Wirtz Dam floodgate replacement project marks halfway point

AUGUST 7, 2024

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LCRA is in the middle of a $76 million, three-year project to remove and replace all 10 floodgates at Wirtz Dam to help ensure the dam continues to operate safely and reliably for years to come. Five of the new gates have been installed, with five more left to do.

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PICTURE THIS: A 60-ton floodgate is assembled in the staging area at Wirtz Dam. The gate is put on a barge in the water, then a crane picks it up and swings it into place between two concrete piers. The gate is 32 feet tall by 50 feet wide, and the wiggle room to get it properly placed between the piers and onto the dam is 3 inches – an inch-and-a-half on each side.

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GETTING IT RIGHT: Replacing floodgates on a working dam in Flash Flood Alley poses significant challenges. The team is carefully removing each old gate and installing the new gates while keeping the other gates operational and ready to respond to flooding. The new gates must fit precisely into the existing concrete piers, necessitating exact fabrication and installation. Any deviations could cause significant delays in connecting to the existing supports and making the new gate ready for operation.

Transporting the massive gates to the dam and maneuvering them into place requires precise coordination. A crane barge and an accompanying material barge are moored at the dam, a logistical feat in itself, for use in the replacement process.

The project also involves replacing nine gate operation hoist support bridges, each weighing 40 tons.

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THE BACKSTORY: Most of the floodgates being replaced have been in service for 73 years. LCRA is replacing one gate a time, to keep Wirtz Dam operational and able to manage floodwaters if needed. In fact, LCRA has twice opened floodgates at the dam to move storm runoff downstream during the project.

LCRA’s continuous investment over the past 30 years in maintaining and upgrading this 1940s-era infrastructure allows Wirtz Dam to support the new gates designed in accordance with the latest industry standards.

The project is designed to secure the dam’s operation for many more decades.