NRCS Employees See Dam Progress

Dick Judy, Louis Aspey, and Sam Ware showed state office employees and retiree's the Elkwater Fork dam on August 22. Most of the employees on the tour were involved with some aspect of the project.

	Sam Ware (right) and Dick Judy (left) told the group about the project history. Lynn Shutts (center), retired Environmental and Biological Science Specialist, took care of environmental permitting, NEPA compliance, mitigation plans, writing the EIS, and answering congressional correspondence.
	Crews are working behind Dick Judy (left) and Sam Ware (right). Dick has overall engineering responsibility for the dam. Sam is the Contracting Officers technical representative and serves as project engineer on site. Sam, along with the inspection staff assures that the work is done in accordance with the contract requirements.
	Leonard Jackson (left) and Amy Bolyard (center) listen to Louis Aspey (right), the program manager for WV PL 566 funds.
The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (PL-566) authorizes the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to help local organizations and units of government plan and implement watershed projects. Projects can include flood prevention and damage reduction, development of rural water supply sources, erosion and sediment control, fish and wildlife habitat enhancement, wetland creation and restoration, and increased recreational opportunities.
	Amy Bolyard, Contract Specialist (left) put out the solicitation and assists with contract administration. Ron Bricker, Budget Officer, (right) processes pay estimates.
	Nathan Knox, Civil Engineering Technician, provided drafting assistance in developing a land rights map for the project property acquisition.
	Andy Feher (yellow hard hat), retired design engineer, served as the Contracting Officers Technical Representative for the design contract.

West Virginia NRCS is responsible for contract administration and quality assurance for the roller-compacted concrete (RCC) 123 foot tall dam. The Elkwater Fork Dam’s 54 acre reservoir's primary purpose will be water supply. It is expected the 32 million dollar construction contract,  the largest ever administered by NRCS, will be completed in the late spring of 2008.

During RCC placement, the contractor worked two shifts and NRCS had a staff of 7 engineers and inspectors on site. The RCC placement began in early April and was completed in early August. Approximately 140,000 cubic yards of RCC was placed during that period.

See http://www.wv.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/watershed/elkwater/elkwater.html for more information and photos.

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