Watching Dam Safety at Snake Creek

The dropping level of Lake Sakakawea has caused numerous problems for boat owners land owners and business owners in the area But it has also raised another issue the safety of the Snake Creek Dam that separates Lakes Sakakawea and Audubon Perry Olson shows us what crews were doing yesterday to make sure the dam is holding up The difference in levels between Lake Audubon and Lake Sakakawea might be doing damage that nobody can see the full Audubon is putting more pressure on the dam than the empty Sakakawea and that might be an issue To monitor that crews buried a line with a device that allows engineers to peer deep within the dam As it stands today the dam is safe and levels are acceptable but the future level of the big lake is unknown doing this work now means all the bases are covered Lake Audubon was lowered about a year and a half ago to take some of the pressure off the dam and that appears to have done the job it is safe now but Jeffers says it could happen again Readings taken by the new equipment will be read in Omaha at the Corps of Engineers office there Perry Olson KX News Crews had the right southbound lane closed for the work on Monday