US Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District, Vol.6, Iss. 1, Winter 2015
see page 8-9
Headwaters Update is a quarterly publication of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District. It is produced for electronic distribution by the Public Affairs Office. Views and opinions expressed in the Headwaters Update are not necessarily those of the Department of the Army or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Submissions may be sent to CELRP-PA@usace.army. mil for consideration in upcoming editions. Stories submitted should be in a Word document format. All photographs should include a caption and be high resolution (at least 4x6 inches and 300 dpi). US Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District Col. Bernard R. Lindstrom District Commander Public Affairs Chief Jeff Hawk Editor Carol Davis Layout & Design Dan Jones Margie Luzier Public Affairs Office 412-395-7500 www.lrp.usace.army.mil
On the Cover Workers at Allegheny Lock and Dam 5 work to break up the ice that has accumulated in the locks.
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Corps releases SLDA decision The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District has released a Notice of Availability and Proposed Record of Decision Amendment for the Shallow Land Disposal Area (SLDA) in Parks Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. The Proposed ROD Amendment document is available for public comment until April 6, 2015. The Corps hosted a public hearing to receive feedback from the community Jan. 27. The Proposed Record of Decision Amendment’s remedy involves the excavation of radiologically contaminated soil and debris, off-site transportation, and disposal at an appropriate permitted/licensed disposal facility, and will comply with the selected applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements.
The Proposed Record of Decision Amendment and its supporting documents are available online or in printed format at the Apollo Memorial Library at 219 North Pennsylvania Avenue in Apollo, Pa. and at the Corps’ Pittsburgh District office at 1000 Liberty Avenue downtown Pittsburgh. The Corps is conducting this work under the authority of the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). The FUSRAP program was created to identify, investigate and take appropriate cleanup action at sites with low-level radioactive contamination from the nation’s early atomic energy program. The Corps of Engineers uses the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) process to investigate and remediate FUSRAP sites.
2016 President’s budget released The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District, reports that the President’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget includes $225.5 million in new federal funding for the district’s civil works program. This is part of the $4.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Army Corps civil works program worldwide. The proposed funding will help improve the reliability of the region’s inland waterways navigation system, enhance the environment, and reduce the risk of flooding in the Upper Ohio River Valley. The FY16 budget provides $25.7 million for operation and maintenance of these 16 reservoirs. and $70.1 million in operations and maintenance funds to provide reliable navigation on the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers. The President’s budget includes $52 million for the Lower Monongahela
River Project, where the Corps continues the construction of new locks at Charleroi Locks and Dam. $59 million was set aside for the East Branch Clarion River Lake Dam Safety Project in Elk County, Pa to address internal erosion of the dam. The work includes construction of a 2,100-foot long, 260-foot deep concrete cutoff wall within the existing earthen dam. The FY16 budget also includes $18 million for the Shallow Land Disposal Area in Armstrong County, Pa., for the continued clean up of radiological waste materials at the site. A list of projects and proposed funds is available at the Army Corps of Engineers’ web site at http://www.usace. army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Budget. aspx, under the heading Program Budget: Press Books.
In this Issue Page 4 - Penn St. students conduct sediment survey at Conemaugh Page 6 - KDKA-TV highlights Emergency Exercise at Montgomery Page 16 - Teamwork averts disaster after barges break away Page 19 - Lower Mon recovers from ice, mud and debris
New instrumentation installed at Crooked Creek By Diane Czelusta and Tom Brown, Geotechnical Engineering Section Pittsburgh District’s Geotechnical Engineering Section installed vibrating wire sensors and data loggers on select piezometers at Crooked Creek Dam, Dec. 15 - 18, 2014. Tom Brown and Joe Premozic automated two standpipe piezometers by lowering and securing vibrating-wire sensors to a known elevation within the existing standpipe. The sensors were connected to battery-powered dataloggers installed in a permanent enclosure on the downstream embankment face. The dataloggers are programmed to read and store the piezometric data at 15-minute intervals. The stored readings will be downloaded from the dataloggers on a monthly basis. This data will assist geotechnical engineers in assessing the subsurface conditions at Crooked Creek Dam. Prior to the installation of the sensors, project personnel were required to take manual readings with a waterlevel indicator at daily, weekly, or monthly intervals. Four other standpipe piezometers were temporarily instrumented with sensors and data
Tom Brown Joe Premozic works to adjust dataloggers in the newly installed permanent enclosure for piezometers at Crooked Creek Dam.
