The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the Bluestone Dam on the New River is in urgent need of repairs.

And while the corps is working to safeguard the dam, it will lower water levels behind the concrete structure to avoid problems.

The dam was built in 1949 to provide flood protection to the lower New River and Kanawha valleys.

The corps has been working on the dam since 2001, but Col. Dana Hurst told Kanawha County officials that the project will last until at least 2020.

Since a dam failure would cause catastrophic damage to communities downstream, the corps has decided to hold several public meetings and urge public safety officials to have emergency evacuation plans in place.

The first meeting is in Hinton on February 3.