Army Divers Secure Trash Rack at Reclamation's Nambe Falls Dam
The skills of the U.S. Army Dive Company have proven a valuable asset to Reclamation’s Albuquerque Area Office The Army’s 511th Engineer Dive Team based at Fort Eustis, Virginia, recently spent two weeks securing the trash rack, completing a hydrographic survey and underwater video inspections at Nambe Falls Dam near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The former US Army Dive Team commanders attended Reclamation’s Review of Operations & Maintenance Meeting in Utah in 2006 and spoke of the unit’s capabilities and availability to perform certain repairs as training. The Army Dive Company has long partnered with other government agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Reclamation’s Albuquerque Area Office employee Anthony Lopez was at the meeting and took note of the team’s availability and capabilities.
Additional research into estimates for such work quickly revealed what Lopez had suspected. The Army was willing to do the work for a fraction of the price others had estimated. An interagency agreement was established between Reclamation and the Army for the work to be done at Nambe Falls Dam for which the Army charged only for material, necessary or special tools and equipment needed for the task and travel and per diem for each diver and support crew.
The Army also benefited from this partnership with Reclamation. “This is the first time the Army worked for the Bureau,” Master Diver and Sergeant First Class David Chebahtah said during a meeting with Reclamation management following the operation. “We appreciate the opportunity to come out. This helps us train up some of the newer guys.”
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Reclamation divers had originally tried to satisfy the outstanding operations and maintenance recommendation by replacing the corroded bolts holding the trash rack in place approximately 62 feet below the crest of the dam’s spillway. However, the hardware was in a deteriorated state and could not be removed. The Army divers installed three new bolts on each side of the interior of the trash rack. Divers used ultrathermic cutting techniques to burn pilot holes through the steel. They then used hydraulic hammer drills to drill into the concrete. Bolts were cut down after initial underwater examinations and a Wil-bond epoxy concrete anchoring system was used to secure the bolts in place.
The Army Dive Company has a variety of capabilities that Reclamation may employ for other project. The Army Dive Company performs visual inspections, equipment recovery, debris removal, underwater cutting and welding, salvage operations, work with hydraulic tools to repair damaged bridges and pier structures, dams, pipelines, canals, levees, docks and seawalls as well as inspect, clean and repair damaged vessels underwater. They do underwater/surface demolition and also create hydrographic surveys. The team is also capable of using side scan sonar to locate sunken vessels, vehicles, underwater obstacles and bodies.
Reclamation Albuquerque Area Manager John Poland was pleased with the efficient work done at Nambe Falls Dam by the 511th Engineer Dive Team.