loggers to evaluate their performance. Piezometers are installed in all Pittsburgh District dams to measure hydraulic pressure within the dams and their foundations. Traditionally, automated data acquisition systems (ADAS) have been built and installed by an A/E contractor. The ADAS installation at Crooked Creek Dam was the first such installation by Dis-
trict Geotechnical Engineers who are responsible for the design, installation and maintenance of the system and evaluation of the data. Diane Czelusta and Ben Sakmar, of the Dam and Levee Safety Unit, and Barb Hopkins of the Geospatial Section also visited the site to learn more about the installation and data retrieval process.
District promotes water safety at the Pittsburgh boat show Pittsburgh District employees staffed an exhibit and provided information on Corps missions while promoting water and boating safety during the Pittsburgh boat show’s first weekend at the Monroeville Convention Center. Jason Moats (left) and Todd Suder, lock operators from Point Marion Lock and Dam, provide a lock operations demonstration to Pittsburgh Boat Show attendees, Jan. 18. (Photo by Jeff Hawk, PAO)
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Penn State University conducts sediment quality surveys at Conemaugh Lake By Mark Keppler, Conemaugh Lake
Students inspect core samples at Conemaugh Lake.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District provided logistical support for a Penn State University’s sediment quality survey at Conemaugh Lake, Dec. 19. Dr. William Burgos, professor, and his assistant, Jeremy Harper, conducted a core sediment quality survey. The sediment horizons in each core sample will be analyzed for heavy metals, nutrients, salts, radioisotopes, and organic compounds and will provide $20,000 to $30,000 worth of analyses. Five site locations were selected in the lake. Volunteer teams collected two-foot-long sediment core samples from sediment depths ranging between zero and 15 feet, beneath three-to-four feet of water using a specialized hand-pushed auger. As suspected, sediments were very soft so they were easily collected. The survey data will increase the understanding of the impacts of lake sediment quality on water quality and aquatic life. The volunteer efforts will provide valuable historic data that the district hasn’t been able to collect, due to manpower and funding constraints. The Corps will receive the results of sample analyses for free. The work also provides Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic or STEM opportunities for students attending Penn State University.
Site preparation continues at East Branch Dam By Diane Fisher, East Branch Dam
If you have been out to the East Branch Clarion River Dam recently, you will have seen more than a thick blanket of snow and ice covered lake. Site preparation for building the work platform has begun at East Branch Lake for construction of the $132.5-million Cutoff Wall Rehabilitation Project. The contractor, Layne Christensen Company, is getting underway in spite of the weather. They have set up office trailers, installed project and traffic signs, begun placing erosion and sediment control features, and started stockpiling rock which will be used to construct the work platform. More than 150 trucks have hauled stone to the site near the spillway daily since Feb. 23. This portion of the project is operating 24-hours a day and will continue for several months.
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Dam safety training conducted at Kirwan By Diane Czelusta, Dam Safety Annual dam safety training was conducted at Michael J. Kirwan Dam Feb. 17. Recognizing the important role that onsite operations and maintenance personnel have in dam safety, a dam safety training program was developed to ensure that personnel are knowledgeable in the features of a dam, procedures for monitoring potential problems, reporting procedures and emergency operations. Julie Stone, park ranger, conducted the training that included presentations on dam design and construction, inspection procedures, project instrumentation, and historical dam fail-
ures. A Training Aids for Dam Safety (TADS) video describing inspection procedures and recognizing areas of concern was viewed. The training also included an informal discussion with emergency responders on inundation mapping and responding to a potential failure of the dam. Attendees included Doug Krider, Waylon Reigle, Ed Durch, Jim Tomazin, and Julie Stone from Kirwan Dam; Diane Czelusta from the Pittsburgh District Dam and Levee Safety Unit; Ryan Shackelford, Portage County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director; Chief Derek Reid, Paris Township Fire Department; and Mark Garvin, Palmyra Fire Department.
