Spillways at Lake McClure

 

 

 

The spillways at for Lake McClure seem ill defined at best.  The above images are from an MID Spillway Modification Project fact sheet and from Google Earth. (The Google Earth images are from May 30 2010.  Images from previous years are very similar).  In the Google Earth image the red arrow to the “un-gated” spillway.  The Gated spillway seems as one might expect, but the rest of the spillway and the “un-gated” spillways are not well defined.   Basically the “un-gated” spillway seems to be someone’s guess where the water would flow if the level got high enough.

 

The continuation of the spillway downstream (right) is also poorly defined and crosses several roads until it finally joins Lake McSwain about 1.5 miles down steam from the lake.  While I don’t doubt that the water in a 500-year flood will find its way, it is a question of how much damage is done as torrent of water finds its own path.

 

It would seem that MID might want to do a spillway modification project, but perhaps that project should be to improve the existing spillway at the current maximum lake level.

 

 

Introduction Page – HR869 & HR2578

MERG Current Thoughts on HR 869 & HR 2578

New Exchequer Dam and Lake McClure

FERC Project Boundary Question

The FERC Relicensing Argument

Spillways at Lake McClure

Dam Safety

Embankment Dam Studies

Is Raising the Dam Crest Elevation Unlawful?

Known Geologic Issues

The Effect on the Limestone Salamander

 

Other Options for Additional Water Storage

MERG Early Thoughts on HR 869