Hope Mills Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hope Mills Dam |
|
|---|---|
Hope Mills Dam and drained lake, June 2010
|
|
 Location of Hope Mills Dam in USA North Carolina
|
|
| Location | Hope Mills, Cumberland County, North Carolina |
| Coordinates | 34°58′20″N 78°56′42″W / 34.97222°N 78.94500°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 2007 |
| Opening date | 2008 |
| Construction cost | $9.8 million |
| Owner(s) | Town of Hope Mills |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Concrete gravity |
| Impounds | Little Rockfish Creek |
| Height | 33 ft (10 m) |
| Length | 750 ft (230 m) |
| Spillway type | Chute, labyrinth |
| Spillway capacity | 10,240 cu ft/s (290 m3/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Hope Mills Lake |
| Total capacity | 816 acre⋅ft (1,007,000 m3) |
| Catchment area | 94.4 sq mi (244 km2) |
| Surface area | 88 acres (0.36 km2) |
The Hope Mills Dam is a large concrete dam located on Little Rockfish Creek in Hope Mills, North Carolina, USA. It helps create Hope Mills Lake. This isn't the first dam built here; in fact, four different dams have stood on this spot over time!
The very first dam was built way back in 1839 to power cotton mills. Later dams also helped control the lake's water. Sadly, some of the earlier dams broke because of big floods. The current dam was finished in 2018.
Contents
History of Hope Mills Dam
The first Hope Mills Dam was built in 1839. It was made of rocks and wood, called a rock-crib dam. Its main job was to power four cotton mills nearby.
Early Days and Rebuilding
In 1865, during the American Civil War, General Sherman and his Union Army troops burned the cotton mills. But they left the dam untouched. After the war, two mills were rebuilt. The area, including the dam, was then named Hope Mills.
On May 9, 1923, a big flood broke this first dam. So, construction started on a new dam that same year. This second dam was made of earth, called an embankment dam. It cost about $27,000 and was finished in early 1924.
Changes and Repairs
In 1930, the company that owned the dam went out of business. Another company bought it in 1941. In 1984, the dam was given to the town of Hope Mills.
In 1993, a two-lane bridge was built over the dam. At the same time, a leak in the dam was fixed. In 1994, old parts of the cotton mill were found and filled with cement. Walls behind the dam's spillway were also made stronger.
When Hurricane Floyd hit in 1999, it brought heavy rains. People worried the dam might break, so the floodgates were opened to release water. In 2001, a crack about 6 feet long was repaired. Engineers said it wasn't a danger to the dam's structure. The dam passed a safety check in 2001, and some small holes were fixed in 2002.
2003 Dam Failure and Reconstruction
In May 2003, during a holiday weekend, very heavy rains caused the earthen dam to break. About 30 feet of the nearby Lakeview Road was also destroyed. Around 40 homes and 1600 people living downstream had to leave their homes. Water from Hope Mills Lake rushed down the creek, causing about $2.1 million in damages. It eventually flowed into the Cape Fear River.
One of the dam's floodgates did not open because of the strong water pressure. This caused water to flow over the top of the dam, leading to its failure. Later in 2003, Lakeview Road was fixed. Plans to repair the dam began.
After four years of getting money and permits, construction on a new dam started in March 2007. The new dam was designed to be a concrete labyrinth-spillway. This means it could release much more floodwater safely. The new dam would also be 600 feet longer and include a fish ladder to help fish move past it. The construction of this new Hope Mills Dam was finished in June 2008. The lake was full again by August.
2010 Dam Failure and Lawsuit
On June 16, 2010, engineers saw silt coming from the dam. This meant there was a problem. Officials started to slowly release water from the lake. They told residents the lake might need to be lowered by as much as nine feet to check the dam.
Overnight, a large hole, called a sinkhole, formed at the bottom of the dam. The lake water drained out underneath the dam's foundation. By the next morning, almost all the water in the lake was gone.
Repairs for the dam were planned for 2012 and 2013, but they didn't happen. In October 2012, the town sued the companies involved, saying they were delaying the repairs. In April 2013, the mayor asked for a plan to remove the dam. However, in May, the town sued the builders for $10 million to pay for repairs. In July 2014, the town received a $9.4 million payment from the builders.
2016 Reconstruction and Completion
In March 2016, after many years of waiting, construction on a new dam finally began. The official ceremony for the completed dam was held on January 31, 2018. Steady rains had already filled the lake to its proper level. Because of this, the town closed the dam's gates, holding the water in the lake.
Sustainability Award
On August 7, 2019, the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure announced that the rebuilt Hope Mills Dam had won an Envision Bronze award. This award recognizes projects that are built in a sustainable way. It was the first dam project ever to receive an Envision award. The project was completed by a team of engineers and constructors.
