Engineers Plan To Remove Cofferdam At Folsom Lake Less Than A Week After Leaks Found
FOLSOM LAKE (CBS13) — Less than a week after leaks were found in a cofferdam at Folsom Lake, the structure could be coming down soon.
The cofferdam was designed to keep crews dry while they worked on the auxiliary spillway for the Folsom Dam. It wasn't supposed to come down for another two weeks, but after the leak, the Army Corps of Engineers says it just makes sense to move up the date.
Every move is being calculated, and every piece of equipment and staff is mapped out and assigned before moving ahead in the $900 million Folsom spillway project.
"It could happen as early as tomorrow, we could still be a couple more days," spokesman Rick Brown said.
The engineers are waiting for daylight and more discernment. If the cofferdam is removed, it would mark a turning point for the project.
"The contractors already have those plans in place that they can operate as they say 'in the wet' so any further excavation they can get in there and use the proper equipment with no problems," Brown said.
Wednesday's breach forced about 25 employees to evacuate and haul out thousands of dollars in heavy equipment.
Now, the world will start by using several pumps.
"As we begin that impoundment process, really all that is, is taking water out of the lake and putting it into that construction area, in what we call the approach channel. And the approach channel is what leads up to the primary dam structure," Brown said. "Once that water is pumped in and we have those water levels equalized on either side of that cofferdam, then they can begin to take away that cofferdam."
The slow, controlled process will likely take 24 hours to complete before the cofferdam's rockfill can then be hauled away. It's a lot of moving pieces that could deliver some final answers by sunrise.
"A project of this size is obviously a huge challenge. A lot of moving pieces to it. But we're ready for it, we're prepared for it," he said.