They are calling it the Trifecta Project.
And it’s all about extending the service life of the 55-year-old DeCordova Bend Dam at Lake Granbury.
The Brazos River Authority Board of Directors, at its bimonthly meeting May 20, 2024, approved a more than $3.8 million professional services agreement with Walter P. Moore to perform engineering services for the first phase of the Trifecta Project. The project will have three main phases (hence the name trifecta.)
The project incorporates multiple efforts to facilitate operational and structural improvements to the DeCordova Bend Dam, which achieve and extend the service life by at least 50 years, said Mike McClendon, BRA upper basin regional manager.
“The information we gather from this undertaking will be invaluable as we seek to further extend the use of life of our infrastructure,” McClendon said.
The DeCordova Bend Dam, owned and operated by the BRA, was constructed in 1969 to form the Lake Granbury water supply reservoir. Holding back a storage capacity of about 136,326-acre-feet of water, the dam is 2,200 feet long and 84 feet high and has 16 Tainter-style gates, which, unlike those at Possum Kingdom Lake, may be operated electronically via remote computer and can be opened incrementally to release varying amounts of water beneath the gate.
The first phase services for the Trifecta Project is meant to provide a detailed site condition evaluation and structural analysis of the pertinent structures related to the project as well as provide information to carry out engineering design and construction with future phases of work, McClendon said.
The project is a continuation of ongoing and regular maintenance and repairs existing at the reservoir, as the BRA is dedicated to maintaining the structural integrity of its dams and prolonging the life of these critical structures. Maintaining the dam structure is of utmost priority and critical to the BRA.
These projects will help ensure the BRA can continue to successfully manage its water resources within the basin.
Drought and Conservation
Also during the meeting, the Board adopted its Drought Contingency Plan and Water Conservation Plan.
Each plan is revised and updated every five years for adoption per state requirements.
“In the general sense, a Drought Contingency Plan is a combination of strategies implemented to monitor and respond to drought or other temporary water supply shortages,” Aaron Abel, BRA water services manager said. “Drought Contingency Plans guide us in the actions we take and the communication process both with our customers and the public.”
New changes included updated lake level triggers for reservoirs in the Little River System: lakes Granger, Belton, Stillhouse-Hollow-Georgetown subsystem; updated trigger levels for the Possum Kingdom-Granbury-Whitney subsystem; updated trigger levels for the East Williamson County Regional Water System; and updated Lower Colorado River Authority requirements for the use of water sourced from the Colorado Basin.
The updated Drought Contingency Plan will better position BRA to manage future droughts and maintain compliance with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality rules.
Like the Drought Contingency Plan, the TCEQ requires the BRA maintain a Water Conservation Plan with specific requirements pertaining to the BRA as a wholesale water provider and as a supplier of water for agricultural use, Abel said.
Even during the rainy season, like it is now, Water Conservation Plans are important to help guide best practices to use less water, reduce loss, and improve efficiency, Abel said.
The plan details the utilization of all water authorized for use and presents the breadth of conservation strategies employed by the BRA, he said.
The Board also approved a contract amendment with Gannett Fleming Inc. to perform engineering services up to and including review, design, and construction oversight for the DeCordova Bend Dam low-flow facilities project in an amount not to exceed $361,900. The Board also authorized a contract/change order with Marine Dividing Solutions LLC to perform additional construction and remediation services for the project in an amount not to exceed $1.5 million.
More information
The next Brown Bag on the Brazos virtual public meeting will be held at noon on Thursday, May 30, 2024. In the meantime, for updates on BRA current projects, go here.
For a complete list of Board actions from the May bi-monthly meeting, go here. Or watch the full Board meeting here. Sign up to receive email Board meeting notices here.
Still have questions? Email information@brazos.org.