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CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP) -- The winter weather that delayed worked on a dam protecting Enterprise may actually keep the town from facing early spring floods.
Cool temperatures have slowed the snowpack melt and given workers extra time to close a gate on the dam and keep an overflow of water from flooding the town.
"This cold spell that we're having is the best thing that could have happened," said Enterprise Mayor Lee Bracken, who sent a letter to residents last week, asking them to prepare for possible flooding. "We're much more optimistic than I was a week ago."
According to the National Weather Service, cool temperatures are expected to continue this week. Bracken said the upper reservoir will be able to hold water if crews can complete the work and close the hydraulically powered gate.
The lower reservoir has already been drained some to prevent spillover. The upper reservoir is much larger.
Crews have been making improvements to the upper reservoir dam in Enterprise as part of a state-funded project. Enterprise was hit by spring flooding three years ago and it was apparent the that dam, built in 1912, needed upgrading.
The project was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2007, but harsh weather, a steady influx of water and mud put crews behind schedule, Bracken said.
Bracken said crews could have the gate closed by the weekend. "If that happens, our flood threat is pretty much over," he said.
After work on the gate is finished, crews will still have to put a protective face on the front and back of the dam. The city has also made contingency plans if there is still flooding after the dam project is finished.
Communication networks are in place to alert residents, sandbags and sand stockpiles are available, and heavy equipment is lined up just in case, Bracken said.
"I'm optimistic about it for the first time in a long time," said Jim Simkins, president of the Enterprise Reservoir and Canal Co.
Simkins owns an auto body and paint shop that was flooded with 17 inches of water in 2005. He said he is confident that the dam will hold, and the reservoir will be available to store water. "Unless we have a lot of warm rain and wind, I don't anticipate a lot of trouble," he said.
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Information from: The Spectrum
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
