Dam Safety Experts Find Tar River Dam Spillways Operated Properly

Charles Gardner (919) 733-3383
September 28, 1999
Dam Safety Experts Find Tar River Dam Spillways Operated Properly

RALEIGH -– Dam safety experts with the N.C. Division of Land Resources have determined that operators of the Tar River Reservoir Dam acted responsibly by partially opening spillways during flooding caused by Hurricane Floyd, agency Director Charles Gardner said today.

"Operators of the dam retained as much floodwater as they could during the flooding without endangering the integrity of the dam," Gardner said. "They only opened one of the two spillways to alleviate the threat of dam failure, and they only opened that one spillway about 25 percent. That was a prudent way to operate the spillways."

The dam operators opened the spillway to maintain two feet of freeboard --- the difference between the top of the floodwaters and the top of the dam, according to Gardner, who said the normal freeboard level is normally maintained at seven or more feet.

"Maintaining less than two feet of freeboard would have been unacceptable," Gardner said. "It is also extremely unlikely that the decision to open the spillways significantly increased downstream flooding in the Princeville area."

Reservoir managers have informed the dam safety officials that the spillway gates are now closed, and they do not anticipate the need to open the gates today in response to additional rainfall we’ve had the last few days.

The Tar River Reservoir is located more than 20 miles above the town of Princeville, which experienced severe flooding as a result of the Hurricane.

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