| OCR Text |
Show Repair work scheduled for Fontenelle Dam Excessive seepage through the east abutment of Fontenelle Dam in southwest Wyoming has caused the Bureau of Reclamation to plan to undertake under-take remedial work, it was jointly announced an-nounced this week by Reclamation's l'p-per l'p-per Colorado Regional Director Clifford Barrett and the Wyoming State Engineer. George Christopulos It should be noted that there is no imminent im-minent danger, but Reclamation is taking tak-ing all necessary precautions to ensure safe operation of the dam. Consequently, Consequent-ly, the reserovir w ill be operated in a manner different from usual. Definite plans are being developed. The Bureau of Reclamation already has installed instruments in the dam to determine the seepage paths and the effect ef-fect of set-page on the dam embankment. Additional instruments will be installed to measure the amount of settlement that may occur on the dam's surface and to measure water pressure in the dam and abutments. Probes will also be included in-cluded to determine water pathways. It is known that the new operation of the reservoir will result in higher than average flows down the Green River below the dam, but flows will be kept within the safe channel capacity to the maximum extent possible. In the past, summer peak flows from the dam have ranged from 5.0O0 to 13,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). However, during 1982, the high snowmelt runoff required a peak release of 13.300 cfs, which occurred on July 4. The safe channel capacity is about 13.500 cfs. This year, flows will stay within that safe channel capacity. Because experts are still collecting data, it has not been determined what kind of remedial work will be required. When that is determined, it will be announced an-nounced publicly. Fontenelle Dam has been a focus of special attention by Bureau of Reclamation Reclama-tion engineers and geologists since r.Hi."i, when a section of embankment near the west abutment collapsed because of seepage through the abutment rock. At that time, emergency lowering of the reservoir was credited with saving the dam, which was fully repaired. During the summer of 1982, Reclamation Reclama-tion geologists noted that seepage through the cast abutment was increasing increas-ing as the reservoir neared its full elevation. eleva-tion. Testing programs were then developed as the result of their observations observa-tions and the current remedial work began to be planned. Officials of the Bureau of Reclamation and the Stale of Wyoming again stress that they do not expect any emergency to occur. The dam and the seepage are being monitored daily, and downstream residents will be notified if any significant signifi-cant change occurs. |