Team visits Charleroi new river wall remediation work By Mark Jones, Engineering Members of the Inland Navigation Design Center and U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Pittsburgh District visited Monongahela Locks and Dam 4 at Charleroi, Jan. 9, to conduct an In-Progress Review of the new river wall remediation activities undertaken by the TrumballBrayman Joint Venture. Despite the weather conditions, the contractor is proceeding with work and the IPR was positive. Work includes a drill rig coring through an anomaly in a drilled shaft that supports the monolith. Once the coring is complete, the contractor cleans out the anomaly and then fills the void with a specialized grout.
Paul Surace
Pictured on the lock wall are left to right: Andy Harkness, INDC Deputy Chief; Kevin Gabig, district quality assurance; Mark Jones, district Engineering and Construction Division chief; Paul Surace, district structural regional technical specialist; Brian McFarland, district lead engineer; and Dennis Zeveney, district Dam and Levee Branch chief. Not pictured are Kirk McWilliams, district resident engineer; Alex Bredikhin, district geotechnical lead engineer; and Glenn Bush, district materials technician.
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Local news team focuses on emergency exercise
Mark Jones, chief, Engineering and Construction Division, provides comments to KDKA Reporter Andy Sheehan during a visit at Montgomery Locks and Dam.
Story and Photos by Jeff Hawk, PAO A Pittsburgh television news team visited Montgomery Locks and Dam on the Ohio River Feb. 3 as part of a segment on the potential consequences associated with a loss of pool at a local navigation facility. The issue came to light during a Department of Homeland Security and Regional 13 Task Force “Loss of Pittsburgh Pool” table top exercise last October. The exercise was designed to improve existing critical infrastructure partnerships and strengthen regional resilience and recovery efforts in the event of a failure at the Emsworth Lock and Dam. Recent dam safety work at Emsworth has helped to greatly reduce
the risk of failure at the once highrisk main and back channel dams, but other facilities in the Pittsburgh navigation inventory, such as Montgomery, are rated poorly due to structural deficiencies, severe deterioration, and unaddressed critical maintenance. Rich Lockwood, chief, Operations Division; Mark Jones, Engineering and Construction chief; John Dilla, Locks and Dams Branch chief; and Mark Demattio, Montgomery Locks and Dam lockmaster, gave KDKA reporter Andy Sheehan and cameraman Bob Chakill a tour of the facility. The group stressed the need to prepare for a possible loss of multiple gates at Montgomery due to a failure caused by heavy ice loading or a barge strike.
Maintenance bulkheads, on site, are used during ongoing work to maintain and replace the deteriorated gates. Gravity dam blocks are also staged at the district’s Pittsburgh Engineer Warehouse and Repair Station and ready to be deployed should there be multiple gate failures at Montgomery. The Pittsburgh District has been working to replace all 10 dam lift gates at Montgomery. In fiscal 2012 and 2014, the district contracted for the fabrication of four lift gates. This fiscal year, the district plans to award a contract to install three gates. The recently released fiscal 2016 President’s Budget provides funds to install one lift gate and fabricate another for future installation.
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Rich Lockwood, chief, Operations and Regulatory Division, looks down on deteriorated lift gates from a catwalk along the Montgomery Locks and dam.
KDKA Cameraman Bob Chakill and Montgomery Dam Lockmaster Mark Demattio look at a maintenance bulkhead dam stored on the abutment side under the Montgomery Dam facility.
KDKA Reporter Andy Sheehan walks along a catwalk at the Montgomery Dam facility during the taping of a news segment focused on contingency planning and consequences of failure at the region's aging navigation infrastructure.
Lock and Dam Branch Chief John Dilla, Lockmaster Mark Demattio, KDKA Cameraman Bob Chakill, and Engineering and Construction Division Chief Mark Jones walk across the Montgomery Dam service bridge during the taping of a news segment.
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Nick Waltenbaugh, Allegheny River lockmaster, watches as the miter gates open and break up the ice. Workers must routinely open the gates to ensure that they remain functional despite the icy conditions.
Allegheny River L/D 5 Lock Operator Al Burstynowicz, (right), speaks with Basile and Waltenbagh while he cycles the gates and breaks up the ice.
