COLD WEATHER AND POOR construction materials appear to have caused the recent damage to a Cavalier County dam, according to North Dakota State Water Commission officials.
The Mount Carmel dam, on the South Pembina river northeast of Langdon, sprung a leak last spring. Water washed out an area beneath its spillway. Investigations have shown that frost underneath the spillway was responsible for causing the leak. Investigations also found that the soil used in the dam was silty, making it frost susceptible and more prone to internal erosion.
The dam, built in 1970, impounds a reservoir for recreation, flood protection and drinking water for nearly 5000 people in Langdon and a rural water district. North Dakota Water Commission is paying for emergency repairs and the investigations.