Published: September 25, 2009 11:24 pm      

Work can soon begin on Savage River Reservoir

BLOOMINGTON — One of the first actions to be taken in the drainage of Savage River Reservoir will be the installation of pumps that will assure that Westernport has potable water during the six-month project.

“We are in the process of paying for the pumps now as soon as I make sure they have been delivered,” said Allegany County Director of Public Works Steve Young on Wednesday.

Draining of the massive mountain impoundment is to begin in early October so that four release gates may be replaced. Some of the gates failed to operate properly a year ago.

Design of the $6 million effort has been done by the engineering firm of Hazen and Sawyer. Gate replacement will be handled by Carl Belt Inc.

“The gates are to be delivered Nov. 1,” Young said. They were manufactured by Steel-Fab Inc., of Fitchburg, Mass.

The reservoir level will be lowered throughout October until it reaches the 1,410-foot mark in November.

The reservoir surface receded from 1,447.5 feet on Sept. 17 to 1,445 feet at mid-day Thursday. On Thursday, a little more than four cubic feet per second of water was flowing into the reservoir from the upper Savage River and 48 cfs was being released.

Scott Shoemaker, who manages the reservoir for the Upper Potomac River Commission, said Thursday that continued dry weather may allow for an earlier draining of the impoundment.

“We know we have to release 60 more (cubic feet per second) than is coming in if we want to hit our target date. We had planned to release 120 cfs to do that, but we may be able to release less if it stays dry,” Shoemaker said. “We’re ready to get started. Carl Belt crews will be at the dam working beginning next week.”

The dam has two water release areas, each with a gate on the upstream side of the structure and a gate on the downstream side.

“When the reservoir level reaches 1,410 feet, it will allow for workers to enter the tunnel and replace the two downstream gates,” Young said. “The two upstream gates won’t be replaced until the reservoir is fully drained.”

Alan Klotz, a fishery biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, said Wednesday that while the downstream gates are being repaired there will be 10 cfs released into the trophy trout fishing area below.

“We plan at that time to electrofish and capture some brook trout from the river and move them into the stilling basin below the dam where we can hold them to make sure we have at least some to put back in the river,” Klotz said.

Fisheries officials hope that the impact on the trophy trout area will be minimal, but realize that there is no guarantee. Inland Fisheries Chief Don Cosden has said that because the work will take place during the winter, high water temperatures should not be a problem. The impact of turbidity from the construction work remains to be seen, according to Cosden.

Although the fishery agency at one time pondered capturing and moving the brown and brook trout that live below the dam, that is no longer being considered, officials have said.

Salvage of fish within the impoundment will not be practical or economically feasible, according to Cosden, though he encouraged anglers to catch them as the dropping water level concentrates them, but to be aware of mercury consumption warnings that exist.

For example, the general population should consume no more than 12 8-ounce meals of smallmouth or largemouth bass from the reservoir per year. Women of childbearing age should have only 10 such meals, and children 6 or younger should not eat the bass.

Work at the dam is scheduled to be completed in March.

Contact Mike Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com.