HONESDALE, PA — Wayne County has a new technological tool to monitor some of its many flood control dams.

Commissioner Jonathan Fritz, who frequently draws groans from his colleagues for his love of puns on almost any commissioners’ meeting agenda topic, did not offer any humor during a discussion of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) notification of “DamWatch” on June 25. “This is serious,” he explained when asked about his deference.

DamWatch, which is only available to municipalities with authenticated accounts, “provides near ‘real time’ monitoring of potential threats to dams such as rainfall events and seismic activity,” according to the announcement.

The tool also offers a wide variety of accessory information, including as-built plans, inspection reports, emergency plans, photos and videos.

DamWatch would monitor seven dams controlling tributaries of the Lackawaxen River, including the Garrett Dam on Holbert Creek, the Varco Dam on Laurella Brook, the Suydam Dam on Lollypop Creek, the Quarno Dam (also known the Keuater & Duanio Dam), the Martin Dam on a tributary of Indian Orchard Creek, the Feldman Dam on a Carley Brook tributary, and Dam 421 on Laurella Brook.

Most of them are over 50 years old. Many of Wayne’s flood control dams were created with federal grant money, but maintenance was left to the county. The commissioners have regularly complained about their inability to access federal money for their upkeep.

The June 10 letter was an announcement of the program’s April 30 availability. DamWatch is operated by USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service.

All told, Wayne County has 134 dams and its hazard mitigation plan, including those dams, was updated earlier this year.

In other business, the commissioners named William Cockerill to a four-year term on the newly reorganized Pocono counties Workforce Investment and Development Agency (WIDA) board.

They also decided to direct state energy and environment development (SEED) grant information to municipal and civic groups. Grant funding provides up to $1,000 per building for energy saving projects.