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<br />HaRfor 2nd 'drowning',~foqght
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<br />By ~O!ln Diaz
<br />. Denver POol SIalt Writer
<br />. The Union Ave~ue Dam -knoWn as "a
<br />drowilingmachlne". after cIalming two.
<br />. victims within three weeks lastspiing:'" .
<br />may be duplicated just downstream on the
<br />South Platte River. . _.. . .
<br />The U.S, Army Corps of EDgbieeis .
<br />plans to construct the Brown Ditch Weir, ,
<br />. Dam.next spring - prompting one drown- ...
<br />ingvicllm's parents to spearhead a pell.
<br />. t10n drive to stop the project before more
<br />lives are lost. . .' .:
<br />.. .. .'I)1e Union Ayenue Dam, completed last
<br />year along the South Platte, has a sloped
<br />design that creates a powerful.back cur;
<br />rent _.... - one that can consume the .most
<br />proficient swimmer'during spriilg runoffs
<br />of 5,000 cubic feet a ~nd, say some wa-
<br />. ter engineers..' .. _ '
<br />The corps sllII plans the ldenllcal design
<br />for Brown Ditch Weir Dam,a flood-con- .
<br />trol facility between Bowles Avenue .and .vins began circulating Petitions demand; .
<br />County Line Rqad scheduled for construe. .. ,ing that the corps construct a whltewater .
<br />,tionnextspring. .. . bypass around the .Unlon Aven"e Dam,
<br />I. "I just don't believe - with all the won. . : And they are incredulous that another
<br />. derfully talented engineers around - that . Identical "drowiling machlne'~ will be built
<br />they can't corne up with something that is just miles away.. .
<br />safe," said BonDle Marvin, mother.of the Dan Hokens. a design engineer for the
<br />t. Union' Avenue .Dam's first victim. "We corps in Omaha, acknowledged that the .
<br />just doo't feela darn of that type belongs two drowilings at the Union Avenue Dam
<br />in thallypel'of river.", . were considered in making plans for the
<br />Her 29-year-old .son, David MarvlJ\, new flood-control structure.
<br />drowned April 28 when he was thrown "I thought maybe we ought to go back
<br />! from his kayak while crossing the dam. . to a steep design that would discourage
<br />His body was found in Thornton three 'anyone 'from going over," Hokens said.
<br />weeks later. "But the general conclusion was that If
<br />His father, Ray Martin, described Da- someone did have an accident, we ought
<br />vid asa 6-foot-2, experienced boater who to give them as much of a chance as possi-
<br />. was . "a good swimmer and strong as able." .. -, . . ,
<br />, horse.". . . .. The Union Avenue Dam contains a flat
<br />...'..i.\ '.'ShorUy after their son's death, the Mar-': :'slope and a series of spillways beneath the .
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<br />Bonnie and Ray Martin demanded safety
<br />OfdambeUP9ra~~, .:"
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<br />W. Oxtord Ave. .
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<br />SHER'DAN
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<br />Union Ave.
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<br />. top, 'The corps contendS the. alignment is
<br />less dangerous than, a steep dropoff, and
<br />. prevents erosion. Signs have been posted
<br />, along the river, noted Hokens, that warn
<br />boaters not to go over the darn. ':.. .
<br />But critics of the design say the current
<br />at' the foot of the. slope swirls in a deadly
<br />. pattern, although the water looks tempt-
<br />ingly passive.
<br />"It looks deceptive and exciting," said
<br />Stewart Fonda. Englewood's utility direc-
<br />tor. "Vou want to jump on an inner tube
<br />. and go for il." .
<br />. Similar fears were voiced as early as
<br />.1982. In a sludy conducted for the city of
<br />Englewood, the potential dangers of. the
<br />corps' design were pointed out by Wright-
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<br />'.MCLaughlinEnglne~rsofDenver..... . '
<br />. '. "This facility could be fatal to anyone
<br />'who is inadvertently carried overthe drop
<br />. , arid kept in thehydraulic.features." the
<br />independent consultants asserlecl. . . ... .. .
<br />.. . .But'the Corps of Engineers re"jected .
<br />consultants' .suggesllon that the' slope
<br />should be modified to soften the. cuiTents .
<br />. at its base. HOkens insisted that the alter-
<br />native would have been, moreexpei1sive,
<br />: but' no safer than the corps' design. .
<br />The Englewood City Coun.cil contends
<br />.the Union Avenue Dam was biillt "with
<br />total disregard for the reCommendations
<br />for safety of boaters.'" ,
<br />The council has asked th~ .federal agen-
<br />cy or the state Water Consenrallon Board
<br />to 'constriJct a boat chute around the dani.
<br />But the corps could build a bypaSs only ,
<br />If It were funded bya state orlocal gov-
<br />ernment. _~ ,,) . :~.',.i .','
<br />'. .' .", ,-/.';. ,."..:.,."
<br />.c..Survivors .of Norman' Wylie,". who.
<br />. drowned arter he was spilled from, a taft'
<br />'last May and was trapped in. the cur:ren~
<br />have sent notice to various. governrn '
<br />agencies of their intention to su~ for $ . .
<br />million in damages. The claimants include
<br />Wylie's 16-year-old widow and his sOn. who ..
<br />. was born last week. . \. .,'. .'<: . :
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<br />The city of. Englewood cOuld. becom~ . a
<br />defendant in the lawsuit because It pumps
<br />most of Its water supply from a 'station
<br />above the dam. City officials are consider-
<br />ing legal action of their :own to force the
<br />Corps of Engineers to make safety Im-
<br />. provements. J olm Olsen, Englewood city
<br />attorney,said. ...... .').' .":.. ....
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<br />"It seems inevitableiome lIult inore ..
<br />people will drown there Unless action is
<br />taken,': Olsen added. -- , ,- "'
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