Meetings slated to discuss Beaver Dam flooding concerns

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT) - The United States Army Corps of Engineers will be meeting with people to discuss ways to help with avoiding major flooding problems along with the Beaver Dam and White River areas in the Mountain Home and Newport areas.

According to a media release, the Little Rock office of the Army Corps of Engineers will host meetings at the Jacksonport State Park Visitor Center on Jan. 31 and at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home Vada Sheid Community Development Center on Feb. 1.

Both meetings will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., officials said.

Officials said plans call for engineers to lower the water levels behind Beaver Dam in a more efficient manner after heavy rains.

“Additionally, if conditions allow, the measures will also reduce the amount of time engineers have to maintain the 12-foot regulating stage at Newport, Arkansas on the White River by holding higher stages in the winter and spring. These changes are required because of non-breach dam safety issues at Beaver Dam,” officials said in the media release.

Officials said Thursday that the dam is not in any trouble of catastrophic failure in the future, but noted that heavy rains in the past 10 years as well as safety concerns could create problems with people living downstream of the dam.

People can learn more about the dam by visiting here.