The Morris Sheppard Dam at Possum Kingdom Lake is the oldest and northernmost reservoir in the BRA water supply system. Not only does it help to store water, but it's also a beautiful Art Deco-style structure dating back to the late 1930s.
Popular since the 1920s, many well-maintained Art Deco-style buildings are in daily use. The Empire State Building and Crysler Building, both in New York City, are two recognizable Art Deco buildings maintained over the years.
After a century, these beautiful historical buildings still function as business centers and landmarks, but the Morris Sheppard Dam is charged with holding back billions of gallons of the Brazos River Basin's water supply. Failure is not an option.
Thanks to a highly specialized team of employees that work exclusively to maintain the BRAs oldest dam, the history, style, functionality and, most importantly, the availability of our water supply is assured by the hands and knowledge of the Reservoir System Maintenance Unit, known as RSMU.
The team consists of welders, painters, blasters, concrete workers, and even vehicle maintenance who are skilled in fabricating, coatings applications, metalizing, and heavy equipment operation, among other expertise.
Not only does this group of men work hard to learn and maintain new skills to make the necessary repairs and upgrades to the aging dam structure, but they also take great pride in the work they do. Their full-time job is to exclusively keep the dam operable while still maintaining the integrity of the structure.
RSMU is meticulous in keeping the aging infrastructure in top condition. Rather than contract out every necessary maintenance, repair, or improvement project, the RSMU crew manages the needs of the dam through their skills and training, backed by years of team knowledge.
When RSMU was approved by the BRA Board of Directors for formation in June 1992, the majority of the group was hired from a construction company that had previously worked on the dam.
"Over the years," Troy Weatherhead, Possum Kingdom Lake Manager said, "this group has developed into a major resource for the organization. We'll hire an engineer to design a plan, and then we do all the work in-house."
RSMU now handles the majority of dam projects. They're important to the BRA because they're able to restore and maintain the dam in-house.
"Their can-do attitude over the life of the project proved time and again that our most valued asset is our workforce," said Mike McClendon, BRA's upper basin regional manager. "Their skill set, knowledge, and abilities save money for our customers and our organization and ensure Morris Sheppard Dam serves as a safe and reliable water supply for all."
David Noyola, maintenance superintendent with RSMU, knows firsthand how valuable his team is to the BRA. His dad, Otilio Noyola, was one of the first men on the newly established RSMU team. David grew up knowing the kind of work his dad did and eventually became a part of the group in 2012 when he was hired as a welder.
That original group stayed intact for almost 20 years. There are only two left from that original group currently working on the RSMU team, Mario Sanchez and David Balvantin, who both work as sandblasters.
Noyola says, "The guys that came before us kept such good records. They took pictures and kept daily logs of the maintenance they did."
Randall McCartney, program manager for the BRA, formerly the Possum Kingdom Lake manager, says, "They kept very meticulous records, from photos to documentation. You can go into David Noyola's office, and you can pull certain books that have had handwritten notes or photos that coincide with those notes, so it's not only a visual, but also documented."
As the original RSMU team started to age and retire, new members felt the urge to absorb as much knowledge as possible from them. "We had to scramble and learn everything we could learn from those guys, so we're not backtracking, trying to learn for ourselves," said Zane Bridges, RSMU maintenance foreman.
"The amount of knowledge we had to stuff in our brain for the amount of time we had with them was great. Some of the stuff they did back then, we do differently now just to make it a little bit easier and more durable," Bridges explains. "We saw some things that we could change. It's just a learning process and we're not afraid to jump into a project."
When the team is working on a current project, they are constantly inspecting and performing quality control as they go. When monthly inspectors come in, the team can explain what they've seen and offer plans on how it can be fixed.
"We move it up the chain for others to estimate costs," Bridges said. "Once the RSMU supervisors put their heads together and iron out the options, if RSMU can do it cheaper, we fix it. We don't just put a band-aid on it; we fix it for good."
The history of the dam is not lost on anyone on the team. When repairs need to be made, RSMU employees make them as close to the original as possible.
When the concrete was poured sometime before 1941, it left score lines and nail marks when it was formed. Noyola explains, "When we go back and repair, we try to keep it as original as possible. We go back and form up the same way and keep the same lines." He continues, "To me, that says that the concrete guys take a lot of pride in what they do."
The men on the RSMU team are constantly learning. Whether it be from those who came before or taking classes for new licenses and certifications that are needed for the job, they are thirsty for knowledge. "They continue to grow and learn. They don't cut off growth or potential new ideas. They're a sponge, thirsty for knowledge, "McCartney said.
When it was discovered that the team needed people who could dive, the group obtained SCUBA certification. Currently, there are four crane operators on the team, and two others enrolled in the course with the National Commission Certification and Crane Operators (NCCCO).
Not only does RSMU perform maintenance on the 2,700-foot long and 190-foot-tall dam, but they also add to and maintain the crane barge. They disassemble it piece by piece to sandblast and coat it every five years. "Without the barge, we wouldn't have a crane and we have to have the crane to move equipment," Noyola explains. "The barge is our lifeline."
Over the years, RSMU has added to and made upgrades to the barge to make it safer for the team to work.
Currently, some team members are working on gate 4. With the bulkhead in place, the sandblasters are working on the downstream leaf. They will sandblast, metalize, and paint every piece of the gate. Once the seals are back in, they will move to the next gate in maintenance rotation.
Each bear-trap gate measures 74 feet long by 13 feet high.
Projects and daily maintenance RSMU has performed include:
- Blasting and recoating the bear trap gates, including removing seals and hardware to replace, if needed, as well as welding repairs that are needed
- Concrete maintenance and repair
- Side seal plate replacement for the flood gates as part of the Pier Plate Wall project
- Work for the Flow Control Gate Replacement project
- Crane barge maintenance every five years
- Inspections on the pier and controlled outlet conduit
- Bulkhead leaks using the dive crew
- Dive inspections
- Grounds maintenance in the RSMU area, and
- Maintaining all necessary equipment
The 19 people that make up the RSMU team are: David Noyola (maintenance superintendent), Zane Bridges (maintenance foreman), Daniel Hall, Michael Carter, Chase Bridges, Jose Ramirez, Jake Holmes, Edwin Medina (concrete foreman), Leonardo Gonzalez, Jesus Palacios, Oscar Gutierrez, Manuel Espino, Cort DeShazo, Dustin Parker (sandblaster foreman), Jacob Moss, Mario Sanchez, David Balvantin, K.C. Eisel and Cole Carter.
These men take pride in the work they do for the BRA. They have proven that they can repair, replace, construct, install and maintain challenging engineering projects, and by doing so, they save money for the BRA and its contract holders.