The Thatcher Lock and Dam leak brought the water level of the Washito River to its lowest level in history, but Robert Reynolds, a volunteer adviser to the Union County Water Conservation Commission and former chairman of the commission, said on Tuesday that industry is unlikely to use the Thatcher Pool. Will be affected.
"This is my best judgment, this will not happen," Reynolds said on Tuesday. "The design of the permanent part of the sluice and dam structure at 71 feet, combined with the deliberate design of the intake structure below 71 feet, will give the industries that use it access to water."
Reynolds explained that the sluice and dam system was built on a permanent concrete foundation 71 feet above sea level. He said that a hinged gate-part of the dam that is currently leaking-usually keeps the water level 77 feet above sea level; however, since the fixed concrete base is at 71 feet, the water is not expected to fall below that level. level.
In addition, according to a statement issued by Reynolds to the Union County Water Conservation Commission last week, the Thatcher lock and dam's intake pump system has been fully submerged, and it will continue to pump water as long as the dam pool is higher than 67 feet. , Although his statement did note that the 67-foot level has not been tested since 2002.
Drinking water for residents of Lianhe County is not a problem, because all drinking water is provided by the Spartan aquifer.
"All drinking water in Union County comes from the Spartan aquifer. The river water is only used for industry and irrigation-it is an excellent fluid for these people," Reynolds said.
Local industries that use Thatcher Pool water include Delek: El Dorado Refinery, LANXESS Central Plant, El Dorado Chemical and Entergy/Union Power Partners power plants, which were built at the same time as Thatcher Lock and Dam. In addition, Reynolds said that the new Eldorado High School, Mystic Creek Golf Course, Mystic Creek Residential Development and the local wedding venue Holly Falls use river water for irrigation.
Both El Dorado Chemical and the power plant are completely dependent on Thatcher Lock and Dam's water. Delek and LANXESS have spare Spartan aquifer wells.
According to data from the National Weather Service, at 3:30 pm on Tuesday afternoon, the height of the Wahita River at the Thatcher Gate and Dam was 74.14 feet. It is expected to rise to 74.2 feet by 4 pm on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the water level of the Thatcher River lock and dam was recorded as 79 feet.
Local and federal officials have been notified of the dam leak, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to repair the leak as soon as possible. The water level will drop to 71 feet by then, where the hinged top door is located.
In a statement issued last week, USACE stated that the structural integrity of the dam is not in danger.
"Once the gate seal is exposed, USACE will inspect the gate and determine what is needed for permanent repair. If possible, repairs will be carried out immediately and the pool will return to its normal pool height," the statement said.
David Richardson, manager of Camden Water Utilities, said that if the water level in Thatcher Pool falls below the 67-foot pump threshold, several contingency plans are in place.
The first plan is to rent a water pump, put it in the river, and pump the water to the water intake point.
Richardson said that another plan he approves of is to use an impeller-a rotating iron or steel disc with blades-to push water into the dam through an inlet valve.
The third option would involve the National Guard changing the flow of the river to collect water near the inlet valve.
Boating on the Wahita River is not recommended because the water level is very low.
Print headline: Thatcher River leak should not affect industries that use Wahita River water
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