Lake Paul Wallace spillway breach raises questions

BENNETTSVILLE—Monday evening Richardson Park and Shady Rest neighborhoods were evacuated due to the threat of flooding when the Lake Paul Wallace dam was breached.

Around 5 p.m., Lake Paul Wallace Authority chairman Sully Blair noticed the lake levels looked low as he drove near the lake. He made a call to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, which owns the lake, to see if a valve had been turned to lower the water. They hadn’t.

“Where the land buffers up against the spillway, something there— there was some seepage or some leaking underneath the roadway, the integrity of the earth got poor because of that,” Blair said. “It was a failure underneath next to the roadway to the spillway. And that created a release of water downstream.”

Because the water was flowing downstream, the Richardson Park and Shady Rest neighborhoods were in imminent danger of flooding.

The lake was drained on the side where the dam is located and Blair said in a statement following the incident, “I’m relieved to report that everyone is safe, with no injuries or property damage reported. Although the breach was significant, the released water volume didn’t cause substantial flooding downstream. The lake has now completely drained, eliminating any further threat of flooding due to the dam breach.”

But there was ponding in the neighborhoods. Historically, Richardson Park and Shady Rest floods during heavy rain storms and hurricanes. In 2022, Bennettsville City Council unanimously approved a resolution to authorize the agreement between the city and SC Office of Resilience for almost $5 million to fund the buyout of properties impacted by flooding in Shady Rest and Richardson Park areas of the city.

But for residents of the area, a buyout isn’t the answer.

“People have stayed down here all their lives,” said Edgar Covington. “They are not selling their houses for $5000.”

Covington was one of the residents who had to evacuate Monday night after the city shut off the electricity in the neighborhood. Though his street didn’t have any ponding, Covington couldn’t stay in his home because he needed power for his heart pump and oxygen machine. While Covington said he understands why the city made the call to turn the power off, he could’ve used more notice. He had praise for Bennettsville City Administrator William Simon Jr.’s handling of the situation Monday night, but he’d like for city officials to get to know where the hardest hit areas are in the neighborhoods before issuing mass evaluations.

He said since the breakers are above ground, he didn’t understand the decision to cut the power off. “I want to see them fix some of these water problems. A lot of comes from ditches, the creek needs to be cleaned out, but nobody claims any of this stuff,” he said.

Covington said he believes the dam issue should’ve been addressed years ago when the dam was given a poor condition assessment. SC DHEC is in charge of inspecting the dam and before Monday’s breach, the agency had performed an inspection a week ago and didn’t find any issues.

“They don’t care about us because we’re on the low end and they’re on the high end,” Covington said. “All the water is coming on us.”

Marlboro County Administrator, Wilson “Tony” Clyburn issued a statement Tuesday about the incident, “As a county, we express deep disappointment and sadness regarding the recent events surrounding Lake Paul Wallace. We commend the swift and courageous response from our emergency management team, the city of Bennettsville, and other municipalities. We stand in solidarity with the residents of Shady Rest Community and Richardson Park, who have faced displacement during high water flow incidents far too many times. We believe this should be the final straw. Moving forward, we will collaborate with local, state, and federal authorities to find lasting and efficient solutions to a longstanding issue. Our commitment to the affected communities is unwavering, ensuring that their concerns will not fall on deaf ears and will be addressed promptly under this new leadership.”

At press time there hadn’t been any information released about what caused the breach or how long the road near the lake will be closed.

“Moving forward, the Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Lake Paul Authority, and local and state officials are working together in the investigation of the root cause of failure. This investigation will guide the design and eventual repair of the dam and roadway. While it’s premature to provide an estimated repair timeline, we’re hopeful for an emergency order to expedite the roadway repair. The boating section of the lake will remain CLOSED until further notice,” Blair said in a statement. “A massive thank you goes out to all emergency personnel for their swift response, ensuring the safety of our citizens. It’s heartening to witness everyone rallying together in times of crisis.”

DHEC issued the following statement Tuesday, “DHEC staff remain on-site along with other state and local officials. We’ll be working with SCDNR to outline the regulatory requirements for repairs needed to restore the structural integrity of the dam. The number one priority remains protecting people and property.

Under state law, dam owners are responsible for maintaining the structural integrity of their dams. While DHEC doesn’t provide engineering or maintenance services, the agency provides technical assistance and information to help dam owners maintain compliance with safety regulations.

DHEC performs routine inspections on high-hazard dams every two years and significant-hazard dams are inspected every three years. The findings of these inspections are provided to dam owners with recommendations or requirements to address any deficiencies noted during the inspection.

Lake Wallace Dam is a high-hazard dam, and its most recent routine inspection was performed last week, on April 30, 2024. While that inspection report hasn’t been finalized yet, there was no evidence during the inspection that indicated any type of imminent risk of breach or failure.

Our webpage at scdhec.gov/dams provides extensive information and resources for South Carolina dam owners. The Association of State Dam Officials provides additional information for those who live or work near dams.”