When Eureka Springs Mayor Butch Berry and U.S. Rep. Steve Womack visited historic Black Bass Dam last fall, the state of the structure startled the congressman.
Womack said he understood the urgency of the need for repair and has submitted a request to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee for $1.5 million through the Community Project Fund.
“Black Bass Dam is a significant part of the history of Eureka Springs,” Berry said in a news release from the City of Eureka Springs. “It was the main source for the city municipal water supply for many years and it is one of the major city parks that is a critical part of our outdoor recreational hiking, biking, and fishing activities for residents and over 1.4 million tourists who visit Eureka Springs yearly.”
Over the past 20 years, the dam has been dangerously damaged by extreme storms and aging on the 129-year-old structure.
The erosion and decay of the structure has rendered the dam in danger of major flooding and completely failing.
“To my recollection, this is the first time Eureka Springs [will be in the running for] federal funding for major projects,” Berry said in the release. “Congressman Womack has been an ardent supporter of our town and we greatly appreciate his commitment to help us repair Black Bass Dam.”
Currently, there is a major water pump from Carroll-Boone Water district at the bottom of the dam. This pump supplies all the water to the western part of Eureka Springs.
When the dam fails, it will take this pump out and leave the western part of Eureka Springs, up to the Crescent Hotel and the Eureka Springs Hospital without water, impacting the city’s ability to provide vital medical care and fire prevention.
The restoration and repair of the dam requires a stairstep structure to the dam’s surface, according to the release.
Repairs include stone retaining walls, which average about four-foot long, 14 to 16 inches tall and two foot in depth.
“That way, if the dam is overtopped, the energy of water coming down the north side will be dissipated by the steps and flow into an expanded spillway,” according to the release.
