News
Olmos Damposted on 08/04/2009
Olmos Dam Drilling to Resume in August
Beginning this month drivers on U.S. 281 traveling through the Olmos Basin will notice work crews with drilling equipment on the Olmos Dam. The Olmos Dam project, part of Bexar County’s $500 million flood control program, involves a detailed study, re-stabilization and upgrade of the dam to meet current regulatory requirements. Olmos Dam was built in 1927 after the flood of 1921 killed at least 50 people and devastated downtown San Antonio.
In 2008, the County hired Freese and Nichols Inc. (FNI) to perform preliminary civil engineering design services on Olmos Dam. Currently under detailed design, FNI is conducting drilling activities from August through October that will assist in providing data for a detailed structural analysis of the dam. This analysis will generate the design of anchors that will provide additional strength to Olmos Dam. The total estimated cost for the project is approximately $6 million.
“The County is taking steps to ensure this critical structure remains strong,” said Art Villarreal, Bexar County Flood Control Division Manager. “The Olmos Dam is a project that benefits the community by protecting the heart of our central business district and lives and properties downstream.”
The Bexar County flood control program is a 10-year, $500 million capital improvement program funded entirely by the County’s flood control tax. The program is the result of a partnership between Bexar County, the San Antonio River Authority, the City of San Antonio and 20 suburban cities, known as the Bexar Regional Watershed Management (BRWM). BRWM was formed to address flooding from a regional perspective, rather than by political or jurisdictional boundaries. The Olmos Dam project is one of 24 projects initially approved by Bexar County Commissioners Court in 2007.
Click HERE for a copy of the County's official news release.