In 2023, we earned the "Best Maintained Dam Local Public Category" from the Water Management Association Organization of Ohio.
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In 2023, we earned the 2023 ODSO Dam Safety Award for Best Maintained Dam in the state of Ohio. The award is given in recognition of establishing a consistent pattern of inspection, maintenance both within the dam structure and surrounding areas.
We continued our essential maintenance of removing downed trees from the maintenance berms and channels. The trees were removed from these areas to prevent logjams and to allow access needed to do channel inspections and channel mowing. This past year, we also continued our maintenance program on the 8 flood control dams. The dams were mowed 4 times this year to maintain the sod cover and aid in the ease of inspections.
Each year we inspect all the dams, and Dam III-A had suffered deterioration to a component in the valve opening and closing fixtures. This component was at its end of life and we installed a substantial replacement.
Many of the underground pipe structures were made of corrugated metal pipe and have deteriorated over the past 50 years and were beginning to fail and impacting the maintenance berm along the Little Chippewa Channel. These structures were replaced with PVC materials to ensure that they will function for many more years. With our maintenance and regular inspections, all our dams currently meet ODNR Safety requirements.
"Are maintenance or flowage easements on my property?" is a frequently asked question. To help you see where the easements are situated, we have developed the Chippewa Subdistrict Dynamic Map. Click the link to see your property. Similar in operation to a Google map, zoom in for more detail, use the mouse cursor to drag your viewpoint side to side or up and down.
The eight Chippewa Dams range in age from 40 – 50 years old. In 2023, we are continuing to focus on the maintenance and inspections of the channels and dams. We work to keep them in excellent condition, which requires regular inspection and monitoring. How do you safely inspect concrete spillway pipes and that are buried deep, and hundreds of feet long?
See Hubbard Valley Dam Laser Scanning Project.
Channel Maintenance
Vegetation management is key to preserving channel capacity for flow, and for providing access for maintenance activities along the 33 miles of channel that we are responsible for.
Dam Maintenance
Dam inspections, regular servicing and consistent mowings are key to maintaining dam's ability to function as intended. Chippewa subdistrict manages 8 dams.
Special Projects
We were contacted by the Wayne County Engineer’s Office to discuss the replacement of the bridge on Chippewa Creek, Reach CC03, located on Black Diamond Road. We were able to provide needed data and information for this project. The old bridge was nearing the end of life as a structure, so we collaborated with them on this project, and were able to provide some grant funding to help offset some costs of the new bridge.
Hubbard Valley Dam Laser Scanning Project
We initiated our first laser scan and 3D basemap of a Principal Spillway structure in 2019 and have continued to leverage that data. At Hubbard Valley Dam, (Dam 3-A), the spillway consists of a 25 foot tall concrete riser, 42-inch diameter by 236 foot long outlet pipe and impact basin. GPD Group – Akron was the contractor. The initial report and drawings provided a very detailed basemap of the spillway. Comparisons of the initial basemap and subsequent scans, will indicate any possible compromises of the structure or the pipe. This level of detail will supplement more basic visual inspections.
StormLink® Instrumentation at Dam 5-D
We installed our third Automated Rainfall and Stage Level Monitoring System with a StormLink® Satellite Monitoring Station in 2019 and utilized that data in 2020. The StormLink® is installed on Dam 5-D, off Steiner Road near Creston, Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) staff installed conduit, concrete supports, and the solar-powered station. We are continuing to monitor the site remotely for rainfall and flood pool stage, which is especially important during large storm events.
