Unpermitted, high-hazard dam near Sultan fined $20,000 for safety violations

The Washington Department of Ecology has issued a $20,000 penalty to the owner of a dam in Sultan near the intersection of 132nd Street SE and Sultan Basin Road for failing to address ongoing safety problems. The dam currently serves as a private pond on the owner's property.

Dam owner Halina Tortorice received four separate $5,000 penalties for repeatedly failing to complete required repairs on the earthen dam. The dam is about 220 feet long and 19 feet high. The crest is approximately 10 feet wide and is estimated to hold 12-acre feet of water.

During the atmospheric river event in December 2025, heavy rainfall caused water to flow over the dam crest due to a clogged outlet pipe and limited capacity of the emergency spillway. Overtopping puts the dam's foundation at risk and has eroded areas of the dam, which increases the potential of failure.

Dam Safety personnel worked onsite over the next weeks to assess and monitor the dam's condition and coordinate with the dam owner's representative to manage water back down to lower levels.

The earthen structure was not permitted with Ecology's Dam Safety Program, and it only came to the dam safety team's attention in October 2025. Inspectors at that time found serious safety concerns, including damage to the dam's earthen structure, potentially unstable slopes, and problems with the systems designed to safely release water.
If Tortorice Dam failed, it could put people, homes, roads, and a nearby RV park at risk downstream.

"Protecting people and property downstream is our highest priority," said Samantha Long, Ecology's dam safety manager. "The safety and integrity of this dam was a real concern during the December rainfall in 2025, and we want to ensure the structure is maintained or decommissioned before the rains return this fall."

Tortorice Dam does not meet Washington's dam safety requirements. Ecology has classified the dam as "high hazard," meaning that a failure could threaten seven or more people downstream. The dam is also in unsatisfactory condition, meaning its safety problems require immediate action because of the risk of failure.

Historical aerial imagery shows that the dam was in place in 1989. Ecology began requiring dam owners to pay fees for dam safety inspections in 2004, but was not notified of the dam's existence.
Ecology estimates the owner has avoided more than $150,000 in costs by not meeting Washington's dam safety requirements.

Statements from the owner and the owner's representative indicate they may sell the property before the required work is complete. This could leave future owners or developers responsible for the repairs needed to bring the dam into compliance.