News Release
| Release Number: | 05-068 |
| Dated: | 5/13/2005 |
| Contact: | Heidi Y. Helwig, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Thursday awarded a multi-million contract to repair Fern Ridge Dam.
The $16,526,300 contract was awarded to Bernard Construction Co. of Bozeman, Mont. Work could begin as early as May 28. The section of Clear Lake Road that parallels the dam, as well as portions of Kirk and Orchard roads, will be closed to vehicle traffic during the construction period.
Bernard Construction will fix the failed internal drainage system by excavating the downstream face of the dam, replacing the drainage system and rebuilding the embankment.
The drainage system has been linked to an internal erosion problem that forced the Corps to place restrictions on the level of the reservoir impounded by the dam.
The Corps is moving aggressively to have the dam repaired by November, the start of the flood season in the Willamette Valley, but managers are quick to point out the repairs could stretch into 2006 if unanticipated problems develop during the repair.
During the repair, the Corps is forced to maintain a minimum reservoir level to prevent seepage through the dam during excavation and construction. The pool level is being held to a maximum elevation of 355 feet, about 18.5 feet below the normal summertime level. As a result, recreational and irrigation users are being impacted.
Fern Ridge Dam was completed in 1941 to provide flood protection and irrigation water for residents along the Long Tom and Willamette rivers. Over time, the reservoir has become a popular recreation spot for swimmers, picnickers, boaters and hikers.
For more information on the efforts to repair Fern Ridge Dam, please visit the Corps’ website at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/issues/fernridge/cms/home.asp