Posted on June 1, 2022
May 31 is nationally known as Dam Safety Awareness Day, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, stresses the importance of recognizing not only the benefits provided by Jennings Randolph Lake (JRL), but also the risks of living near the dam.
Since becoming operational in 1981, JRL has prevented an estimated $400 million in potential flood damage to communities downstream. Although JRL reduces the risk of flooding to downstream communities, it does not eliminate the risk of flooding. Many people who live downstream of JRL are completely unaware of the potential hazard. The most likely scenario that could result in downstream flooding would be a high-volume release of water during significant storm events. Bloomington, Luke, Westernport, Piedmont, Keyser, Cumberland and adjacent communities are in the most immediate danger in the event of a flood.
In order to provide the dam safety community, as well as the public, a better understanding of USACE’s efforts to reduce dam risk and promote dam safety through awareness, JRL has launched a Dam Risk Communication webpage that provides risk education as well as relevant resources for those who live near the project. Click here to view website.
The website includes general information on JRL dam’s mission, functionality and inspections, relevant links and resources, Q&As, regional Emergency Management Agency contact information and tips for how to best prepare your home and family in case of downstream flooding.
“Public safety is the Army Corps’ top priority,” said Ken Fernandez, Jennings Randolph Lake operations project manager. “JRL is authorized for multiple purposes, including recreation that we all have come to know and love. However, we must keep in mind that its primary purpose is flood risk management and with that comes risks and potential hazards to downstream communities. Dam safety is a shared responsibility, and we want those nearby to know their risk, know their role, and take action.”
National Dam Safety Awareness Day occurs May 31 of each year to commemorate the failure of the South Fork Dam in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 1889. The dam failure resulted in the loss of more than 2,200 lives and was the worst dam failure in the history of the United States. National Dam Safety Awareness Day was created to encourage and promote individual and community responsibility for dam safety, as well as to provide information on what steps can be taken to prevent future catastrophic dam failures.
Know the risks of living near Jennings Randolph Lake
Although JRL reduces the risk of flooding to downstream communities, it does not eliminate the risk of flooding. Many people who live downstream of JRL are completely unaware of the potential hazard.
The most likely scenario that could result in downstream flooding would be a high-volume release of water during significant storm events. There are also unlikely, but far more devastating scenarios involving breach of the dam that would produce significant flooding. This could involve situations such as: a rare, extreme rainfall event resulting in water flowing over the earthen dam, eroding the dam, and leading to a breach of the dam, or; unexpected behavior of seepage through the dam eroding soil from within the embankment leading to a breach. If a breach were to occur, an uncontrolled surge of water would flow out of the reservoir, flooding downstream communities. Bloomington, Luke, Westernport, Piedmont, Keyser, Cumberland and adjacent communities are in the most immediate danger in the event of a flood. Other communities along the North Branch Potomac River would also be impacted.
In any of the scenarios described above, the downstream floodwater would be swift and deep, overflowing levees, destroying buildings and key infrastructure, and those caught unaware and/or unable to evacuate could perish. In the less likely dam breach scenarios, the water depth, property damage, and lives lost would likely be far greater.
Prepare your home and family
Flood risk management is a shared responsibility. From federal, state, and local government to the individual level, we all have a role to play to reduce flood risk. Here are some ways you can proactively reduce risk:
- Inform your family of dam failure flood risks, and make sure each family member knows what to do in the event of an emergency.
- Seal basement walls with waterproofing compounds to avoid seepage.
- Keep valued possessions and important papers on an upper level of your home or in a safety deposit box.
- Prepare an emergency kit.
- Know your evacuation routes.
If a flood is likely in your area, you should:
- Listen to the radio or television for information.
- Be aware that dam failure or operational flooding can occur. Move to higher ground immediately. Do not wait for instructions to move. Get to high ground if flooding is imminent.
- Follow the measures stated by local emergency managers.
If you have to leave your home, remember these evacuation tips:
- Do not walk through moving water. Six inches of moving water can make you fall. If you have to walk in water, walk where the water is not moving. Use a stick to check the firmness of the ground in front of you.
- Do not drive into flooded areas. If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground if you can do so safely. You and the vehicle can be quickly swept away.
About Jennings Randolph Lake
Tucked between Garrett County, Maryland, and Mineral County, West Virginia, JRL stretches along 5.5 miles of spectacular countryside on the North Branch of the Potomac River. The JRL project (originally called Bloomington Lake) consists of a rolled earth and rockfill dam, rising 296 feet from the lake bottom. The dam, dike, and spillway extends 2,130 feet across the valley. At its conservation pool, the lake is approximately 6.6 miles long with a surface area of 915 acres. Project purposes include flood risk management, water quality, low-flow augmentation, water supply, and recreation.
Recreation opportunities at Jennings Randolph Lake include boat ramps for fishing and boating, beach and picnic areas, and the Robert W. Craig campground. Whitewater releases are made each spring from the dam’s outlet works.
Baltimore District celebrates 175 years of Service to our Nation in 2022
Since the Nation’s fight for independence, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has played a vital role in developing our Nation. The Baltimore District has a long and storied history that extends as far back as the early 1800s when USACE constructed Fort McHenry, successfully shielding Baltimore against British attacks in the War of 1812. And when the threat of coastal attack diminished in the 1820s, Baltimore District turned its attention to developing roadways, railways, canals, and more, marking the beginning of the District’s Civil Works mission. Baltimore District delivers vital engineering solutions in collaboration with its partners to serve and strengthen the Nation, energize the economy, and reduce disaster risks. Baltimore District has an extensive flood risk management program, inspecting nearly 150 miles of levee systems and operating 16 dams, translating to the prevention of more than $16 billion of flood damages to date. The district maintains 290 miles of federal channels, including dredging the Baltimore Harbor, which material is beneficial mainly for restoration missions, such as the expansion of Poplar Island in the Chesapeake Bay. The district has vast ecosystem restoration missions that include restoring native oyster populations in the Bay. Baltimore District is the only district to operate a public utility — the Washington Aqueduct — that produces an average of 135 million gallons of drinking water per day at two treatment plants for approximately one million citizens living, working, or visiting the National Capital Region. The district also cleans up formerly used defense sites, decommissions and deactivates former nuclear power plants, and performs cleanup of low-level radioactive waste from the Nation’s early atomic weapons program. Baltimore District executes a robust military construction program and provides real estate services. These civil and military missions and diverse engineering services support communities and warfighters while addressing the ever-growing list of emerging national security requirements and ultimately protecting the Nation.
For more information, please visit www.nab.usace.army.mil/.
