MANHATTAN — Wind-whipped waves at Tuttle Creek Lake were believed to have caused a fuel barge containing an 1,800-gallon diesel fuel cell to sink Sunday.
The barge was on the lake as part of an ongoing dredging project, the Manhattan Mercury reported.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced in a press release its emergency response plan is in effect, closing off the Tuttle Creek Cove to boaters in the aftermath of the sinking.
The barge is in about 20 feet of water, according to the Corps of Engineers.
The contractor who owns the barge, the state and the National Response Center are continuing to “assess and contain the situation.”
Response crews and equipment, including a dive team, are deploying to the site to mitigate any potential environmental impact.
It’s unclear how the incident will affect the ongoing dredging project, which includes using a controlled injection of water, under pressure, to loosen sediment from the riverbed, allowing it to flow downstream by natural current, the Mercury reported.
