As a result of the independent group of experts’ recommendations, underseepage, dam crest permeability and concrete deterioration are being fixed through a series of repairs and modifications to the dams. These projects include:
- The installation of relief wells and toe berms at the downstream base of the dams
- The construction of impermeable cut-off walls at the top of the dams
- The replacement of deteriorating concrete
The Dam Safety Initiative is MCD’s largest investment in the flood protection system since the original construction in 1918-1922.
Relief wells are designed to allow a safe passageway for pressurized groundwater to be released under the dams. The dams are built on a sand and gravel base (which provides our region’s abundant source of groundwater for drinking and industrial use), and are, hence, quite porous. Relief wells are an integral solution to underseepage issues at each of Miami Conservancy District’s dams and are being installed as part of MCD’s ongoing Dam Safety Initiative.
Observation wells are used to measure pressure or static water level at points in the aquifer or foundation of the dam. They are important to monitor while water is stored behind the dams to determine if spots exist in the dam that might lead to uplifts in the dams’ ground surface.
