High water raises concerns about Hayden dam

Recent high water has raised concerns about the integrity of an earthen dam on Hayden Lake. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to do some mitigation work to reinforce the structure, which is also known as the Hayden Dike Road. Local officials have currently closed the top of the dam to public access. In addition, a temporary “no wake” zone will be in force at Honeysuckle Beach to prevent further erosion. No structures are threatened with flooding at this time. Monitoring of the dam has been a cooperative effort between Kootenai County, and other local, state and federal agencies, including the Hayden Lake Recreational Water and Sewer Board, the city of Hayden and Idaho Department of Water Resources. In addition, a portion of East Hayden Lake Road about 5 1/2 miles east of Honeysuckle Beach slid out Wednesday and has been closed for repairs, said Joe Wuest, road supervisor for Lakes Highway District. “The ground got super-saturated and slid out,” said Wuest. The district anticipates reopening the road by the middle of next week, he said. The road is closed just east of the intersection with Windy Point Loop.