Lake Brazos Dam Replacement
Owner:
City of Waco
Location:
Waco, Texas
Architect:
Freese & Nichols, Inc.
Contract Value:
$16,000,000
Completion Date:
December 2007
The Brazos River plays a vital role in the commerce and appeal of downtown Waco. However, due to poor performance of the existing dam, extended periods of below normal lake levels had diminished the area’s allure. To address the maintenance and reliability issues, a labyrinth weir was designed to replace the gated spillway. The new dam is 600 feet in length with 25 cycles totaling 3200 feet of weir wall overall. Without expanding the dam’s footprint or rerouting the flowing river during construction, half of the project was completed over the foundation of the existing dam, and the remaining half was constructed behind a 15’ tall sheetpile cofferdam wall. Severe rains and flooding occurred as construction neared completion, and the labyrinth weir performed as designed. The project has been honored to receive two awards: The United States Dam Society’s award for the best constructed dam of 2008 and the American Public Works Association – Texas Chapter 2008 Project of the Year in Environment award.
