State inspectors find 11 significantly hazardous private dams

IN an admirable, proactive spirit to avoid trouble before it happens, the state Department of Ecology has ordered owners of 11 unpermitted dams to hire engineers and take immediate steps to protect the public and private property downstream.

Turns out there are at least 600 private, unpermitted dams in the state that are big enough to fall under review by state dam-safety inspectors. Most were discovered by studying aerial photos.

In the past two months, inspectors checked out 95 dams on-site; 30 were rated high hazards, and 11 were judged to be significant hazards, with downstream risks to dozens of homes.

Eight of the 11 that needed immediate repairs are in Yakima County. Fines can run $5,000 a day.

Most of the private dams around the state are irrigation and industrial ponds, sewage lagoons and dairy-waste lagoons, but some, on both sides of the state, are built for recreational uses by property owners.

The volumes of water are significant. State jurisdiction starts with a pond of water the size of a football field to a depth of 8 feet, or at least 3.26 million gallons of water.

The state has suffered five recent private-dam failures, structures built without review or inspection by the state Department of Ecology. Property damage and loss of agricultural production was costly. A combination of vigilance and good fortune has spared Washington loss of life, but a 2006 failure in Hawaii killed seven people.

The hazards are real, and as with the frustrations with local snow responses, there are lessons to be learned.

Anticipating trouble is key. As state dam inspectors began coming across more unpermitted dams, they expanded the search. These are skilled, labor-intensive efforts. A state hiring freeze is in place, but the dam-safety office is up for two fee-supported positions in the next budget. Make the hires.