Repairs to Lexington’s Gibson Pond Park now underway after 2015 flood
Work has begun on a long-awaited project to rebuild a Lexington dam damaged in the 2015 flood.
The town of Lexington began work this week on the dam at Gibson Pond. The town announced Gibson Pond Park would be closed indefinitely beginning Monday so construction could begin on replacing the dam.
The pond at the center of the park has sat empty since the dam failed during the historic flood of October 2015. The town of Lexington, which owns the pond, had planned to submit a rebuilding proposal to state regulators as far back as 2018.
But the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reclassified Gibson as a “high-hazard dam” after the 2015 flood. That meant the town had to meet stricter requirements for rebuilding Gibson’s dam, including topping it with a hard concrete structure.
Town officials estimate the cost of the project at $5.2 million, with $2.4 million provided by FEMA out of federal disaster relief funds. Lexington is seeking other funds to meet DHEC’s required upgrades, said town spokesperson Laurin Barnes.
Once completed, the pond will include two fishing piers and docks as well as walking trails and a walkway over the top of the dam.
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