Jersey Valley Dam
DRAIN REPAIR
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Operation and Maintenance workers began noticing excessive groundwater flow over the top of the auxiliary spillway outflow surface at the Jersey Valley Dam in the spring of 2002. Continued monitoring and investigation by NRCS engineers determined that the original drain system installed in 1972 had become plugged and was no longer effective. |
A plan and design for replacing the tile lines was completed, the bid awarded to Tom Burns Construction and construction began on May 3, 2004….and then began the wettest May on record, with over 14 inches tallied for the month. Working in flowing water conditions (300 to 600 gallon-per-minute spring flow), steep slopes and soft ground, the project required nearly all of the 90-day contract period to complete. |
The following are some pictorial highlights of the project. The use of segregated drain materials required innovative equipment and techniques. All parties involved (County employees, NRCS technical staff, and the contractor) agreed that if they ever saw another drain tile again, it would be too soon. |
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| Conditions of site at the beginning of work, May 03, 2004 |
Existing drain tile was badly plugged with original sand filter/drain material. |
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| Old tile line and conditions of trench |
Constant flow of groundwater made construction difficult |
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| Special tools were needed to segregate sand filter from fine drain material, while minimizing waste of material |
Once a section of drain was completed, the special box could be lifted out and re-used. This was done 63 times |
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| Unusual site conditions made the job more challenging....every day. |
VERY wet conditions at the upper end of the trench. |
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| Working conditions for the excavator were not ideal at times. |
All 3 drains now working |
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The Jersey Valley Drain Repair was done in 2004. |
