GALVESTON, Texas (Sept. 5, 2013) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District awarded a contract in the amount of $1, 575,599 to Easky Construction for maintenance repair work at the Addicks and Barker reservoirs and dams, located in southeast Texas in the San Jacinto River basin approximately 17 miles west of downtown Houston.
The contractor is required to install steel plates over parabolic spillways and reseal open joints in the conduits to prevent seepage in the structures.
“Public safety is our top priority,” said Civil Engineer Richard Schrank, USACE Galveston District. “We are taking necessary corrective measures in order to fix damaged spillways and open conduits in these structures to ensure we reduce flood risks to the public and comply with safety standards.”
According to Schrank, the district implemented interim measures to reduce the risks associated with the existing structures until permanent solutions are implemented. The interim risk reduction measures include filling voids around the conduits that drain water from the reservoirs, installing additional monitoring points around the water control outlet structures, constructing a filter around the outlet works conduits to prevent voids from forming in the future, installing additional lighting to aid in increased inspection and monitoring, and the addition of generators to ensure uninterrupted power to the water control structures.
Work is scheduled to begin in October 2013, with an estimated completion date of August 2014.
The Addicks and Barker dams and reservoirs have served the Houston metropolitan area for more than 60 years, saving taxpayers an estimated $6.4 billion (2012) in potential flood prevention. With interim risk reduction measures implemented and proposed long-term measures planned for the future, it is expected that the dams and reservoirs will continue to serve the City of Houston for another 50 years.
Learn more about the Addicks and Barker facilities at www.addicksandbarker.info. For more news and information, visit www.swg.usace.army.mil. Find us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/GalvestonDistrict or follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/USACEgalveston.
Release no. 13-062