The dam was completed in 1918 (around 10,000 people attended its dedication ceremony), then rebuilt in 1923 after damage from repeated flooding. At the time, the dam — which is hollow concrete and not anchored to the ground — had an expected lifespan of 30 years. Instead, it’s lasted more than a century, and it hasn’t changed much.
But state and federal dam regulations have changed, and the dam no longer meets the requirements. It has nearly two dozen gates, but only one engine to lift them. The engine can move from gate to gate, but it can only open one at a time — a process that takes around 24 hours.
“The dam would be fine if all the gates were operational at the same time, but they’re not,” said Larry Hare, Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust’s Raw Water Design Manager. “So what this project does is that it replaces the gates with a new concept called a labyrinth weir.”…