Dillon Dam Road CLOSED INDEFINITELY by Denver Water
I HATE Denver Water SO MUCH.
Quote:
Because in theory someone could maybe try to maybe attack probably unsuccessfully an earthen dam somewhere sometime somehow, we are going to fuck up your county. So, surprise! We aren't going to discuss it or even give you warning, we are just closing one of only three roads connecting your county and we are doing it in the middle of the night!
Sincerely,
The Doucheguzzling Cocklovers from Denver Water
Denverites, harass your mayor and water comissioners and let them know that it is not OK to fuck over 30,000+ people because of vague worries about terror.
This is outrageous and completely unreasonable. What idiot is running Denver Water? This should be the end of their career. He needs to join that FEMA Director in the unemployment line!
__________________
"I get older, they stay the same age."
I heard that at one point they did a study and determined that if someone were to take out Dillon or Green Mountain, the flow of water downstream would be enough to take out the rest of the dams on the Colorado. At least it would solve all our dam problems.
__________________
"The world would be a better place if everyone kayaked."-Brad Ludden (Valhalla)
"You only get one chance to run a drop blind."-DD
I heard that at one point they did a study and determined that if someone were to take out Dillon or Green Mountain, the flow of water downstream would be enough to take out the rest of the dams on the Colorado. At least it would solve all our dam problems.
Highly doubtful
Destroying Dillon Dam might destroy Green Mountain Dam, but that's probably about it as far as dams.
If the terrorists had that much explosives, why would they waste it to kill 2,000 or so people in rural Colorado when they could kill 50,000 people in a big city (or multiple cities)?
Destroying Dillon Dam might destroy Green Mountain Dam, but that's probably about it as far as dams.
If the terrorists had that much explosives, why would they waste it to kill 2,000 or so people in rural Colorado when they could kill 50,000 people in a big city (or multiple cities)?
Water and Power. Most of Colorado, Arizona, and California are dependent on the Colorado River Basin at some point for water and/or power.
I'm not saying their evaluation is right; I just thought it was an interesting tidbit I picked up along the way.
__________________
"The world would be a better place if everyone kayaked."-Brad Ludden (Valhalla)
"You only get one chance to run a drop blind."-DD
Water and Power. Most of Colorado, Arizona, and California are dependent on the Colorado River Basin at some point for water and/or power.
I'm not saying their evaluation is right; I just thought it was an interesting tidbit I picked up along the way.
It's interesting...However, if I was a terrorist, I would be looking at something like the super bowl, or something more major. Destroying an Earthen Dam would require a huge huge amount of explosives if they tried to do a surface explosion. In order to do any damage they would have to go after the glory hole...but even then it would probably not create enough damage to really force any major evacuation even. They could fly a 747 with explosives into that thing and it wouldn't burst...only way to do it would be to drill for days on end under the water and create a subsurface explosion.... Frankly...they are being retarded. True, the Colorado River supplies Cali, and almost all the western states with water...but if you start doing your research, this is one of the major causes of climatic change(bunch of water in places it's not supposed to be? irrigating a bunch of California desert to grow things? hmmm....) If someone truly wanted to do some damage with the reservoir...wouldn't poison be a bit more devious? Seriously, someone should shoot the people on the water board. Sorry, I hate this shyt, it is usually one of the easiest ways to and from areas in summit, especially with I-70 getting a makeover... Now some jackass with a bull horn shies away boaters to close soaking up our tax dollars in the middle....and I wonder what happens if the boaters are deaf?
This is a complete load of bullshit. DW can suck my balls.
Quote:
SUMMIT COUNTY — Denver Water officials on Tuesday abruptly closed Dillon Dam Road indefinitely due to security concerns.
“We are not aware of an imminent threat,” said Denver water commissioner Penfield Tate. “But in the last several months, we’ve grown far more concerned about the vulnerability of the dam and the potential for catastrophic consequences downstream if the dam were targeted.”
The closure drew immediate fire from local officials, who were not given any advance warning.
“The way they’ve gone about this pisses me off,” said Summit County Commissioner Tom Long.
The Dam Road is one of only three east-west byways in the county, and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office estimates 8,500 vehicles travel across the road each day.
“We understand that the closure will inconvenience motorists in Summit County,” Tate said. “However, we have concluded that the grave danger presented by a dam failure outweighs the disruption to travelers.”
Terrorism concerns
An agreement drafted with the county in 1974 allows Denver Water to halt traffic on the road during an emergency.
Local officials indicated that the move apparently is based on information that Denver Water received from undisclosed state and federal agencies over the vulnerability of earthen dams in general.
“They can’t name an imminent threat, so we can’t understand why we’re not involved in the decision,” Long said. “They haven’t shared any information with local law enforcement. We’re kind of in the dark.”
Local-government officials issued a joint press release Tuesday evening excoriating what they considered to be a unilateral move by Denver Water.
“It is of particular concern ... that this new information has not been released to any local law-enforcement agency in the county,” the officials wrote. “While Denver Water has promised to provide information to support its decision, that has not yet taken place.”
Denver's water, Summit County's risk
The Dillon Reservoir is owned and operated by Denver Water and serves as a primary water source for Denver’s drinking supply.
