SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The last mass concrete for the Folsom auxiliary dam is set to be placed July 11, completing the structure of the new dam. Work will then shift to completing installation of its remaining electrical and mechanical components, including its 12 giant gates.
Members of the media are invited to cover the milestone and will be provided special access to an on-site overlook area and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project staff for coverage and interviews from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Interested media should arrive between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. for a safety brief and escort to the project site.
Concrete placement for the dam began in May 2012, and crews have worked nearly around the clock, six days a week to place more than 100,000 cubic yards of concrete for the structure – enough to lay more than 4,000 foundation slabs for 2,000-square-foot homes.
Additional opportunities for covering installation of the gates are expected to be available during the next few weeks. This timelapse video shows the process for installing the first gate.
While construction of the new dam is scheduled to be complete in 2015, additional work on the spillway’s approach channel, downstream chute and stilling basin, which helps dissipate the energy of water released from the dam before it enters the American River, will continue until the project’s planned October 2017 completion.
The Folsom Dam auxiliary spillway project is part of the Joint Federal Project, an approximately $900-million cooperative effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Central Valley Flood Protection Board, California Department of Water Resources and the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency to improve the safety of Folsom Dam and reduce flood risk for the Sacramento area.
Media Availability Details:
What: Topping off of Folsom auxiliary dam
Date: Friday, July 11, 2014
Time: Site access between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Please arrive before 10 a.m. as late arrivals may not be accommodated.
Location: Folsom Dam auxiliary spillway staging area
Please RSVP with Tyler Stalker for directions.