Gordon Encourages Attendance At Center Hill Meetings
January 4, 2008, SMITHVILLE – U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon is encouraging Sumner, Trousdale and Wilson county residents to attend the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ upcoming public meetings regarding rehabilitation work at Center Hill Dam.
“It’s important for residents to know how repairs at Center Hill Dam will affect them,” said Gordon. “I hope people will go to these meetings and get answers to any questions they have about the work.”
The Corps will hold public meetings in each county during January, as follows:
- Jan. 10 in Hartsville at Trousdale County High School;
- Jan. 17 in Gallatin at College Heights Baptist Church; and
- Jan. 29 in Mt. Juliet at Mt. Juliet High School.
The meetings are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Flood inundation maps, which show estimates of what areas would flood in the event of a dam failure, will be available at 5:30 p.m.
The rehabilitation involves installation of permanent cutoff walls and supplemental grouting into the main embankment and saddle dam foundations to stop seepage. The plan also recommends replacing the powerhouse station service generator to enhance flow for water quality downstream of the dam.
Construction on Center Hill Dam was completed in 1951. Over time, limestone and sinkholes have caused seepage at the dam.
Last year, Gordon went to the dam to meet with representatives from the Corps and local officials about the possible impacts the rehabilitation will have on nearby communities.
“The Corps tells me the dam is in no immediate danger of failure, but these repairs are necessary to ensure the continued safety of Middle Tennessee residents,” said Gordon.
