HONESDALE, PA — It wasn’t on the agenda, but a state safety review of lake community dams was definitely under discussion at the Wayne County Commissioners’ September 24 meeting.

Prior to the meeting, commissioner Jonathan Fritz complained about the private and public costs that will be involved to upgrade or demolish all the community dams, under the requirements of PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Changes made in 2011 to 1907 legislation on dam safety now would require that all Wayne County dams deemed as Class 1, “high hazard,” meet a flood-retention impoundment requirement of 36 inches of rain over a 72-hour period. Class 1 dams impound water upstream of residential areas.

DEP inspectors have been rating Wayne dams recently and seeking owners’ responses about compliance.

Fritz, who said he has two properties on affected lakes, said the costs of compliance being sought seem to be a dam-removal estimate. “They’re not even asking for upgrade costs,” he said. He said those costs could run from $30,000 to $60,000.

Fritz said the lake level at his property would rise three feet, flood one road and “at least one house.”

Queried by Fritz, state Rep. Mike Peifer’s observer at Wayne meetings, Gina Ehrhardt, said Peifer’s office has received a number of calls about the issue.

Different communities have different flooding standards.

Commissioners Chair Brian Smith said that according to U.S. weather records, Wayne’s flood of record was in 1955, when 17 inches fell over 72 hours. “Why then are we being asked to double that flood retention margin?” he asked.

Another alternative is amending the schedule of upgrades. “Existing dams need to be identified, but they should be grandfathered until other budgeted and scheduled repairs are made,” he said.

Smith said Wayne County sponsored a successful resolution at the convention of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, calling for an administrative amendment citing concerns with DEP 25 Code, Chapter 105, which is the regulation basis for the action.

“It passed because there are lake communities all over the state, not just us,” he said. Aside from the immediate private costs, the loss of these dams and their lakes would amount to “one huge loss” in property values and local tax bases, statewide, he said.

“We’re still talking to people about it,” Smith added.