CUMBERLAND — The project to remove the dam beneath the Cumberland-Ridgeley bridge, sty-mied for more than a year by funding difficulties, has a new problem.
“There is debate about who owns the dam,” said Cumberland Councilman Nick Scarpelli on Friday. “The Army Corps of Engineers says the state of Maryland owns it, but the state says it wants some definite proof.”
Scarpelli said he has asked U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski for a federal title search. The councilman said, though, such a search reaching that far back in time may not shed any additional light on ownership.
“I don’t think ownership will be a deal breaker (on the dam removal project),” he said. “We can probably work through that.”
Numerous agencies and organizations seek removal of the dam for a variety of reasons, including fish passage and the removal of sediment that contains dioxin, a product of paper production.
“Leaving the dam in place is not a good longterm solution,” said Serena McClain of American Rivers. “The North Branch of the Potomac is a powerful river and that’s an old dam,” she cautioned, referencing the potential for structure failure and a sudden flush of contaminated sediment downstream.
There are 142,000 cubic yard of sediment behind the dam extending upstream for 2 miles. The deepest sediment of 6 to 8 feet is directly behind the dam, studies have shown.
Scarpelli said $50,000 to $75,000 in grants is being sought by American Rivers so that the expensive laboratory work to further analyze the sediment can take place.
“The (Maryland Department of Natural Resources) said they will have people take the samples,” Scarpelli said.
Beyond that, more grants will be needed to design the removal project, then the real work and costs would kick in for actual dismantling.
During the past decade, dams have been removed from the river at the former Pittsburgh Plate Glass plant at Mexico Farms and from the former Celanese Fibers plant between Cumberland and Cresaptown, now the location of the Western Correctional Institution.
McClain said she expects to hear results of grant applications within the next few weeks.
Laura Wildman, a consultant from Princeton Hydro, said earlier that removal of the 60-year-old dam will not increase potential for flooding.
“In fact, lowering of the water elevation above the dam will make the levees more effective,” Wildman said. “The dam was not built to provide flood protection, but as a water source for upstream industries such as the Kelly-Springfield Tire Company.”
Contact Michael A. Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com.
