A picture shot by Lois Cameron from 2013 shows crews examining an issue around the area of the current hole.
“There were some patches needed and so we made repairs and everything checked out,” said Kevin Dossey, a Senior Civil Engineer with the Department of Water Resources. “It looked like it would be able to hold, be able to pass water.”
Dossey says this sort of thing is routine.
“It’s common for spillways to develop a void because of the drainage systems under them,” said Dossey.
While everything may have appeared normal back in 2013, 2014, and 2015; what happened Tuesday when the earth gave way, is anything but.
“There wasn’t any evidence that anything more needed to be done,” said Dossey, “repairs were smooth and looked like they were good and secure.”
