New rules aim to boost safety
By Patricia Bogumil
Editor
After an hour-long presentation by a Department of Natural Resources specialist, followed by a short public hearing and then a vote by the Village Board – poof! just like that – the hazard rating given for the Waterford dam dropped a notch so the dam is now rated as a “significant” rather than “high” hazard.
And while the change to the dam’s hazard classification is welcome, neither is it anything to get overly happy or alarmed about, residents learned June 24.
About a dozen of some 150 village taxpayers whose property is affected turned out at the Village Hall June 24 to learn about the results, and impact, of a recently prepared dam failure map and analysis approved by Racine County.
State law requires that areas downstream of a dam be zoned and regulated by the use of floodplain zoning, according to information the village sent out June 1 to property owners.
As a result, the village took required action June 24 and adopted the Racine County Dam Failure Analysis and Map into its Floodplain Zoning Code, to zone areas of the village that fall within the dam hydraulic shadow as floodway or floodplain fringe, in accordance with the map.
As a result of having those documents in place, along with an Emergency Action Plan the village approved March 7, the dam’s rating by the state dropped from “high hazard – possible loss of life” to “significant hazard – no loss of life, but significant property damage” in the event of a failure.
“We don’t expect the dam to fail; it’s in good condition,” said Julie Anderson, Director of Public Works for Racine County. “This is not something you need to worry about every time it rains.”
Some residents at the June 24 public meeting expressed concern about the accuracy of the new map, as well as possible negative impact for their property when they go to sell.
Anderson said the Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) aerial survey data conducted by Graef engineers to create the map is considered to be very accurate.
“If you’re concerned about an individual property, get the elevations surveyed by a surveyor,” she suggested.
Village President Tom Roanhouse asked for clarity about who regulates flood plain insurance for properties in the hydraulic shadow area of the map – the government, or the lending institutions?
Properties in the hydraulic shadow are not regulated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, so there is no federal requirement for them to carry flood insurance.
But buying flood insurance might be a smart move for people living downstream from a dam, according to a handout residents received at the meeting. It noted that many homes and businesses qualify for a low-risk policy with premiums as low as $129 for a home and its contents.
One resident suggested that a bank could be contacted to ask about lending policies for properties close to the flood plain. But Roanhouse noted that different lenders will have different policies.
Tanya Lourigan, a water management engineer with the DNR who presented much of the dam information at the meeting, said the new dam failure map is a local document rather than something being made available for banks to analyze.
“The banks are not going to get the dam failure map,” she said. “This is a local and state issue relating to safety.”
Dams are regulated to protect life, health and property, Lourigan explained in her presentation, and also to protect public rights in navigable waters.
Discussion at the Village Board meeting also focused on the need for residents to supply accurate contact information to the village in the event they need to be contacted in a dam failure.
“I guess we’ve got to make sure we’re on any list,” suggested one resident.
Village Administrator Rebecca Ewald said the village’s emergency contact list should contain accurate names, addresses and phone numbers.
Privacy rules prohibit the list from being made available for general public viewing, but anyone interested in confirming their contact data is correct can contact the Village Hall at 534-3980.
A copy of the 15-page Waterford Dam Failure Analysis and Zoning document Lourigan presented for discussion can be found here:Dam Faliure Analysis
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