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October 24, 2005
SALT FORK STATE PARK STAFF RECEIVE NATIONAL AWARD
FOR MANAGING OF POTENTIAL DAM EMERGENCY
COLUMBUS, OH - The managing of a potential emergency at the Salt Fork Lake dam earlier this year earned state park manager Hal Harper and his employees a national award from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Harper and his staff recently received the Midwest Region Award of Merit during the association’s annual National Dam Safety Conference. Eight states representing the Midwest region voted unanimously on the award for Salt Fork State Park.
“Hal and his staff were integral in keeping a potentially dangerous situation at Salt Fork Lake from getting worse,” said Mark Ogden, dam safety engineer with the ODNR Division of Water, who nominated the Salt Fork team. “Their astute observations and cooperation with our dam safety staff ensured a better outcome for the dam, the park and the community.”
In February, during routine dam safety maintenance, Salt Fork State Park staff was quick to notify ODNR’s dam safety unit after noticing an area with water bubbling up from the ground near the base of the 1,500-foot long and 60-foot high dam. In the months to follow, the staff was integral in providing daily monitoring of the dam area while working in cooperation with dam safety staff and consultants.
Harper said he was grateful for the award and thanked the dam safety team as well as his park staff for their efforts on the front lines.
“Credit must be given to the entire park staff, including maintenance, lodge and marina staff, who handled customer concerns and public inquiries during sometimes difficult times with smiles on their faces,” Harper said.
The dam at Salt Fork impounds a 3,000-acre lake, the centerpiece of Ohio’s largest state park. After months of analysis, the cause of the dam seepage was determined to be a malfunctioning toe drain in the dam. Today, monitoring at the site continues and repairs are scheduled to take place over the winter. Water levels at the lake, which have been lowered, will be allowed to rise naturally in the spring after repairs are complete.
In addition, the dam association also honored ODNR dam safety engineer Rodney Tornes with the National Award of Merit for his work in helping to develop a comprehensive dam safety technical training program of study across the nation. Presented by the association’s board of directors, the award recognized Tornes and a team of three other engineers for accomplishing such an enormous task.
The Association of State Dam Safety Officials is a national non-profit organization of dam safety regulators, dam owners and operators, engineering consultants, manufacturers and suppliers, academic, contractors and others interested in dam safety. Its mission is to advance and improve the safety of dams by supporting the dam safety community.
The parks staff at Salt Fork State Park as well as several members of the ODNR dam safety team also recently were recognized with the ODNR ACE Award for their management of the dam situation. The award recognizes excellence in the workplace, including teamwork, cooperation and good communication skills.
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