2020 Dam Project Continued PART 1

Looking North - Lower Valve House Floor is poured and covered for curing. Framing has started around the rebar assemblies for the concrete walls.

Note the two holes towards the bottom. These are for the 22 inch siphon pipes that will be connected to the pipes exiting the upper valve house.

To the right is the current channel connecting to the current valve house. Approximately the top half, bottom o

Overhead of Lower Valve House being framed for wall pour. Three sections/”rooms”. For reference, top of pic is north, bottom is south closest to Reservoir, to the right is the existing outfall channel.

The bottom/south section is the Valve House which will contain 20 inch discharge/control valves. Middle section is the stilling basin to dissipate some of the energy from the flowing water, and the

The concrete work on the overflow spillway “chute” continues in sections. All floors have been poured. Shown- the white plastic cover to the left is covering the floor section attached to the north side of the archway under Dam Rd.

Next section shows the walls covered in black plastic that have already been poured and are curing and covered to keep warm and dry. The machine in front is a portable h

Now that the Siphon Pipes and the Dry Hydrant pipe having been installed, and the ground sealed and compacted, the slow careful and meticulous work has begun replacing the face stones that were removed initially for the Dam Road Cut.

The slow work requiring great care by the Contractors to reinstall the face stones removed that were initially removed to allow the 22 inch Siphon Pipe installation. 

Each stone was marked so it could be replaced in its original position if at all possible. These limestone protection rocks are brittle and require extra care by the Contractors to gently "walk" these stones into their place.

The two 20 inch valves installed in the Upper Valve House thus isolating the Reservoir from an increased level.

Eventually, there will be 2 more 20 inch valves installed for operation of the Siphon System including various 6 and 8 inch valves used for priming and venting.

Concrete work continues on the Upper 

Spillway Chute. Here it can be seen two sections of walls completed with the stone look.

Work continues on the lower sections of the Upper Spillway. The floors are poured, wall rebar are being installed.

Looking North which is at the top of the picture the lower drop sections  after the bend the floors have been poured and wall rebar assemblies are beginning to be added.

At the end of the last section the Contractor is building an access road to begin to clean out the debris and add lar

Looking West at the western buttress, most of the large earth work has been scaled back due to weather and temperatures. Work will start back up in early spring when temperatures moderate.

The beginning outline of the second access road can be seen along the tree line on the right. This access road will be for crews to access the new Lower Valve House works.

Overflow Spillway Lowest Section Before Start of Project showing years of over growth and junk

Overflow Spillway Lowest Section Cleaned and New Revetment Stone added for energy dissipation and reduce scouring when Reservoir level is above crest elevation.

Overflow spillway lowest section Before Project Start

Overflow Spillway Lowest Section cleaned and new revetment stone.

Revetment Stone added to waterside of the Dam on the South East side (water side) of Dam.

Looking West North West. Dam Road in the background.

Looking Westerly from East Side of Dam at the back (north side) of dam.

This shows worked completed as of March on the Eastern and Western Buttresses.

Once spring returns, more fill will be brought in to bring grade up to design specifications and two access roads to the new valve houses will be completed. All will be seeded.

From the East Side of Dam Rd looking west showing the mostly completed Eastern Buttress. Manhole up to grade and eastern access road.

Dam water east side of dam with new  revetment/stone added to bolster the face of the dam where there wasn't the limestone protection slabs.

"Word" has it this was the site of a dam breach back in the 1950's. 

Completed Upper Overflow Spillway Chute. Possible safety fencing may be installed at a later date.

Completed Overflow Spillway

Looking North East at the Bend.

Looking West at the Lower Part of the Spillway Overflow Bend constructed within the confines of the old original channel.

The older stone channel can be seen on the outside of the new concrete wall.

Looking west at the lowest part of the Overflow Spillway. To the very right you can see the remnants of the old channel stone which is where the new channel/chute will discharge onto.

The Wing wall, the concrete section perpendicular to the chute projecting toward the camera is part of the structural integrity of the spillway. These wing walls are constructed on top of the 40 foot sheet piling inst

This is the final base of the new overflow spillway chute.

The two small pipes shown protruding from the floor are underdrain collection pipes installed earlier to collect any ground water from under the base of the channel/chute to keep the ground from eroding out the soil beneath the floors.

On the right side of the picture is the old original stone work and floor of the last drop.

Looking South up at the bend from the last/lowest drop of the new overflow spillway chute.

Again you can see two underdrain collection discharge pipes on the next level up of the chute.

Completed Overflow Spillway Looking Southwest at the bend.

Shown are Construction trailers at top of photo.

Below that is the bend

Three chute drops/step downs.

End of new chute with wing walls

Old original channel/chute with two drops.

