By Staff
Jonathan Willis
What appears to be a small hole in the side of a hill along Alabama 24 could be big trouble for the city and motorists along that highway.
Several state and local agencies worked late in to the evening Tuesday trying to repair a leak in the earthen dam at Sloss Lake that threatens the highway.
City officials found the small, but steady leak early Tuesday and anticipated the possibility of the dam's collapse.
By that afternoon, the Alabama Department of Transportation was working to make sure the highway would not be in danger if the dam failed.
"We are plating the westbound lane in case the dam fails," maintenance engineer Mark Dale said.
The highway department's work will not affect the dam's sustainability, but it will alter the flow of the water, re-directing it away from the highway if it collapses.
Five large pumps, similar to those used in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, will arrive today. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is sending the pumps so the water can be removed and put into nearby creeks that normally flow from Sloss Lake.
Local officials said the lake is about 67 acres and holds water about 12 to 15 feet deep.
Russellville Mayor Johnny Brown said city officials will be working closely with state and local authorities until the dam is repaired.
"We are going to be pumping the water out to try to keep it from failing," Brown said.
The hole in the dam is about midway between the spillway and the entrance to the park alongside Alabama 24.