water was still within the river's banks during the evening hours.

Notification of the failure of the dam gate was made on the Alert Rockbridge system shortly after 4 p.m. Foresman said that it was too soon to determine the reason for the failure, the extent of the damage to the gate or how long it would take to make the necessary repairs.

Lake Merriweather is part of the Goshen Scout Reservation and is owned by the National Capital Council of the Boy Scouts.
 

This is part of the December 30, 2009 online edition of The News-Gazette.

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