Black Mountain to repair Lake Tomahawk dam in 2024
The Lake Tomahawk dam will undergo repairs starting in the early months of 2024, with a completion date set for the summer.
According to a news release from the town of Black Mountain, the dam was first built in 1934. In 2010, “large trees” were moved that had originally “been planted to beautify and control erosion on the berm of the dam.”
The release said town staff began to see “seepage” coming from the lower right portion of the berm in 2019. According to the release, the town believes tree roots that are decaying have caused the damage.
According to the release, repairs will include an overtop protection, blanket and toe drain, articulating block and a topsoil layer.
Black Mountain Project and Facilities Manager Angela Reece told Black Mountain News that Lake Tomahawk is currently being lowered in preparation for the project.
The release said the walking trail will be closed on either side of the dam, and three utility lights will be replaced with decorative path lighting once repairs are complete. Reece said Duke Energy will remove these lights “in the coming weeks.” She said Duke Energy “declined” to replace the lights on the lake side of the trail. Reece said engineers and the construction supervisor will prepare a plan for lighting replacement that will be presented to Town Council for approval.
Reece said the total current project budget is $643,954. Of this total, $572,649 is to be used for construction. Reece said the remainder of the cost covers engineering, design and permitting.
According to Reece, this project is being funded by the town’s general fund. In 2021, the town received $2,601,209 in American Rescue Plan Act funds, which the town used to replace general fund revenues.
More: Ideas for remaining Black Mountain ARPA funds: firetruck, parks, Tomahawk, garbage toters
“This allowed the town to free up other funds to be utilized toward various capital projects,” Reece said.
Reece said this project has been in the works since 2019, when the town hired S&ME, an engineering firm that performed an exploration and provided the original design for blanket drain repairs.
In 2020, the state required a hydrologic and hydraulic study to be completed. Reece said this study was done to give information on the movement of water, which includes the volume and rate of flow.
“The study findings revealed that the dam overtops which required revisions to the design repair plan to include articulating block installation,” Reece said. “Overtopping occurs with the combination of the still water level and wind setup exceed the crest of the dam.”
After this study, the engineering firm revised the design and had the design approved by the state in 2023. At this point, Reece said the town began soliciting bids for construction.
Baker’s Construction Inc. was awarded the contract and will begin work on the dam in late January or early February.
Recce said the construction will last through the spring, but all construction should be complete by June 30.
Karrigan Monk is the Swannanoa Valley communities reporter for Black Mountain News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kmonk@blackmountainnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Lake Tomahawk dam to see repair work in 2024
