Walkway over Lake Murray dam closed after ‘movement’ in dam wall
Repair work is underway at the Lake Murray dam after federal inspectors identified potential impacts from a recent incident to the highway running across the top of the dam.
In June, federal inspectors noted that a sheet pile wall had recently rotated towards the lake along the original embankment of the Dreher Shoals Dam, according to a letter the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission sent to Dominion Energy, which owns the dam. The letter also noted damage to a concrete gutter and the pedestrian walkway after an inspection on June 23, leading to the closure of the walkway.
The letter from FERC noted “no problems that would present an immediate concern for dam safety or continued operation” of the dam, even as it expressed concerns about the impact on the southbound lane of S.C. 6, which crosses over the dam between Ballentine and Lexington.
The letter doesn’t identify a cause of the damage, but called on Dominion to submit its own dam safety incident report to investigate the cause of the wall movement, its impacts and plans to enhance monitoring of the wall and embankment.
In a statement, Dominion said heavy rains on June 21 and June 22 caused a drainage gutter and the wall along the dam walkway to “settle,” affecting the pavement. “After completion of an initial assessment, Dominion Energy and an independent consultant identified no issues affecting the structural integrity of the dam,” the statement said.
In the meantime, Dominion and the S.C. Department of Transportation have barricaded a section of the walkway over the dam.
“While visitors can still access the walkway from the Lexington side, they will not be able to travel the entire length of the dam while repairs are being made,” Dominion said in a statement to The State. “Visitors should not walk past the barricades. We appreciate the community’s patience while this work is completed.”
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