Fayetteville officials are

making plans to mitigate the potential danger of Pye Lake breeching its

dam and to study the watershed in the area to determine how to best avoid

flooding in the area.

The city plans to install a

temporary siphon in Pye Lake that would draw down the water level after

a storm, which is needed to protect the public, City Engineer Don Easterbrook

said in a memo to the City Council. The siphon feature was agreed to by

officials with the state's Safe Dams program, which is requiring

work to be done on the privately-owned lake in west Fayetteville, Easterbrook

noted.

Safe Dams officials had previously

determined that structural problems with the dam could lead to a flood

of the area which could endanger the life of at least one person nearby.

The City Council agreed Thursday

night to conduct a watershed analysis of the Pye Lake area to develop

flood control projects throughout the entire drainage basin. The estimated

cost of the analysis, which will be performed by Integrated Science and

Engineering, is $60,195.

The lake, which is accessible

from Hood Avenue, is owned by Harriet Parham. She has already signed an

agreement allowing the city to have access to the property for the project.

Homes in the area of Cornwallis

Way experienced flooding during the June rainstorm that caused trouble

in several parts of the city.