Work starts soon to fix leaky Idaho dam

Updated: Thursday, August 26, 2010 9:30 AM

OROFINO, Idaho (AP) -- An engineering firm will begin work soon to repair leaks at north-central Idaho's Dworshak Dam.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has hired Jacobs Engineering of Seattle to inject urethane in joints between some of the huge concrete blocks that make up the dam.

The Lewiston Tribune reports that water stops between six of the 51 concrete monoliths that make up the dam are leaking badly. Engineers say the leaks don't threaten the structural integrity of the dam, but they do make it more difficult for officials to monitor water slipping beneath the structure. Water leaking under a dam can cause tremendous uplift pressure that can, in extreme cases, undermine the safety of the structure.

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Information from: Lewiston Tribune, http://www.lmtribune.com