Overview of the completed AquaDam installation involving a 14' x 250' AquaDam to control 8.5' of water. This was backed up with an 8' AquaDam and 6' AquaDams. The hotel stayed in full operation during the course of this project. Unfortunately, the large AquaDam failed after 7 days.

The lake has been dewatered on the near side. The majority of the lake is on the other side of the foot bridge. This portion of the lake was not drained due to abundant fish life. A fish-salvage operation took place in the dewatered side.

Step 1 was to install the large AquaDam. At this point the AquaDam is filled to about 10' in height. Prior to dewatering, lake depth is approximately 10' at the deepest point. Workers are standing on the end of a 6' high AquaDam. (White Roll) attached to the end via the coupling collar.

A view from the other direction. It shows the AquaDams coupled together. The 8' high AquaDam is being unrolled by the water pressure produced by the pumps (sitting on the previously filled AquaDam).

The two workers standing on the big AquaDam are waiting for the white AquaDam to unroll. Notice the roll of black material at the end of the larger AquaDam. This is the attachment collar. Later in the project it will be used to attach another AquaDam.

As planned, the installation of the white AquaDam is being unrolled under its own internal water pressure and is being placed alongside the larger AquaDam.

The pond iced over during the night due to the cold weather. Notice how the smaller 6' AquaDam abuts into the larger one and creates a water-tight seal using a coupling collar. The white AquaDam was placed to support the connection during dewatering.

The 6" pumps have been removed due to their unmanageable size. They were replaced by three 3" pumps. You can clearly see the difference between the 12' and 8' AquaDams in this picture. This represents a step-down effect.

Dewatering was accomplished with four 6" discharge pumps, set on a custom-made, floating pontoon platform, allowing it to be moved. The bottom of the lake has become very muddy over time. The screens had to be cleaned constantly which did not allow for efficient discharge pumping.

The pond iced over during the night due to the cold weather. Notice how the smaller 6' AquaDam abuts into the larger one and creates a water-tight seal using a coupling collar. The white AquaDam was placed to support the connection during dewatering.

The 6" pumps have been removed due to their unmanageable size. They were replaced by three 3" pumps. You can clearly see the difference between the 12' and 8' AquaDams in this picture. This represents a step-down effect.

AquaDams in a side-by-side support configuration.

Looking down alongside the 8' high AquaDam.

The fish-salvage operation in progress. An electric shocker, dangled over the front of the boat, was used to stun the fish so that they could be easily netted. These fish had been planted in the lake by the hotel over the years.

After netting, the fish were placed in this container aboard the boat and then released. This proved to be a very effective method for fish-salvage.

Notice the attachment collar rolled up at the rounded end of the 8' AquaDam. The rusty-looking metal that used to be under water is the side of the old hotel pool, which is going to renovated to meet the demands of the 21st century.

A space was left so that seepage water coming from underneath the primary AquaDam could be bled off. This was a terrible design defect. After 7 days, the inside tube on the right-hand side of the 13' AquaDam ruptured. After 8 hours the hole increased in size to the point that pumping could not keep up.

This was our first attempt at an installing an AquaDam of this size. The hotel management knew that this water depth would be a first for AquaDams, and accepted the disaster very graciously, even agreeing to pay part of the cost of trying to save the fish.