Department of Conservation and Recreation
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Department of Conservation and Recreation
Media inquiries: Please contact Dave Neudeck, dave.neudeck@dcr.virginia.gov, 804-786-5053.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: March 28, 2024
Contact: Matt Sabas, Senior PR and Marketing Specialist, 804-786-2292, matthew.sabas@dcr.virginia.gov
April is Low-Head Dam Public Safety Awareness Month in Virginia
RICHMOND, Va. - The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation is supporting April Low-Head Dam Public Safety Awareness Month to encourage Virginians to protect themselves from the dangers associated with these structures.
A low-head dam is a dam that runs from bank-to-bank, typically with a low height, across a river or stream. Water pouring over the dam creates a hazardous current termed a “spin cycle” like that of a washing machine that can trap even the strongest swimmer wearing a flotation device. Once caught in a spin cycle, it is almost impossible to escape.
“Every year, these deceptively dangerous dams claim lives and pose an ongoing risk to boaters, swimmers and fishers throughout Virginia,” said Mark Killgore, DCR’s lead dam safety engineer. “Low-head dams are called ‘drowning machines’ for a reason. Over 1,000 people have died in incidents at low-head dams in the United States in the past few decades."
You can take the following steps to protect yourself:
Killgore added, “the only escape may be crawling along the river bottom and surfacing well downstream of the dam.”
For more information about low-head dams, visit https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/dam-safety-and-floodplains/ds-education.
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