Failure of Bonneted Sluice Gate System at Savage River Dam

The Upper Potomac River Commission owns and operates the Savage River Dam in Garrett County, Maryland. In December 2007, during normal operation of the Savage River Reservoir, the UPRC discovered that one of the four large gates at the bottom of the reservoir could not be opened, eliminating the ability to control outflow through half of the facility’s outlet structure. Currently, only the left side gates can be operated. The existing gates were installed during the original construction of the facility and have been in service since 1952. The engineer has recommended that all four gates be replaced, which will require temporarily draining the reservoir during the winter of 2009-2010. 8 pp., 7 references.