Utah News Dispatch
Cracking in southern Utah dam has community bracing for possible evacuation
Water seeps from the Panguitch Lake Dam in Garfield County, Utah on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (Credit: Utah Department of Natural Resources)
A community in southern Utah is bracing for a possible evacuation after officials discovered a crack in a nearby dam.
On Monday, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office reported transverse cracking on the upper portion of the Panguitch Lake Dam, prompting the closure of a nearby highway and restricted access to the reservoir. Association of Dam Safety Officials say transverse cracks, which extend perpendicular along the top, can lead to seepage, then piping, which is “a severe seepage problem that will likely cause the dam to fail.”
And on Tuesday, the sheriff’s office issued another public safety announcement escalating the risk posed by the cracking, writing “there is a potential for dam failure.” The notice urged the roughly 1,700 residents of Panguitch to be ready to evacuate.
“While there is no immediate threat to public safety, the situation could rapidly evolve. We are closely monitoring the dam and are prepared to escalate our response if necessary,” the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office wrote.
According to the Utah Division of Water Rights, the Panguitch Lake Dam is a high hazard dam, meaning it could result in severe damage and loss of life if it failed.
In the event of an evacuation, Panguitch residents should head east on state Route 89.
According to the National Weather Service, low lying areas around Panguitch Creek, which runs northeast from the reservoir in Dixie National Forest into the outskirts of Panguitch, are most at risk. On Tuesday, the service put out a flash flood watch for the area, warning of the potential for dam failure.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources also issued an emergency change to the state’s fishing guidebook that closed Panguitch Lake to anglers until further notice.
“Public safety is a top priority for us, and we want to deter anglers and others from visiting the area at this time,” division director J. Shirley said.
Parts of state route 143, which connects Panguitch to Dixie National Forest and runs alongside the reservoir, remain closed.
In 2020, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Utah’s dams a C+ grade in its national infrastructure report. It noted that most dams in the state have an emergency action plan, “however, downstream development is increasing, meaning many dams that were initially constructed using less stringent design criteria are now upstream from population centers.”
The report found 266 high hazard dams in Utah, which means they would cause severe damage and loss of life if they failed.
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