CEDAR CITY — Garfield County officials are monitoring a leak in the upper part of Panguitch Lake dam and have closed state Route 143 between the town of Panguitch and the lake as a precaution.
The crack in the structure was noticed on Monday, according to a news release posted Monday night on Garfield County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page.
“It was discovered that the Panguitch Lake Dam had sustained damage resulting in transverse cracking on the upper portion of the Dam,” the statement reads, adding, “The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with local Emergency Management, Panguitch City, and West Panguitch Irrigation Company, are currently monitoring the conditions.”
The damage to the dam has not been deemed severe enough to warrant immediate evacuations, the release states, noting that emergency personnel are stationed at the dam and are closely monitoring its status.
“If conditions worsen, emergency notification will be made through available resources,” the release adds.
The road closure is in effect for the roughly 17-mile stretch of SR-143 between the southern town limits of Panguitch and Bear Paw Resort, located on the eastern shore of the lake.
Despite the closure, residences and businesses around the lake are still accessible via other roads, Garfield County Commissioner David Tebbs told Cedar City News on Tuesday morning.
“All cabins are accessible, but you would need to go through Mammoth Creek/Duck Creek or Parowan/Brian Head,” he said.
Tebbs said that as of Tuesday morning, county and emergency management officials are still awaiting further information from engineers about the dam.
“Our emergency management is on site 24/7 until we can come up with a solution and relieve some of the pressure on the dam,” he said.
Tebbs said that further information would be posted on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page as it becomes available.
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