News Release Archive

Construction Scheduled to Begin at Lemon Dam

Media Contact: Justyn Liff, 970-248-0625, jliff@usbr.gov
Tyler Artichoker, 970-385-6557, tartichoker@usbr.gov

For Release: October 26, 2016

DURANGO, Colo. – Construction will begin the week of October 31, 2016, on high pressure slide gates at Lemon Dam, part of the Florida Project located near Durango, Colo. The purpose of construction is to perform preventative maintenance on the high pressure slide gates that are used to regulate the water releases from Lemon Dam.

Work will begin with setting a new steel bulkhead gate on the intake structure to provide a dry work environment for working on the high pressure slide gates while allowing flows into the Florida River to continue.

Flows from Lemon Dam into Florida River will be affected during this construction. The bulkhead will be set in the intake structure starting in early November 2016, and will take several weeks to complete. During this time the releases from Lemon Dam will be approximately 3 to 4 cubic-feet-per-second and will be pumped over the crest of the dam. After the bulkhead is set in the intake structure limited releases will be made through the bulkhead of approximately 8 to 10 cfs while preventive maintenance is being performed on the high-pressure slide gates.

Once the preventive maintenance is complete, which is scheduled for late January 2017 to February 2017, the bulkhead will be remove from the intake structure. While the bulkhead is being removed the releases from Lemon Dam will be approximately 3 to 4 cubic-feet-per-second and will again be pumped over the crest of the dam. Once the bulkhead is removed the releases from Lemon Dam will resume as usual.

Lemon Dam will be closed to all traffic, including pedestrian use, throughout construction. The boat ramp and Miller Creek campground will have limited access while the barge and equipment are being delivered, assembled, then disassembled at the boat ramp during the first few weeks of November and also when the barge is reassembled, then disassembled and removed in January and February 2017. The Florida and Transfer Park campgrounds should not be affected, except for occasional short-term blocking of the main road if large trucks are turning around or delivering equipment.

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