Residents, officials worry worn dam could soon burst

LARSEN BAY, Alaska (AP) – Residents and local officials are worried that an Alaska dam may be in danger of bursting.

The Kodiak Daily Mirror reports State Rep. Louise Stutes said last week that the dam in Larsen Bay is “in dire straits.”

City employee Bill Nelson says the dam is experiencing erosion of its concrete intake structure – the channel that controls water flow.

Nelson says their pleas for help with the dam have gone unanswered, and the spillway is increasingly unable to effectively manage the load.

Nelson says repairs should begin as soon as possible to avert catastrophe and avoid even more expensive problems in the future.

The Alaska Energy Authority built the plant in the late 1980s. It provides electricity for the town of 86 residents, as well as 70 percent of the town’s potable water.
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Information from: Kodiak (Alaska) Daily Mirror, http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com

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