Ames Construction crews at the Red Rock Hydroelectric Project have completed work on one portion of a 240-foot diaphragm wall.
It is designed to hold back the existing Red Rock earthen dam and provide a channel for water to enter an intake structure that will send water to the hydroelectric turbine and generator. That work was conducted from a platform at the 760-foot elevation on the upstream side. They are now working from a temporary platform at the 781-foot elevation, where they will install five additional diaphragm wall concrete piers.
Reservoir water levels were an ongoing concern at the 760-foot work platform. Those levels, as monitored daily by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, have fluctuated with recent rainfall in the Des Moines River watershed. With the higher elevation, construction at the site can continue as scheduled.
Missouri River Energy Services reminds the public that the construction areas will remain closed for the duration of the hydro project. Closed areas include the North Tailwater Recreation Area, the North Overlook Picnic Area, and the Volksweg Bike Trail from Howell Station Campground to the North Overlook Picnic Area.