Southeast Oklahoma Dam Classified as High Risk

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers classifies a dam in far southeast Oklahoma as extremely high risk, but officials say there’s no immediate danger the dam might fail and negatively affect those downstream along the Little River in southwest Arkansas.

The Texarkana Gazette reports the Corps’ Tulsa District revised its assessment of the Pine Creek Dam from “very high risk” to “extremely high risk” earlier this month.

The 124-foot-high earthen dam holds back about 1.4 million gallons of water just north of Valliant, Okla. It’s been seeping ever since being filled in 1969, despite efforts to fix the problem. Inspectors recently discovered a void in material surrounding the dam’s conduit.

Tulsa District Commander Col. Michael Teague says the dam’s new rating will speed up the process to find a solution.