Big Boils? Big Problems: The 20th Anniversary of the Incident at Salt Fork Lake Dam

For the 20th anniversary of the Salt Fork Lake Dam incident, Ohio’s Dam Safety Program would like to feature one of the most serious dam safety emergencies in the program’s history. Salt Fork Lake Dam, a 61-foot-tall dam owned by Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources, was constructed in 1968 and impounds a lake in Ohio’s largest state park. The Dam is a high hazard dam with a potential downstream hazard including over 500 people. On February 15, 2005, the Ohio Dam Safety Program received a call from Salt Fork State Park describing a large seepage boil at the downstream toe. This boil would turn out to be one of many and provoke an emergency response that would last through many months and remedial efforts. This presentation will focus on the full story of the dam, including the initial response, remedial measures, repair project construction, and lessons learned throughout the process.