Lexington, SC (Paul Kirby) – Recently, work began on the Old Mill Pond Dam in Lexington. The dam, which broke during the 2015 floods, left just the dry pond bed and a stream flowing through its center. In the last five years, it had grown up with weeds that made it an eyesore for the thousands of cars that pass it regularly.
When the floods hit and the dam burst, some of the buildings were also affected. There was foundation damage, and many felt like the businesses would never rebuild in the same classic mill building that marked a part of America’s great manufacturing era. Still, most overcame and rebuilt.
As the dam is being rebuilt, the Town of Lexington says they plan to add a walking track around the pond and the top of the dam so that people can enjoy the pond’s natural beauty. In its heyday, migratory birds used it as a roost and at one point, it was teeming with nature that drew people to its banks. Hopefully, this will all return as it becomes reestablished.
Workers are having to build the dam back to a standard that is much tougher than ever before. Even before the thousand-year flood of 2015, DHEC had dramatically changed their standards on building dams in South Carolina. After the floods of ‘15, those standards became even more stringent. Because there is a busy street below the dam, Lexington’s East Main, the changes and upgrades were even tougher yet. This has dramatically increased the price tag of dams that are being either rebuilt or being built new and the Old Mill Pond in Lexington was absolutely no different.
Now, with both the Gibson Pond Dam and the Old Mill dams repaired, Lexington will once again have their two most attractive and widely admired water features in place and in use since the life-changing floods of 2015. According to the Town of Lexington and the Old Mill Ponds owners, the pond will be better than it ever was before.
If all goes well with the construction, the dam should be completed and water should begin backing up right before the turn of the year.
