Dover Dam's Safety Assurance Project enters Phase II with a groundbreaking ceremony
By Kyle Valentini
November 8, 2011
298
Summary: The second phase of a project to rehabilitate the Dover Dam got underway with a ceremonial groundbreaking held Monday, Nov. 7 at the 74 year old dam built to control flood waters that had plagued the region. Officials from the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Park Ranger Color Guard, students and politicians gathered to watch and participate in the ceremonial throwing of Tuscarawas riverbank dirt.
The Dover Dam Safety Assurance Project is in its second phase and a groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday, Nov. 7 at the site of the 74 year old structure on Route 800 just north of Dover.
The Dover Dam project is the first of five projected major rehabilitation projects to be conducted in the system of reservoirs and dams in the Muskingum River Watershed. Beach City, Bolivar, Mohawk and the Zoar Levee are also in need of repair.
Tuscarawas County Commissioner, Kerry Metzger served as master of ceremonies for the event that was sponsored by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD).
Members of the Tuscarawas Valley High School Select Choir, under the direction of Megan Sams, opened the ceremony with two songs before the Park Ranger Color Guard posted colors before an audience than included members of the community, government officials and representatives from MWCD and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools fourth graders Chase Burky and Kayla Scott led the Pledge of Allegiance and the choir sang the National Anthem prior to remarks from Scott Dodds, Vice President, Brayman Construction, Glenn Cobb, Deputy Director, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, John Hoopingarner, Executive Director, MWCD, Colonel Robert Peterson, Commander, Huntington District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Al Landis, Ohio State Representative, 96th District and Bob Gibbs, Congressman, 18th District.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District owns and operates the 824 foot dam founded in limestone and shale. An analysis by the Corps stated the dam was safe through pool elevations up to and including 907 feet. Because concerns about the possibility of a dam failure increase as pool elevation rises above this threshold, the Corps implemented an improvement program for the dam.
The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers awarded Brayman Construction of Saxonburg, PA the second phase of the Dam Safety Assurance Project. The $20.1 million project, which is expected to be complete by 2015, will include the installation of 21 multi-strand anchors; construction of a parapet wall on the right abutment; construction of a sidewalk and new parking lot on the right abutment; installation of precast concrete parapet wall panels on the right abutment, pre-casting of concrete parapet wall panels for the left abutment; construction of a spillway training wall extension on the right and left abutments; installation of 60 bar anchors in the stilling basin; installation of stone slope protection on the right bank downstream of the dam; removal of an existing steel access platform across the stilling basin and performing work to return the site to its preconstruction condition.
Since the dam system was completed, it has prevented over $9 billion in flood damage, said Col. Robert Peterson. The total project cost for rehabilitating the dam will be about $60 million with MWCD taking care of 3.45%. I cant wait to put the shovel in the ground for the ceremonial portion of the groundbreaking.
This project is about securing this dam for future generations. It is such an honor to be here today and to be part of such an important project. I appreciate the vigilance of the Corp of Engineers and the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District watching out for our residents and watching out for our businesses, said Al Landis.
This dam is not only important for our region but for the nation as it controls flooding and allows for navigation all the way down to the Mississippi Delta. I want to commend the work of John Hoopingarner and the Conservancy District and their partnership with the Corps of Engineers. They face unbelievable challenges as this system ages, said Bob Gibbs.
After the groundbreaking ceremony Nick Krupa, operations manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hosted a tour of the interior of the dam that included the operating gallery.
