Philpott Lake tops crest elevation of dam spillway for first time

For the first time, the pool of Philpott Lake has filled past the crest elevation of the dam's spillway. That happened in the wake of heavy rainfall this week over Philpott Lake watershed.

Operators say there is no danger of dam failure, and the flow over the spillway, combined with controlled releases, is not expected to have any downstream impacts.

The spillway is maintained and operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

No additional rise is expected and the spill will gradually diminish throughout the day, according to the corps. However, as a precaution, the corps has sent engineers to Philpott Dam to take further instrument readings and real-time observations.