MERIDIAN, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi officials are planning to intentionally breach a high-hazard dam in Meridian and drain the lake behind it.
Inspectors have discovered a problem at Lakewood Lake Dam in the Druid Hills neighborhood that could lead to an uncontrolled breach, The Meridian Star reports. That could be deadly and cause substantial damage to buildings and infrastructure.
A date for the project has not been set yet. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality is still trying to determine a funding source for it, according to The Star.
William McKercher, chief of the Dam Safety Division of MDEQ, said it could cost $25,000 to $50,000.
The soil dam does not have an owner. McKercher said if someone took ownership of it and maintained it, the lake could stay.
“But if we’re still in a position where there’s still no party that’s coming forward to be responsible for the maintenance and operation long-term then it’s probably the safer thing for the community to have it completely drained and removed,” he said.
Mississippi has one of the highest numbers of dams that pose dangers and are in poor or unsatisfactory condition, according to a two-year investigation by The Associated Press.
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