Lower Owens River Project

Archived reports

May 11, 2006

THE INTAKE STRUCTURE - LADWP Construction forces have poured 92’ of concrete floor of the lined channel, and have poured 92’ of the 12’ 7” walls. Concrete pours are scheduled to continue thru the month of June. The cut-off wall behind the structure has been completed. Earth work is continuing in the area where the rail car bridge will be placed. One footing for the bridge abutments has been poured. The other footing for the bridge is formed and scheduled to pour the week of May 15, 2006. The rail car bridge is scheduled to be installed at the end of June. Radial gate operating winches have been refurbished and installed in working order. Representatives from Portadam, Inc. were on-site at the end of April to extend and reinforce the existing coffer dam in the river channel. Currently the dam can safely accommodate flows up to 700 cfs.
CHANNEL CLEARING - The initial two miles of river channel have been cleared. Temporary access roads have been lightly disced and seeded to facilitate revegetation, taking advantage of recent rains. These roads are closed to vehicular traffic.
CHANNEL OBSTRUCTIONS - Five of the six channel obstructions scheduled to be removed for the LORP have been completed. The bridge foundation south of Mazourka Cyn Road is in the process of being modified.
BLACKROCK WATERFOWL AREA- New berms have been been established in Thibaut unit. Berms are in progress in Winterton and Blackrock units. Ditch work is scheduled to begin by the end of May.
MEASURING STATIONS - Construction began the first week of May for the measuring station located north of Blackrock Ditch. Installation is scheduled to be completed by May 19th.
PUMP STATION -LADWP contractor Kiewit Pacific Co. has completed the slab for the 50 cfs pump station sump floor. Approximately 95% of the walls have been poured. Concrete work is scheduled to be completed on the walls by mid-May. Excavation is complete for the air chamber and approximately 25% of the protection slab and one of the three main slabs have been poured. The permanent diversion structure earth work is complete. Sheet piling placement is approximately 30% complete. Rip-rap and concrete placement for the diversion structure has began. Excavation is complete for the permanent settling basin. Armor rip-rap placement is scheduled for completion by the end of May. Permanent service roads on the East and West sides are under construction.
BEAVER DAM REMOVALS - Area surveyed May 10, 2006. No action necessary at this time.

April 14, 2006

THE INTAKE STRUCTURE - LADWP Construction forces have poured 75’ of concrete floor of the lined channel, and have poured 50’ of the 12’ 7” walls. The next section of floor and walls are framed and scheduled to be poured on Monday April 17, 2006. The footings for the cutoff wall behind the structure are in place and the wall is formed and scheduled to be poured the week of April 17, 2006. Earth work is continuing in the area where the rail car bridge will be placed. Bridge abutments are being formed and are scheduled to be poured the week of April 17, 2006. Radial gate operating winches have been refurbished and are on-site and scheduled for installation the week of April 17, 2006. Representatives from Portadam, Inc. are scheduled to arrive by the end of the month. LADWP crews will work with Portadam employees to extend and reinforce the existing coffer dam in the river channel. Currently the dam can safely accommodate 500 cfs and with reinforcement will be able to handle flows up to 700 cfs.
CHANNEL CLEARING - The initial two miles of river channel have been cleared. Temporary access roads have been lightly disced and seeded to facilitate revegetation, taking advantage of recent rains. These roads are closed to vehicular traffic.
CHANNEL OBSTRUCTIONS - April 5, 2006 LADWP construction crews began removing the bridge berm and culverts near Blackrock Ditch Return. Work at this site was completed on April 12, 2006.
- April 12, 2006 LADWP construction crews began removing the Eastside canal diversion dam. Work was completed April 13, 2006.
- April 11, 2006 work began at Five Culverts. Work is scheduled for completion the week of April 17, 2006.
BLACKROCK WATERFOWL AREA - Work began on the Winterton and Waggoner Units this week. Access roads are being graded and ditch and berm work are underway.
PUMP STATION- LADWP contractor Kiewit Pacific Co. has completed the slab for the 50 cfs pump station sump floor. Approximately 10% of the walls have been poured. Concrete work is scheduled to continue on the walls for the next couple of weeks. Excavation is complete for the air chamber and approximately 25% of the protection slab has been poured. The permanent diversion structure has been excavated down to sub-grade and 80% of the backfill has been placed. Sheet piling placement is approximately 5% complete. Rip-rap and concrete placement for the diversion structure is scheduled for May. Excavation is complete for the permanent settling basin. Armor rip-rap is scheduled for installation. Permanent service roads on the East and West sides are being compacted.
BEAVER DAM REMOVALS - Area surveyed April12, 2006. No action necessary at this time.

