This article is going to revolve around three (3) documents:
- The POA Eblast on Tuesday May 2, 2023, which stated in part as follows:
Q: Did the Lake Petit Dam sluice gate work?
A: The sluice gate operated even after more than a half-century of inactivity. The testing was made possible by the recent installation of a specially tailored plug, which was inserted into the low-level outlet as a backup in case there were any issues with the gate. The plug performed as designed and allowed the reservoir to maintain its normal level while allowing divers to safely operate and inspect the gate.
The POA Eblast gives the clear impression that the Test worked. I spoke to several POA Members, they all interpreted it that way. How did you interpret it?
Unfortunately, according to a recently obtained Internal Phone Log between Ga Safe Dams “GSD” & Geosyntec, the Test was NOT successful. Here is the excerpt:
On May 1, 2023, Mr. MacDonald called again to discuss the testing status. He stated that the plug continues to hold with no apparent issues. During diving inspections over the weekend, it was determined that enough of the stem guides were moving that they did not perform the full open and close test. Geosyntec has reached out to the gate manufacturer to determine how long it will take to acquire replacement stem guides, while also looking at the cost of replacing the entire gate system, since they will already have underwater construction contractors on-site. In the meantime, Geosyntec is having the diving contractor close the gate completely for the time being. Mr. MacDonald stated he would provide us the decision that the POA makes concerning installation of the stem guides vs. full gate replacement once it has been made. It is anticipated that this decision will be made in the next week or so pending final numbers from the gate supplier. I informed Mr. MacDonald that at that time we would discuss if the plug could be left in place or if it should be removed.
For context, let us also add another 2 excerpts from the POA’s Eblast:
Q: Will the ongoing work require the lake to be lowered?
A: All of the work, which has been mostly conducted below the surface of the lake, will not require the lowering of the lake water. The plug is in place and the gate is closed, ensuring that Petit’s summer season, including the July 2 fireworks show, is on schedule.Q: Besides the replacement of the seven stem guides, are there additional areas in need of maintenance?
A: Crews are exploring whether to replace all 37 stem guides. Each of the cast-iron pieces is bolted to concrete piers, which are spaced at 10-foot intervals along the lake side of the dam (see diagram below). Whether it’s more prudent to replace all of the stem guides at once and to look at also replacing the concrete piers to which they are attached is something that will be explored.
The 2 Q&A representations above stand in stark contrast to the Private Phone Logs our Engineer was having with Ga Safe Dams just a day earlier.
COMMENTS & OBSERVATIONS:
(1) The Gate test obviously was NOT fully conducted, so the POA misrepresented that to property owners, and after 50 years – the damn dam still hasn’t conducted a single successful test of the Lower Level Outlet – as REQUIRED BY LAW to be done once a year. And Ga Safe Dams has made it clear that this is the year that we will be forced into compliance.
(2) It is hard to understand how Geosyntec is reaching out to the Gate Manufacturer, when their recently filed 125 Pg Operations & Maintenance Manual states on page 15 of 125:
There are no records of the specific model of heavy-duty sluice gate installed at the Dam, however, it is believed that the sluice gate was designed by the same manufacturer (ARMCO) of the sluice gate at Lake Disharoon Dam (a dam owned and operated by POA that was constructed in 1974). ARMCO is no longer in service…
The above implies that this may not be as simple as they are implying in their Phone Log, and that Geosyntec and the POA are not only misleading Property Owners, but they are also misleading GA Safe Dams.
(3) The POA has announced that the lake WILL NOT be drained / lowered. But they left out of their presentation to property owners that the entire Gate System (110′ underwater) may need to be replaced. I am not sure how that is done without either (a) lowering the lake levels, or (b) undertaking all of this work with ONLY THE TEMPORARY PLUG holding back the full force of the lake for an extended period of time. Again, let us look at the language in the phone log “…the low-level gate had been cracked open to allow pressure to develop on the plug to verify it was installed properly…. the plug continues to hold…”
It isn’t even full pressure, such as if the entire gate were fully open (not even achieved yet), much less with the gate removed, and undoubtedly a lot of disturbance, pounding, vibration and construction going on just inches from the Plug, if the gate is to be fully replaced . So, “the plug continues to hold” under minimal “cracked to allow pressure to develop” conditions…. does NOT engender huge levels of confidence in such an approach…. and an argument could be made for a safer path of lowering the lake to do this work. So do you drain the Lake to do this work? Or do you do the replacement under High Risk?
The POA seems to be locking themselves into a path of taking the High Risk Road of not lowering the lake – while again misleading property owners about the scope, cost and risk of our options. The concern is that they will do anything to avoid the political embarrassment, and visual disaster, of having to drain the lake – even if it means undertaking the highest risk path of action.
The levels of Incompetent, Lying Buffoonery coming from POA Leadership is beyond the pale at this point. The Financials are in Shambles; Long Neglected Infrastructure Bills are exploding; the Board’s wish list of exorbitantly priced Projects seems to be endless; and in an almost hilarious bit of irony, it must be noted that once again the Covered Bridge has been taken out. LOL
All of this would be hilarious…. if it were a 3 Stooges Skit. But it isn’t. It’s real life in Big Canoe, and leadership is practically begging to be Forensically Audited, or Sued, or BOTH!
Peace,
– david / publisher / property owner
Focus on Big Canoe, GA
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