Maintaining Stability in a High-Stakes Environment
In Ashford, New York, the stability of a small dam carried outsized importance. The reservoir it supports was tied directly to the U.S. Department of Energy’s decommissioning of a former nuclear fuel reprocessing facility, making uninterrupted performance essential throughout ongoing site activities.
Previous overtopping events had already taken a toll, eroding the spillway and shoreline, damaging a nearby rail line, and raising concerns about long-term reliability. The risk was not just structural. It had the potential to disrupt critical decommissioning work and compromise the broader system.
Strengthening the System to Prevent Future Failure
Working under the direction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District, our team developed a solution focused on long-term resilience. The existing earthen spillway was replaced with a reinforced concrete structure, increasing hydraulic capacity and eliminating the conditions that led to overtopping and erosion.
Additional measures included armoring sections of the dam with stone to protect against scour and stabilizing areas impacted by previous failures. The design prioritized durability and performance while ensuring the dam could continue to function reliably throughout ongoing operations at the site.
Delivering a Complete and Buildable Solution
Our team prepared a full set of ready-to-advertise plans and specifications, supported by detailed hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, cost estimates, and construction sequencing. Safety and quality were central to the effort, with the development of both a project-specific quality control plan and an accident prevention and site safety strategy.
The result is a strengthened system that reduces risk, protects adjacent infrastructure, and supports the safe continuation of critical work, demonstrating the importance of reliable infrastructure in complex and sensitive environments.