Flashboard at pond in Cumberland previously identified as hazard collapses

CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WLNE) — The flashboard at Rawson Pond in Cumberland that was previously identified as a hazard by Department of Environmental Management collapsed overnight Friday.

Chief Public Affairs Officer Mike Healey said that the flashboard was used to “control [the] water level in the spillway.”

“In the most recent dam safety report, DEM identified this as a significant hazard dam and a potentially unsafe dam with conditions that need to be addressed,” he added.

The DEM filed a violation notice with the town, which owns the dam, to address the concerns.

Healey added that the department was in communication with emergency management officials to address the situation.