If the dam ever was compromised, it would release as much as 245,000 acre-feet of water towards Silverthorne, affecting hundreds of homes, businesses and Interstate 70.
Security of water supplies and dams has been the subject of increased scrutiny since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and a perceived threat on the Dam Road in early January prompted Denver Water to close the road for five days and increase security.
In the last seven years, Denver Water has spent more than $10 million enhancing the safety and security of its facilities statewide.
Changes at the Dillon Reservoir have included fencing, barriers, video surveillance and, most recently, a 24-hour security guard.
“Having exhausted other options and still being uncomfortable with the level of risk, we consider road closure the action necessary to best protect the residents of Summit County as well as the water supply,” Tate said.
Local officials indicated they are considering legal options to keep the road open.
“It’s like getting whacked between the eyes, it was so quickly thrust upon us,” said Summit County manager Gary Martinez. “We now have our attorneys looking at all the documents.”
No warnings
Although Denver Water general manager Chips Barry last week called a meeting with local officials for 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Lake Dillon Fire Chief Dave Parmley learned about the closure from a Denver television station later in the day.
“It’s disrespectful, and it’s unacceptable,” Parlmey said. “Obviously it has a very adverse and negative impact on public safety...This is just as if they shut down a section of Speer Boulevard. The Denver Fire Department would have something to say about that.”
Sheriff John Minor summed up his feelings toward the closure with a single unprintable word, adding that the road is a frequent emergency-response route.
State Rep. Christine Scanlan, D-Summit Cove, blasted the lack of advance notification, calling the move by Denver Water “arrogant and high-handed.”
“I find it inexcusable that Denver Water did not notify us as state officials, and they did not talk to police, fire or ambulance,” she said.
Seeking alternatives
Some public-access roads across dams in other parts of the country — New York and California, for example — also have been closed due to security concerns.
Officials at Denver Water say an alternate road connecting the two sides of the reservoir without crossing over the top of the dam may be the best long-term solution.
The organization has hired an engineering firm to consider potential alternate roads, and are initiating discussions with local jurisdictions.
The bike path across the dam will remain open, according to Denver Water officials.
__________________
"The world would be a better place if everyone kayaked."-Brad Ludden (Valhalla)
"You only get one chance to run a drop blind."-DD
Not necessarily agreeing with the editorial below, but presenting an alternative perspective. Note the geographical error with respect to Vail. WTF?
Dillon road closure an irritating necessity
By Rocky Mountain News
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Residents of Dillon, Frisco and Silverthorne are hopping mad with Denver Water's decision to close the Dillon Dam Road linking the three mountain communities.
The road runs along the crest of the earthen dam holding back Dillon Reservoir, the largest water storage facility in the Denver system. Officials closed the road at midnight Tuesday, citing concerns about the dam's vulnerability as a potential terrorist target.
Local public officials, who received only hours' notice before the barricades went up, feel blindsided. The road is one of three routes connecting the towns, so closing it eliminates a highway that reportedly carries 8,000 vehicles daily.
We understand the exasperation of locals. Our first instinct was to take their side. But we've reluctantly concluded Denver Water made the right call.
A recent "vulnerability assessment" convinced Denver Water officials that the chance that the dam would collapse if, say, a truck bomb exploded on that road is much more likely than was previously thought. Explosive devices no more powerful than those that destroyed the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City could apparently compromise the dam's integrity.
To be clear, Denver Water Operations Director Brian Good told us that the department had no new information elevating the risk. Instead, he said, the latest safety review - one of several conducted since the 9/11 attacks - concluded that allowing motor vehicles to routinely use Dillon Dam Road posed a danger that's too high.
An explosion causing the earthen dam to fail would have catastrophic consequences. The nearly 4,000 residents of Silverthorne would be immediately imperiled. Flooding downstream could threaten thousands more, particularly at Vail and Glenwood Springs. Nearby segments of Interstate 70 might buckle from the deluge.
And Denver-area residents would lose the use of nearly 83 billion gallons of water until the damage was repaired.
Such a move is not unprecedented, even if its timing, nearly seven years after 9/11, seems odd. Officials in other states have closed roads crossing dams. In New York, traffic has been permanently diverted from three dam roads - one of them over the Kensico Dam, whose adjacent reservoir handles 90 percent of the Big Apple's drinking water supply.
In California, the road spanning the Folsom Dam, about 20 miles up the American River from Sacramento, was also closed right after 9/11; it reopened as a rush-hour-only toll road in 2005. And U.S. Highway 93, which crosses Hoover Dam, has been closed to commercial traffic since 9/11. A bridge bypassing the existing highway is due to open in late 2010.
Why should Dillon Dam Road be closed and not others closer to Denver? Without divulging details, Good asserted that the Chatfield and Cherry Creek dams aren't vulnerable to the type of attack - carried out by no more than a solo driver - that Dillon is. Good also noted that Dillon Dam Road is not open year-round. County officials close it frequently during the winter, for days at a time, when wind, ice and snow make travel treacherous.
Pedestrians and cyclists can still use the road. Access for emergency vehicles should be fully restored in a few days. Since it would be too costly to hire security to monitor auto traffic entering the highway, closing the road is the prudent (if unfortunate) alternative.
Linear Mode
