Contractor Terra Engineering of Madison, Wis., is completing construction for new spillways and slope repair for Stillwell and East Silver lakes on Fort McCoy’s South Post.
John Adams, general engineer with the Directorate of Public Works (DPW), said the new spillways will consist of reinforced concrete drop inlets with stop logs for flow control, a reinforced concrete box culvert for water conveyance, and reinforced concrete outlet boxes for dissipating the velocity of the outflow of water.
“Both facilities will have the same style drop inlets,” Adams said. “Fort McCoy has one facility at Swamp Pond that already has a similar drop inlet that’s been in service for several years.”
The slope repair for both facilities involves reconstruction of the dam embankments by making slopes flatter, Adams said.
“This improves the stability of the embankments and allows them to be better maintained by mowing equipment,” Adams said. “The slope repair will also have rip rap toe protection to contain and convey any water seepage to the outlet.”
Adams said the Army inspects dams and provides recommendations for repairs every four years.
“Previous inspections identified the steep slopes and the minor seepage at the toe of the downstream slopes for both (Stillwell and East Silver),” Adams said. “Fort McCoy retained the design services of Short, Elliot, Hendrickson, Inc. to provide the design and specifications of the improvements.
“When completed, the facilities will have safer embankment slopes, additional traffic-safety measures such as guard rails, and should produce a final product that can be safely inspected in the future,” Adams said.
Terra Engineering was awarded the $1.8 million contract in 2017, said Dan Hanson, DPW Construction Inspection Branch chief. The projects are expected to be completed by Sept. 30.
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