March 29, 2006

THE INTAKE STRUCTURE - LADWP Construction forces have poured 50’ of concrete floor of the concrete lined channel, and have formed 50’ of the walls. Approximately 25’ of wall will be poured later this week. The slide gate has been installed on the face of the intake structure and all three radial gates have been installed. Excavation has begun for the bridge abutments and for the Langemann gate.
CHANNEL CLEARING - Initial channel clearing activities were completed today. Approximately the first two-miles of river channel were cleared to accommodate the 40 cfs flows. Abandoned access roads are being lightly disced and seeded to facilitate revegetation, taking advantage of recent rains. These roads are being closed to vehicular traffic.
BLACKROCK WATERFOWL AREA - Materials are on order and initial survey work and planning are complete.
PUMP STATION - LADWP contractor Kiewit Pacific Co. has poured approximately 75% of the slab for the 50 cfs pump station. Slab is scheduled for completion this week. The air chamber location is being excavated. The permanent diversion structure has been excavated down to subgrade and construction activities will continue as scheduled. Excavation continues at the permanent settling basin as well as construction of the permanent East Side Service Road.
BEAVER DAM REMOVALS - Approximately 4 Beaver dams were removed in the Lower Owens River Delta March 16th and 17th. A LADWP helicopter equipped with a grabber device worked to remove the dams. By removing these dams water levels at the construction site are lowered. LADWP Watershed Resources staff are monitoring the area for further beaver activity. If needed future dam removal operations will be scheduled.

March 13, 2006

THE INTAKE STRUCTURE Work is continuing around the Intake Structure where the LA Aqueduct takes off from the Owens River at the beginning of the LORP's 62 mile Owens River Channel. LADWP construction crews have placed and slurried 95% of the rip rap required on the front of the Intake Structure. Approximately 25’ of concrete floor has been poured of the concrete lined channel. The temporary cofferdam was completed January 14, 2006, diverting the Owens River flow away from the spillgates. The cofferdam will be removed after construction of the spillgate is completed.
CHANNEL CLEARING A little over 1 mile of river channel has been cleared by LADWP construction crews. A prescribed burn is scheduled for the week of March 13, 2006 to help reduce the amount of biomass that must be removed from the channel. 95% of abandoned access roads have been closed to vehicular access, and lightly disced and seeded to facilitate revegetation.
BLACKROCK WATERFOWL AREA Work is scheduled to begin the week of March 20, 2006.
PUMP STATION LADWP contractor Kiewit Pacific Co. has cleared the project area, diverted the flows of the Lower Owens around their work site, placed temporary access roads across the river channel, performed a controlled burn in conjunction with LADWP Resources staff to clear the work area in the river channel and initiated construction dewatering activities. Raito, Inc., a subcontractor to Kiewitt has completed deep foundation treatment in the pump station footprint and for the air chamber. Settling basin and diversion dike excavation and concrete placement for the pump station have began.
BEAVER DAM REMOVALS Dam removals are scheduled for the week of March 13, 2006. A LADWP helicopter will remove the dams with ground assistance from LADWP Resource staff and Construction crews. The dams marked for removal are located in the area south of the river bridge adjacent to pump station.

March 8, 2006

INTAKE STRUCTURE - Work is continuing at the Intake site, which marks the start (north end) of the Lower Owens River Project. As of 3/8/06 a portion of the concrete headwall where three rehabed radial gates will be located has been poured. Forms and rebar for the first section of the spillbay are in place, with concrete expected to be poured within the next few days. The crews continue work on the spillbay. A temporary cofferdam is diverting the Owens River flow away from the Intake structure; the cofferdam will be removed after all construction in the area has completed.
CHANNEL CLEARING - Channel clearing below the Intake is in progress, presently focused on the upper section of the channel, with approximately 1,500 feet having been cleared as of 3/3/06.
PUMPBACK STATION - As of 3/1/06 the bypass channel is in place, re-routing the river's flow away from the construction site, and the dewatering process has started with the installation of pumps and piping. Construction on the actual pumpback station will begin after the completion of the dewatering process.