WILLOW CREEK — The Homan’s Pond dam, which has controlled the water level of the pond since its construction in 1900, came within inches of being breached by heavy spring runoff last week, prompting the mill company to spend $800 on emergency repairs that included reinforcing the spillway with granite blocks.
The near-breach occurred after eight days of continuous rain in late June raised the pond’s level to within six inches of the dam’s crest. The spillway, designed to handle normal spring runoff, was overwhelmed by the volume of water pouring in from the Willow River via the mill race.
“I have never seen the pond that high,” said Ezra Homan, who has lived on the pond’s shore his entire life. “The water was lapping at the top of the dam. If it had come over the top, the whole structure could have failed. And if the dam failed, the pond would have drained in a matter of hours.”
The mill company dispatched a crew of twelve men, led by Homan, to reinforce the spillway with granite blocks from the old Thorne & Sons shipyard — the same blocks that had once anchored the shipyard’s marine railway. The blocks, each weighing several hundred pounds, were hauled to the dam by horse-drawn wagon and lowered into place by block and tackle.
“It was the hardest work I have done in years,” said Lucien Girard, who was among the repair crew. “We worked in the rain for three days straight. But we got it done, and the dam held.”
The repairs are expected to be permanent. The granite blocks, mortared into place, have effectively widened the spillway by two feet, increasing its capacity to handle future flood events. Mill manager Frank Bouchard has ordered an inspection of the entire dam structure, which will be conducted by a civil engineer from Bangor at a cost of $150.
“This dam has served the mill for forty years,” Bouchard said. “I intend for it to serve for another forty. We cannot have the pond draining out from under us.”
Homan, whose spiral notebook now contains seven years of daily observations of the pond, recorded the near-breach in his characteristic understated style: “June 28, 1939. Pond at highest level since 1900. Dam held. Repairs made. Spillway reinforced. Should hold.”