1.) This project was in the Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Park boundaries. Fish ladder was needed at a 50-year-old removable board dam. The fish ladder was to improve the fish passage during the drier summer months. The board dam was erected many years ago to create a swimming hole.

2.) Standing on the East bank, after the fish ladder was installed.

3.) There was an existing concrete slab that was used as the bottom surface to install the first three AquaDams. To divert the flow of the Russian River workers installed a 5ft tall by 50ft long single closed end (SCE) AquaDam, a 5ft tall by 100ft long double closed end (DCE) AquaDam, and a 4ft tall by 30ft long SCE AquaDam at the upstream end. Seven more AquaDams were used, parallel with the flow, downstream.

4.) Can you see the seven SCE AquaDams that were installed parallel to the flow? Two small units launched off the closed end, but perpendicular to the 4ft tall AquaDam, another was launched between the closed ends of them, followed by two 3ft tall by 100ft long AquaDams, and then finally two 8ft tall AquaDams. The AquaDam cofferdam system made a “L” shape configuration.

5.) The concrete slab that the first five AquaDams are sitting on extends completely across the river. The water is flowing over the slab and then over boards that normally make up the summer dam. The boards (with a metal frame attached to the concrete slab) are simply pushed up with an excavator to block the river flow during normal operations.

6.) Here is a closer view of the two smaller AquaDams launched perpendicular off the closed end of the 4ft tall unit. Following these two units, another SCE AquaDam was launched at the closed ends of them. This AquaDam is the first one to be downstream of the concrete and wood dam, wedged in large boulders.

7.) Next were the two 3ft tall by 100ft long SCE AquaDams. One unit used a closed end as its starting bank and the other used a large boulder.

8.) A close-up of the second 3ft tall SCE AquaDam’s starting bank, which was a large boulder. All SCE AquaDams require a starting bank that is greater in elevation than the full height of the unit along its given path. The starting bank needs to elevate the open end and fill-tubes. The open end and fill-tubes of a SCE AquaDam must be elevated higher than the full height of dam along its given path. An AquaDam will only reach its full height at the lowest elevation along its given path. The starting bank for the first 8ft tall AquaDam can also be seen. There is a worker standing near the starting bank, which is a pile of large rocks.

9.) The second 8ft tall SCE AquaDam at the far downstream end. The water depth at the downstream end looks very deep on the river side, in this photo.

9.) The second 8ft tall SCE AquaDam at the far downstream end. The water depth at the downstream end looks very deep on the river side, in this photo.

11.) The Russian River has been diverted and workers can start to build the fish ladder.

12.) The work area is dry. Great job AquaDam!

13.) The upstream pool, from diverting the Russian River.