Girard dam breach plan moves ahead

GIRARD — City officials have moved one step closer to breaching the Lower Girard Lakes dam, but if funds are found to save the structure the breaching process can be reversed.

Council, in a meeting this week, unanimously passed an ordinance authorizing the safety service director to advertise for bids for the partial breach of the dam. The breach plans have been approved by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

“The plans approved by the ODNR are the least invasive to the dam,” Mayor James Melfi said said. “Basically, we are going to cut holes, large doors, in the base of the dam that will release any water to build up behind the dam.”

Melfi said the breaching process could be reversed by sealing the large doors that will be cut in the base.

For more, see Wednesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com