Expand / Collapse search
☰

Lake Manatee Dam gets $3M in emergency repairs

By
Published  June 20, 2025 5:55pm EDT
Manatee County
FOX 13 News
Emergency repairs to Lake Manatee Dam

Emergency repairs to Lake Manatee Dam

Manatee County officials approved $3M in emergency repairs to the Lake Manatee Dam to ensure that the 60-year-old structure can hold up for years to come. FOX 13’s Kimberly Kuizon reports.

The Brief

    • Manatee County Commissioners approved $3M to repair the Lake Manatee Dam.
    • Crews plan to be finished with repairs within the next 30 days.
    • Manatee County says repairs will help prolong the lifespan of the dam and ensure it remains properly functioning.

PARRISH, Fla. - Emergency repairs to the Lake Manatee Dam are underway in hopes of fixing it before the 2025 hurricane season ramps up. 

The backstory:

During the 2024 hurricane season, Tropical Storm Debby dumped a record rainfall on Manatee County, causing flooding and forcing the Manatee dam release water. 

Two more major hurricanes followed and after a yearly inspection of the dam, Manatee County found emergency repairs were needed. 

RELATED: Manatee officials tour Lake Manatee Dam site amid flooding concerns from residents

"The dam is over 60 years old," explained Manatee County Utilities Director Patrick Shea. 

Shea said strong winds, rain and storm surge brought deterioration to the dam and a yearly engineering report discovered issues that needed to be investigated. 

"They found about 46 potential spots where the soil was uncharacteristic. They identified less than a dozen voids," he said. 

Dig deeper:

Crews are now working to fill the voids by injecting a 2-part grout material, similar to Epoxy, into the voids. 

It’s a process Shea said was done in 2021 and it’s part of the normal wear and tear and preventative maintenance of the dam. 

PREVIOUS: Manatee County residents voice concern about flooding, Lake Manatee Dam during commissioners meeting

"That material will stick and bind to the materials around it the soil cement around it and protect and extend the life of the dam," said Shea. 

"If you think about a void in the dam face, that you have the ability of water to soak in and expand those voids and make them more of an issue," he said. "The big thing overall is to try to finish the year pre-storm in a better condition than we started.

Manatee County Commissioners approved 3 million dollars for the emergency repairs. 

Shea said the repairs should not only extend the dam’s lifespan but ensure it remains properly functioning. 

"This is a very important project in the scheme of just making sure the dam will continue to function, continue to be stable and a valuable piece of infrastructure for the county," he said.

What's next:

Repairs to the Lake Manatee Dam should be finished in about 30 days.

Manatee County staff will continue to look into projects to fix the dam as needed and to maintain the main drinking source for Manatee County.

The Source: Information was gathered from Manatee County Utilities Director and a past Manatee County Commission meeting. 

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

Manatee County