Johnston's dams rated for safety

On April 11, 1840 a severe rainstorm that lasted for two days hit Johnston. Water behind the then upper Simmonsville dam rose, and on the morning of the 13th the dike gave way. A wall of water 11 feet high rushed downstream, collapsed another dam and struck the Simmonsville mill village with a vengeance.

Eighteen people died, including eight members from one family. It remains one of the worst dam failure disasters in Rhode Island’s history.

“After looking at our dams and the work we’ve done, I feel pretty confident that won’t happen again,” said Mayor Joseph Polisena. “I mean, if we get a 500-year storm, anything can happen, but I think I have a better chance of getting struck by lightning twice in the same spot. I really believe that the things we’ve done already have helped.”

Last Friday, U.S. Senator Jack Reed joined Mayor Polisena, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Director Janet Coit, engineers and dam safety officials at the Almy Dam off Central Avenue, for a press conference highlighting the need to repair “high hazard” dams across the state and country.

“This is infrastructure, but to many people it’s invisible. They don’t see a dam here but it is, and if it’s not repaired there will be problems, and it could be cataclysmic problems,” said Sen. Reed.

Federal, state and local officials are working to improve Rhode Island’s dams and protect lives, homes and businesses from similar catastrophes.

The senate recently passed key elements of Sen. Reed’s High Hazard Potential Small Dam Safety Act.  The bipartisan legislation, co-sponsored by Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), would authorize $445 million in federal grant assistance for the rehabilitation and repair of non-federal, high hazard dams nationwide. 

“They need to be maintained, some need to be rebuilt, some need to be taken out. They play a huge role in our water supply, our flood control, our recreation, and community uses,” said Reed. “We have to deal with them; we have to ensure that they’re in good shape to protect the lives and the economic prosperity of every community in Rhode Island and every community in the United States.”

If Reed’s bill becomes law and is fully funded, Rhode Island would be eligible for up to $700,000 per year to help inspect, repair and rehabilitate high hazard dams. The legislation has passed the senate as part of a larger bill, the Water Resources Development Act, and Reed hopes the initiative can make it through Congress and approved by the current administration. If not, he will continue his efforts next year.

“Sen. Reed’s legislation is extremely important, not only for Johnston and our state, but for the thousands upon thousands of old dams across our great nation. Many of these dams are historical in nature, there’s no doubt about that, but they’re in need of desperate repairs and those repairs cost huge amounts of money from cities and towns,” said Polisena. “This legislation will be a shot in the arm as we begin to take responsibility to ensure that these dams remain safe for the public.” 

Rhode Island has 667 dams, 96 of which are classified as high hazard.  According to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), the number of high hazard potential dams increased nationally from 9,281 in 1998 to more than 14,700 in 2013.

“I’m quite confident that we know where the high hazard dams are and that we’re working every day on programs to push the dam owners to fix the high hazard dams,” said DEM Director Janet Coit, whose department oversees dam inspections, adding that it will take years before all are fixed. “I would never speculate because you have no idea what the weather is going to bring, but the concern is obviously there’s a sense of urgency here that we want to see these repairs done as soon as possible, so we’re going to keep the pressure on dam owners.”

CAPTIONS

DAM 1

INSPECTING THE DAM:

Sen. Jack Reed and Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena inspect the Almy dam in Johnston, a high hazard dam that the town continues to work on to improve safety conditions.

DAM 2

HIGH HAZARD:

U.S. Senator Jack Reed recently joined Mayor Polisena, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Director Janet Coit, engineers and dam safety officials for a press conference at Almy dam in Johnston highlighting the need to repair “high hazard” dams across the state and country.

DAM 3

SAFER EVERY DAY:

DEM Director Janet Coit, Sen. Jack Reed and Mayor Joseph Polisena met last week to promote Sen. Reed’s High Hazard Potential Small Dam Safety Act, which if approved would provide up to $700,000 per year to help inspect, repair and rehabilitate high hazard dams.