WEYBURN – Weyburn city council approved bids for various components of repairs to be made to the Albert Douglas Dam at Nickle Lake this summer.
Altogether there are seven parts to the work needed at the dam, and three companies were approved to take on some of these parts, with the total cost of repair bids coming to $275,580.
The Ab Douglas dam was built in the early 1980s by the PFRA to expand the City’s main water reservoir at Nickle Lake. An assessment of the dam was done in 2022 by KGS Group, and the conclusion was there are no defects that threaten the immediate safety of the dam, but the recommendation was to do upgrades to prevent any future failures of the dam.
After getting bids from four companies, the seven-part job was divided up between three of the companies.
The KGS Group was selected to do parts 2, 3, 5 and 7, at a cost of $120,011; MPE Engineering was awarded parts 4 and 6 for $38,164; and Xtremeaxis Inc. was awarded part 1, at a cost of $117,405.
Part 1 will involve replacement of the radial gate wire ropes and seals, with new sealant on all spillway construction joints.
Part 2 is to develop and implement an operations and maintenance manual, an emergency response plan and emergency preparedness plan in the event of a sudden failure of the dam.
Part 3 is to perform a camera inspection of the spillway drain pipes to confirm they are operating properly, and the riparian slide gate and riparian valve should be tested to ensure they are operable.
For part 4, the company is to redesign the concrete stop logs to ensure the main service concrete spillway is maintained and can operate at full capacity.
Part 5 is to re-establish an instrumentation monitoring program, starting in the fall of 2023.
Part 6 is to complete a freeboard assessment and inspection of the riprap upstream of the dam, and downstream of the stilling basin, with recommendation for repairs and/or addition of riprap if erosion is observed.
Part 7 is to develop a tailwater rating curve to confirm satisfactory performance of the stilling basin at the full range of flow condition.
When asked if the public will notice any difference in the lake when the repairs are being made, city engineer Jennifer Wilkinson said there would be noticeable difference, and residents may see work crews out if they are in that vicinity.
• In other council business, four new members were approved for the Weyburn Public Library board, to serve until the end of 2023. They include Susan Atkinson, George Barker, Brianne Eagan and Jessica Jack.
