GARNETT — The new year means new work to stabilize the Lake Garnett dam. City crews have been clearing trees and brush from the north side of the dam to prepare for an engineering consultant to take soil samples. The Anderson County Review reported that in recent years, the city has become more concerned about the dam’s structural integrity. Stone pillars lining the dam have been tilting toward the backside of the dam for years. The west side of the dam has leaked for years, and recent efforts to repair it have failed. Last summer, a large crack in the pavement on the road over the dam caused some of the pavement to be raised about an inch and a half. Since this summer, city crews have been removing trees and brush from the dam and cleaning silt from the spillway. The engineering firm Terracon will take core samples and perform other tests on the dam. The dam and 55-acre lake were built during the Great Depression as part of the Works Progress Administration.
Tuesday, Dec. 28, 9 a.m.
