A permanent fix is underway to prevent another whirlpool from opening up at the low-head dam in Franklin’s Province Park.
The dam is at the fork of Youngs Creek in the downtown park, next to a popular playground and shelter house.
The repair will cost about $15,000 and will be paid for with tax dollars collected for maintenance of the Hurricane legal drain, a county-maintained regulated drain, said Gregg Cantwell, surveyor.
The repair work started Monday and is expected to take about four days to complete, Cantwell said.
This week, crews will fill the base of the dam with stone, and install steps next to the base of the dam to create a more gentle flow of water downstream. Installing the steps will prevent a flow of water heavy and strong enough to erode the creek bottom and create another sinkhole, he said.
The city considered removing the dam, but the surveyor’s office determined it could compromise the walls of the creek and the nearby bridge, Cantwell said.
The sinkhole was temporarily plugged June 23 with riprap, a construction material made of stones and wire netting. The sinkhole was first reported to the city on June 19, and was open for about five days.
