Design and Construction of a Safe Low Head Dam in Harpersfield, Ohio

A low head dam (LHD) that eliminates the drowning machine condition and, thus, enhances safety for the public was constructed at a county park in Harpersfield, Ohio. A stepped design was used to interrupt the hazardous submerged hydraulic jump (SHJ) flow condition that had been present in the original dam. The design was based on empirical equations derived from a series of flume studies that delineate the conditions under which SHJs occur. The design procedure, presented here, is straight-forward and has potential as a least-cost alternative for both design of new dams, and mitigation of existing dams.