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Silt buildup, aging pipes threaten Lake Knickerbocker
Drainage in Gainesville lake causes concern about flooding, dam stability
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An estimated 32,000 cubic yards of silt was found in Lake Knickerbocker in a survey completed about several years ago. The 4- to 5-foot layer spread across the bottom of the 45-acre lake has cut off inlets and contributes to potential flooding.
From the back of his truck, Randy Askea navigates an electric, four-wheeled vehicle with an attached camera through a decades-old pipe running under an earthen dam spanning East Lake Drive in Gainesville. “We’re running a camera up the pipe to check the condition,” he said. Askea, of Continental Pipe Services in Atlanta, expects to find vegetation clogging sections of the pipe, as well as signs of corrosion and leaks.