Beginning of revetment/stone showing old broken channel wall on lower right.

Looking West from the lowest part of the dam below the western buttress.

This is the new collection weir box that will measure flow that will enter from the underground drainage system built under the western buttress and any surface water that may drain down to this area.

The water following flow measuring discharges into the revetment/stone located on the lower right of the picture and into the fe

Looking East at the Dam Road Cut.

To the left is the upper valve house.

To the far right you can see the original limestone face slabs have been installed.

 And to the right of that projecting out of the water is revetment stone that was installed to protect the Siphon Pipes from Boats and Ice. There will be a large can warning buoy installed to warn boaters of under surface rocks.

The Western Butress Before

The Western Buttress After

May 2020

One of the 22 inch transfer pipes laying on the road. This is one of two that will connect the upper valve house to the lower valve house.

Looking East at the Western Buttress with fill nearly complete. 

Two access roads beginning to take shape. One to the right of orange fencing is access to upper valve house. Second along the tree line on the left for access to the lower valve house.

Upper right you can see one of the 22 inch transfer pipes laying on the back side of the dam. This is one of two that will connect the upper valve house

Looking West at the western buttress. The new overflow spillway in the distance.

The two 22 inch transfer pipes laying on the ground to be installed between the upper and lower valve houses.

Both 22 inch siphon pipes on dam road secured to the concrete anchor blocks ready to be lowered into the Reservoir.

Note in the distant the Dam Rd cut has been filled to grade. Paving scheduled around mid August. One of the last things to be completed.

The orange thing sticking up on the left of the pipe is some type of construction equipment we think.

One of the "trash racks" installed on the end of the 22 inch siphon pipe. These are to stop any large debris from getting into the pipe and plugging it. 

These trash racks will be at the bottom of the Reservoir.

A side view of the trash rack. Note the top is hinge incase at some future date access is needed.

Initial lift of first siphon pipe.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Sherlock

Moving out into the Reservoir

Slow but sure

Perfect!

Note the light colored objects along the length of the pipe are the concrete anchors to hold pipe on the bottom.

Also note on the left of the pipe is the Trash Rack to prevent large objects from getting into the pipe.

Photo Courtesy of Kathy Sherlock

Going

Going

Gone.

Not to be seen again for hopefully 150+ years.

At this point there is a diver under water near the dam bolting the pipe to the check valve.

The same process will be used for the second 22 inch siphon pipe.

Waterside View of the Siphon Pipe being hoisted out into the Reservoir for  installation

Photo courtesy of Jerry Rice 

Pipe just lowered below the surface.

Photo courtesy of Jerry Rice

Roof of Upper Valve House framed and rebar installed ready for concrete pour.

The four square cutouts I believe are for skylights for internal light source.

Looking north from the Dam the 22 inch transfer pipes have been installed into the Upper Valve House and connected to the Lower Valve House.

Lower Valve House with roof framing installed for concrete pour. 

Bottom right shows the siphon transfer pipes exiting the upper valve house and running to the lower valve house. 

Pipes covered with fill and compaction as part of increasing mass of the buttress.

            Water Level Down 3 Feet

Looking South from Dam Rd. Overflow Spillway showing Two warning can buoys installed at the Overflow Spillway

Anchor block can be seen below can buoy on the right.

Looking south from Dam Rd  at Orange Warning Buoys and two Can Buoys at the middle of the dam warning of underwater pipe and stone.

In the foreground is the protection stone installed out into the water over the siphon pipes for protection.

Looking East from middle of dam - Side view of Pipe protection stone jutting out into the Reservoir. Protection and can buoy's can be seen in the water.

Looking west from the north east shoreline.

This photo was taken in the winter with the level down 10 feet showing the large revetment stone added for stability on this area of the dam. 

Note this new stone projects out approximately 70 feet. The height is 18 to 24 inches thus reducing the normal depth in this area so caution will be required. Further, because the stone is not stable, a person or ch

June 28, 2020 - Looking North East at the new lower level valve house. Shown -

The concrete roof has been poured and is curing.

To the right of the valve house is the wood form being built to pour a concrete  chamber to hold seven weir boxes that will measure flow through the collection pipes installed earlier. This information is  projected to be available to the Canal Corp via web uplink much like

Same as above but a different angle.

One additional item can be seen. The large plywood lying horizontally in the foreground, just behind the light generator,  is a temporary cover for the current gate house.  

The cover has been removed and will be taken to a shop for sand blasting and repainting and will be returned and reinstalled.

This is the old cover for the current gate house that has been moved to an area near the overflow chute. This will be shipped to a shop for cleaning and repainting and then will be reinstalled on the old gate house.