Army Corps briefs Zoar on levee work schedule
Work on a trench to prevent water from seeping under the Zoar Levee is scheduled for completion at the end of May.
After 2 1/2 years, work on the Zoar Levee is said to be nearing completion. Ground was broken for the project on Aug. 22, 2020, but delays caused by the pandemic and material shortages have hounded the project.
According to Nathan White, archaeologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Huntington District, the project is on track for completion at the end of May. “Unless, of course, we encounter any unforeseen circumstances, which has happened in the past.”
“Work was limited through the winter, but it will pick up after the asphalt plants reopen,” White said. “We’re still waiting for the Internal Erosion Interception Trench contractor to finish before we can begin the final asphalt work.”
The IEIT is being installed to prevent water from seeping under the levee. According to White, sand is still being placed as fill material and topsoil will need to be placed over it to complete the trench work.
The plan also calls for installing 17 automated piezometers, which will continually monitor water pressure. Twenty-three existing piezometers will be automated with data collected by corps staff at the Dover Dam.
White said three more relief wells also will be installed in the spring now that federal funding has come through. Additional work will include the replacement or rehabilitation of two of three water pumps responsible for pumping groundwater over the levee into a ponding area rehabbed in late summer 2020.
“If you remember, the water is pumped over and it percolates down very slowly, so it goes back into the water table without causing flooding,” White said. “Once we replace the other two, we’ll have reduced risk.”
White said the operation will require erecting some temporary security fencing because the workers will have to drive vehicles across state Route 212 between the levee and the pumping station.
Once the pumps are reconnected, White said crews will use a camera to inspect the drainage channel, and if there are no issues, the security fence will be removed.
When levee work is complete, the corps will repave First and Fifth streets, according to its agreement with Zoar Village. The two streets were used for heavy trucks and equipment entering and exiting the work sites.
The Army Corps will provide a final structural assessment and report on any seismic disturbances that may have occurred during construction. Because the village is a National Historic Landmark, stricter rules apply, and the corps must report on and repair any damage done to historic structures. So far, there have been no issues.
The levee was built in the 1930s by the Army Corps to protect the village from flooding of the Tuscarawas River. Residents and others interested in the progress of the project can view updates at www.lrh.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-%20Works/Current-Projects/Zoar. Questions about the project may be directed to White at 304-399-5729.