Holding back the waters: City workers repair aging dam

By MELISSA STOVER / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Public Works Department employee David Denton stands knee deep in the freshly poured concrete he’s spreading as work on the dam continued Wednesday morning. (Melissa Stover photos)

The break in the freezing temperatures and rain has allowed the city of McMinnville’s Public Works Department to get a little more work done at the dam this week.

“The project is going really well despite the weather being like it has been,” said public works director Bill Brock. “The boys have been out here working in the cold and rain to get it this far. I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made.”

The work on the dam at Pepper Branch Park began in late November after the city got the OK from TVA to repair the footer at the base of the dam which had cracked and begun to sink after flood waters washed away the dirt and rock which supported it.

The work started with the city building a road through the water to gain access to the dam. In order to work on the footer, city officials said they placed boards at the top of the dam to control the water flow in the work area. The Public Works Department then place thousands of pounds of boulder-type rocks at the base of the dam to build the area up so a wire and concrete footer could be poured.

The warmer weather Wednesday allowed workers to pour about 26 cubic yards of concrete which finished up the blocked area in which they have been concentrating their efforts.

“We are over one-third finished with the project so if everything keeps going smoothly we should finish ahead of the state schedule,” said Brock.

In upcoming days, public works will remove the water barriers above the dam and move them down to make a new work area so repairs can continue.