A cofferdam was needed for work to be done just upstream of this rubber inflatable dam, which is in the Russian River near the south side of Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach.

The downstream end of the rubber inflatable dam. The dam is full of air in this photo.

Before the AquaDam cofferdam system was installed, the rubber inflatable dam needed to be deflated to lower the rivers water depth.

AquaDams are made from light weight material, come rolled-up like a carpet roll, and shipped in a protective wrapping with lifting ropes/straps. In water an empty AquaDam floats, can be used as a platform, and is easily transported to its desired location.

The 4ft tall support AquaDam has been laid out and is filling. This AquaDam helps to break up the current of the river and eases the turn for the larger main AquaDam.

The starting bank for both single closed end AquaDams. The 4ft tall SCE AquaDam has had its starting point (open end) restrained up the bank and the fill-tubes have been secured with a blue discharge hose in each.

The 6ft tall SCE AquaDam has been launched from the starting bank. After the 4ft tall SCE AquaDam was full the fill-tubes were tied up to keep them from falling over and allowing any water to get out.

A worker restrains the open end of the 6ft tall SCE AquaDam to unmovable objects (anchors) up the bank to help keep the unit in place, while it fills. Discharge hoses, without fittings, have been inserted and secured into the fill-tubes.

As the AquaDam fills, workers hold the rolled end until the unit has enough head above the upstream water, release a few feet of length, hold the roll again, and repeat the process.

The 6ft tall main AquaDam has made the needed turn downstream. Reducing the pumping power to the fill-tube on the inside of the turn, while making the turn is one technique that is commonly used. Ropes tied back to anchors work great too.

Sometimes long lengths of rope may be needed, to get the right angle. Old tree stumps on the river bar can make great anchors.

The 6ft tall AquaDam continues to fill and unroll.

Workers continue to hold the roll end, allow the AquaDam to build head, unroll a few feet and repeat this process until the closed end has been reached. This AquaDam has a connection collar attached to its closed end, which was designed to connect one unit to another.

Now that the first 6ft tall SCE AquaDam has been unrolled to it closed end, the unit will need to fill to build head before the connection to the next 6ft tall SCE AquaDam can be made.

The first 6ft tall AquaDam continues to fill and is slightly taller than the 4ft tall support AquaDam.

The first 6ft tall AquaDam has enough head above the river water to make the connections to the next 6ft tall SCE AquaDam.

The second 6ft tall SCE AquaDam has been place in the water near the closed end and connection collar of the first 6ft tall AquaDam.

Several feet of length have been unrolled to allow a smooth connection.

Enough length needed to be unrolled that the open end of the second 6ft tall SCE AquaDam could be pulled up onto the closed end of the first 6ft tall AquaDam and its fill-tubes pulled through the connection collar.

The connection has been made and now the second 6ft tall AquaDam is being filled with water.

The second 6ft tall SCE AquaDam has been unrolled to its closed end and now it needs to finish filling.

The second 6ft tall SCE AquaDam is almost full now. Notice only one blue discharge hose, this is because the fill-tubes are one continuous piece and once water inside the fill-tubes makes it around the closed end (of the outer tube), both sides will elevate together.

After the first 6ft tall SCE AquaDam was full, workers tied up its fill-tubes to prevent any of the water inside from getting out.

The AquaDam cofferdam system has been installed and is working, now workers will need to de-water their work area to get the needed work done.

Prior to de-watering the 6ft tall AquaDam cofferdam system, at the downstream end.

Workers getting their job done, while the AquaDam cofferdam system diverts the flow of the river around them.