Hearings Will Address Flood Risks in Kanawha County

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is holding public hearings starting this week on proposed work at Bluestone Dam in Hinton. The agency says Bluestone Dam helps reduce flood hazards to the New and Kanawha River valleys, through Charleston and to Point Pleasant and beyond on the Ohio River. Nearly half of the water that flows through Charleston comes from Bluestone Dam. The Corps is implementing modifications to the project to address dam safety issues and is proposing additional significant investments that could take about 10 years to implement. Hearings are set for Thursday at the Charleston Civic Center, Oct. 4 at West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery, and Oct. 6 at the Summers County Memorial Building in Hinton. Open house starts at 6 p.m. followed by the public hearing at 6:30 p.m.