EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso Water crews have stabilized a compromised dam in West El Paso after what officials described as a near-collapse, allowing nearby roadways to reopen while work continues to lower water levels and reinforce the structure.
El Paso Water said it has made significant progress reducing the risk of failure at Cement Lake Dam, also known as the Portland Reservoir. Crews will remain on-site to remove more water from the dam.
“We had a very close call with a near-dam collapse, but it has been stabilized, and the risk is now very low,” EPWater President and CEO John Balliew said. “Our crews acted quickly and decisively to protect public safety and critical infrastructure.”
Over the past several days, crews deployed as many as 16 pumps to lower the water level by about 17 feet by Sunday morning, an effort EPWater said reduced pressure on the dam. After having the lake’s water quality tested and ensuring it met the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality standards, the water pumped from the lake was then released near culverts that drain to the Rio Grande.
On Saturday, April 25, crews were able to safely resume critical earthwork operations near the embankment to reinforce the compromised section of the dam, EPWater said in a press release.
Earthwork had been halted late Thursday night after multiple indicators signaled a potential dam failure. EPWater said conditions at the time made it too dangerous for personnel to remain near the compromised section, which had already shown signs of breaching and posed a serious hazard to major roadways.
While roadway access has been restored, EPWater said the area in and around the lake remains closed to everyone except authorized personnel as essential repairs and stabilization efforts continue.
EPWater said the reopening of roads, stabilization measures and reduced pressure on the dam reflect coordinated work by response teams that have worked around the clock since Wednesday, with the City-County Office of Emergency Management and partner agencies playing a key role in keeping the community safe.
EPWater said it is shifting from emergency response to planning and executing a long-term solution for Cement Lake Dam.
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