Work continues at Secord Dam on the primary spillway. The two main areas of construction are demolition of one of the spillway bays and placing concrete in the downstream lower slab. In the spillway chute, crews are installing baffle blocks, which are big blocks of concrete used to reduce the force of water as it flows. Crews also started to install the downstream steps.
Phase 3 began at Smallwood Dam which includes installationofacofferdamupstreamofthedamtobypass water from the primary spillway. In July, the cofferdam was installed and dewatered. The team started on next steps, which includes demolition of the arch, spillway steps and downstream spillway slab concrete on bay 2. Crews continue to renovate the former powerhouse building and work on the embankment.
July was contractor remobilizing month at Edenville Dam. Laydown areas for equipment, contractor trailers, and staging of material have been cleared. In August the spillway downstream cofferdam and access road was completed, and powerhouse demolition is in progress. Borrow pits to mine soils for use in the embankments have been started. The excavation construction for the permanent embankments and auxiliary spillway is well underway for both upstream and downstream sides of the I-wall.
The next three milestones for Sanford are installation of the dam gates, I-wall top cap, and roller compacted concrete (RCC) wall, which is scheduled for the fall. July had more rain events than usual which slowed down gate installation. The team was able to set gate #1 by the end of July. The I-wall is a flood control wall that attaches to sheet pile in the ground. Installation of the concrete top cap is ongoing. The RCC wall installation began and is expected to continue through the fall.
Work resumed on all four dams over the summer. Each site is active when weather permits and crews are making excellent progress. The estimated substantial completion dates remain the same as what as shared in the beginning of August: ■ Secord: September 2026
