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Engineers recommend major repairs for Silverview Upper Dam in Seldovia
Summary
CRW and Village Safe Water engineers recommended a major renovation of the Silverview Upper Dam after a 2025 periodic safety inspection identified timber spillway damage, concrete spalling and a deteriorated liner; the PER advocates pursuing funding for a full rehabilitation rather than short‑term patches.
CRW engineer Andy Horzovsky told the council that the dam’s timber spillway and concrete face are deteriorating and recommended pursuing a full renovation rather than temporary repairs. "If you do nothing, eventually, the dam will continue to deteriorate and, potentially fail, which would put Seldovi out of water and, not to mention the downstream effects..." Horzovsky said, summarizing the 2025 periodic safety inspection (PSI) findings and the PER’s analysis.
Laurie Holz of CRW and Michelle of Village Safe Water said the PER frames three alternatives — full replacement, targeted repair, or doing nothing — and argued the long‑term, preferred solution is replacement or major rehabilitation. Laurie noted the dam was overhauled in 1994 and that a repeat of that scope (including a cofferdam and drawdown) would allow both liner replacement and removal of reservoir sediment (the 1994 work removed roughly 4,000 cubic yards), an opportunity the PER recommends be considered in project planning. Councilmembers were asked to prioritize the dam among other system needs so CRW and VSW can pursue design funding.
