As many of you know, construction and remediation work on the temporary cofferdam resumed last month after our dam contractors secured a sealed and approved Water Control Plan. When we received notice of the approaching Tropical Storm Debby, 80% of the work on the cofferdam remediation was already complete. Out of an abundance of caution, an action that proved wise, our Engineers, in working with Dam safety, advised the contractors to create additional diversions in anticipation of the increased water flow and additional water impoundment at the dam site.
Given the potential risk to the project, particularly the upstream cofferdam, our top priority was to prevent an uncontrolled release and avoid any emergency flooding situations. Thankfully, our Engineers, who have remained onsite around the clock during the storm and will continue through the weekend, believe that these proactive measures have successfully prevented the worst-case scenario. However, due to some erosion of the cofferdam, our Engineers initiated a yellow Emergency Action Plan (EAP) this afternoon to proactively notify residents about the potential rise in creek waters downstream.
Please be assured that the downstream flooding is not a result of the dam or lakebed conditions. It is directly attributable to Tropical Storm Debbie, rising creek waters, and the backup from Little River and Crane's Creek. Fortunately, our Engineers are actively engaging with city and county officials, along with dam safety experts, to help navigate the flooding conditions, conditions that would have been present regardless of the dam’s state. Although these precautionary measures and modifications to the cofferdam will set back our construction timeline, it was the right, safe, and best course of action to continue our mission of mitigating downstream flooding through the development of the Woodlake Dam. Once the dam is complete, we will have better control over water flow, further reducing the risk of downstream flooding.
Recent news reports from the EAP initiation have erroneously suggested that our final Woodlake Dam has eroded. This is not the case. Our contractors are still working on the temporary cofferdam phase, which primarily consists of compacted clay. Minor erosion is expected in a major storm like this. Thankfully, the diversion channel was expanded a few weeks ago as part of the remediation work, and precautionary storm prep work on the temporary earthen dam around the construction site ensured that water did not impound in the lakebed during the storm.
We are also closely monitoring other flooding areas in and around Woodlake, particularly near the front entrance and guard gate. Our dam Engineers have been assessing the situation and believe the flooding may be due to a clogged culvert and need maintenance to keep the storm drains in and around, and under, the entrance roadways clear and free of debris. We will engage our teams to work closely with the Property Owners Association (POA) to determine the cause and develop a solution to hopefully help prevent such flooding in the future.
We would like to thank our Woodlake Country Club staff for being out in the field, talking with community members, assisting where needed, and providing updates. We also extend our gratitude to the POA for their thorough and proactive communications, helping to keep our community safe and informed. We urge all residents to exercise caution, follow the instructions of the POA, as well as city and county officials, and avoid driving or walking through any waterways during this dangerous time.
Thank you for your attention and cooperation.