Repair Crews Begin Plugging Huge Hole in Folsom Dam
Workers Monday began to plug a huge hole in Folsom Dam where a spillway gate buckled last month.
Nearly half the reservoir’s water has spilled into the American River since the July 17 break, and the water level has dropped nearly to the level of the damaged gate.
Repair crews used a crane to lower steel panels across the opening on the reservoir side of the dam. The hole may not be fully plugged until today. Three panels are being used, each 50 feet wide, eight feet tall and two feet thick.
Once the hole is temporarily plugged, workers will remove the ruined gate and install a new one, working from the downstream side.
The project may take a year and cost $10 million, said Jeff McCracken of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the dam.
An investigation into the cause of the gate failure in the 40-year-old dam will begin after the temporary plug is in place. A dam operator was opening the gate when it failed.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
