LUBBOCK – A nearly $100,000 survey has given Lubbock County commissioners a clear direction on the repairs needed on the McMillan dam at Buffalo Springs Lake.
The court is expected to designate $7 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for phase one of the repairs.
A vital part of this first phase includes removing all the foliage surrounding the dam. The damage caused by those roots can lead to seepage and erosion. Once the area is clear, new piping will be installed to allow water to flow freely.
“The problem you have is right now you’re losing material,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Terence Kovar said. “If that continues over years or decades, you could end up with a dam failure.”
McMillan Dam regulates the spillway between Buffalo Springs and Ransom Canyon, so its failure would put lives at risk.
“Look at all the homes that are below that,” Kovar said. “We don’t want any lives lost. We don’t want any property lost.”