The valve replacement at the dam will start next Tuesday, after Memorial Day. This week, we are working to calibrate the siphon, to be comfortable how much we are drawing the lake level down. We are currently about 1 foot below dam level and that shouldn't change. In fact, if we get the rain that is predicted later this week, we will more than likely be filled back to capacity. Here is a sneak peak at my upcoming Piper article. I've decided to share this now because I feel it's timely and want you to be aware of what were are working on as you see the equipment an action in the area...
There are so
many dam projects taking place at Highlands CC.
And as your Golf Course Superintendent, I have the responsibility of
being the dam project manager for said projects, with the help of Greg
Crawford, of course. Ok, ok… of course I
am not swearing. I’m simply referring to
the dam on Club Lake, at the corner of Dillard Road and Hudson Road. For those who know me, know I will never- and
have never- passed up the opportunity to inject sophomoric humor in a
conversation (or newsletter in this case); especially dam humor, when used in
the appropriate context…or inappropriate, maybe. I don’t know…
Regardless, there is a lot going on and I’d like to tell you about these
projects!
The dam has
been separated into two phases. Both
phases are permitted through the NCDEQ (NC Dept of Environmental Quality) and
NC Dam Safety. We engaged an engineering
firm in Asheville several years ago to perform the design work and then hired
North Georgia Concrete to perform the actual work. The first phase, which was completed in May
of this year, involved the replacement of the drain valve in the dam. This
phase was required because our existing valve failed, which meant we had
no way of draining the lake in the event of a very unlikely emergency. This work was relatively
straightforward. We lowered the lake
level a few feet using a series of siphon pipes. Once the water was down a few feet and not
flowing over the top of the dam, it allowed us to create a dry space to
work. A new valve was installed on the
downstream side of the dam and cased in concrete. Once the valve was installed, a team of
divers, who specialize in this work, dove down to the bottom of the dam (about 13ft-15ft)
and removed the components of the old valve system. For the most part, the work was noninvasive
and easy to clean up. The reason this
project occurred during the season was because of the dredging project behind
the LEC. We could not lower the lake
level without impacting the dredging operation that occurred all winter. The dredging project took priority, and we
completed phase one of the dam work once the dredging concluded on May 16th. Ideally, we hoped to complete this work
during the winter. Phase one was quick,
only lasting about five days of actual work.
Now enter phase
two, which will begin in November or December of 2026. This phase is a much more involved project,
and it is a much larger project. First,
we are required by the NCDEQ to remove four trees growing alongside the
dam. The root system of these trees has played
a small role in some of the minor issues we are seeing. Again, most of the issues which are
relatively minor are caused by aging concrete.
Keep in mind, the existing dam was constructed in the early 1930’s! Phase two will require the lake to be fully
drained. The winter of 2026/2027 will be
a great time to see how many golf balls line the bottom of the lake! During this phase, which will last as long as
two or three months, we will be rebuilding the abutment walls on both sides of
the dam. This will involve a fair amount
of heavy equipment and the general look of the dam, when complete, will be
slightly different.
Now, here is
some background information that I believe you’d be interested in:
If you’ve been
around Highlands Country Club for 17 years or more, you might be asking
yourself: “Didn’t we rebuild the dam during the winter of 2009?” The answer to that question is “sort
of.” In 2009, we did work on the dam,
but only on the spillway. Using jack
hammers, a contractor chipped away
approximately 6” of the spillway surface and then poured new concrete on the
face of the spillway. At that time, we
did not address the abutments, because they were not an issue. The spillway work is doing great and will not
be affected nor included in any of this work, during phase two.
Your next
question might be, “How did this all come about and why is the Club focused on
this now?” That’s a great question! The State of NC has an entire Dam Safety
Division. These folks inventory all
the dams in the State and periodically inspect them. During the inspection process, they drill
core samples in dam components and send them to a lab for testing. If the dam doesn’t meet the NC standard for
concrete strength and durability, the owner of the dam receives a letter that outlines
what specifically needs to be addressed. When the Club received this letter
approximately two years ago, we engaged the help of an engineering firm and
ultimately a contractor. You’ll also be
interested to know that every year, in February, Highlands CC submits an
Emergency Action Plan to the State of NC, that outlines the steps to be taken
in the unlikely event of a dam breach.
This document is about 20 pages long and consists of topographical and
GPS maps. Working with our engineers, we
developed the EAP several years ago and update it annually.
Hopefully this
answers any questions you have about the work that has gone on at the dam and
what is to come during this offseason.
And lastly, if you have other questions regarding either phase, I will
be more than happy to meet you and serve as your dam tour guide! Oops, there I go again….
