Unsafe Dam / Dirty Water / Citizens Pay

The DC-based Boy Scouts currently use their own judgment when they decide that it is necessary to dewater lake Meriwether in advance of a storm event. This is because of the distinct possibility that, in a storm of a certain size, the poorly designed dam would fail with catastrophic results to downstream residents. What is the current protocol for warning the public of the danger of the increased volume and velocity associated with these events? Has anyone ever been killed or injured by these secret releases? What is the cost to downstream folks when excessive sediment and silt is discharged during routine maintenance practices or these storm event practices? How much additional expense has the Maury Water Authority had to go to over the years to remove the additional sediment before customers drink it? To what degree has the ecosystem of the river suffered from these unnecessary flushes?