Dominic Basile, Allegheny River L/D 5 equipment mechanic leader, removes a pump that is used to prevent ice from forming prior to the gates opening.
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Workers at Allegheny L/D 5 cycle the miter gates to break up the ice. This is done periodically to keep the locks operational throughout winter.
Allegheny Lock workers keep the river moving
Story and Photos by Dan Jones, PAO
For the past few months, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District lock workers on the Allegheny River have been fighting the elements to keep the locks operational as the region endured severe freezing temperatures. One part of maintaining navigation on the rivers is to operate the lock gates to ensure ice doesn’t build up causing the gates to cease functioning. Recently, district workers were at Lock 5 to prevent the build up and ensure the lock gates remain operational. “The main objective is to keep this lock operational and to hold up our end of the bargain for navigation and industry, so the lock is operational when they need it,” said Nick Waltenbaugh, Allegheny River lockmaster. “Once they [the lock gates] freeze in solid, it would be a very, very big chal-
lenge to get them open again.” He added that the facilities up river from Lock 5 don’t have the resources necessary to break up and move the ice. One of the largest challenges facing the Allegheny River is that Locks 6 through 9 are not currently staffed, so lock workers have to travel to each facility to ensure the locks remain functional. “It is a tough job,” Dominic Basile, Allegheny River Lock and Dam 5 equipment mechanic leader, said. “Normally five out of 10 times there is only one guy here because the mechanic and I are upstream working on [locks] six, seven, eight and nine.” He added, “It is very critical to keep these approaches clear like this because if the gates cannot move--and it doesn’t take very much ice to hold them back--then you cannot operate this lock.” According to Basile, the Lock 5 approach was frozen for
approximately one month while the approaches at Locks 6 through 9 were frozen for three or more months. “We are seeing an inch and a half to two inches of ice being made at this project overnight,” Waltenbaugh said. “When it gets cold like this, it can take an entire shift to get the gates cleared.” Clearing the ice and keeping the locks functional is a constant fight. “It’s not that difficult to do , you just have to be out here doing it. If you keep up on it, it is a simple process as long as the equipment and machinery are cooperating,” Basile said. Although freezing weather conditions are some of the most difficult lock workers see, they are not unique to the Allegheny River. Most of the locks and dams in the Pittsburgh District faced the same daunting task of keeping the locks operational for navigation during the winter months.
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Pitt grad students visit Emsworth Story and photos by Jeff Hawk,PAO University of Pittsburgh graduate students toured Emsworth Locks and Dams on the Ohio River near Pittsburgh Jan. 27 as part of the university’s Building and Rebuilding U.S. Urban Infrastructure seminar. Steve Fritz, senior project manager, provided presentations addressing the district’s Upper Ohio Navigation Study and Lower Monongahela River Project prior to a tour of the facility, conducted by acting Lockmaster Ian McKelvey and Lock Mechanic Keith Ulintz. The seminar evaluates the evolution and current challenges facing America’s urban infrastructure, the role of public and private financing, and the potential for regional economic development arising from infrastructure investments.
Acting Lockmaster Ian McKelvey (far right) informs graduates students of the challenges in operating the Depression-era Emsworth Locks and Dams on the Ohio River during a tour of the facility’s main dam service bridge.
University of Pittsburgh graduate students walk across the service bridge atop the main dam at Emsworth Locks and Dams on the Ohio River during a lock tour as part of the university’s urban infrastructure seminar.
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University of Pittsburgh graduate student Abigail Wolensky operates levers that open the main chamber mitre gates during a lockage at Emsworth Locks and Dams on the Ohio River near Pittsburgh.
Hannibal L/D staff battles ice The staff at Hannibal Lock and Dam on the Ohio River had to battle a perfect storm of water and ice. According to Jim Beavers, Hannibal lockmaster, the ice in the creeks above the lock released downstream during high water. Once the ice reached the lock, the river had already crested and was lowering. This caused the ice to jam at the lock. With the ice stationary, a bitterly cold night caused the ice to refreeze which caused more problems. Beavers reached out to Port Captains Greg Walburn and Butch LePort for assistance in breaking up the ice. Motor Vessels Roger Keeney and Glenn W. Jones (right) were dispatched to the lock to break up the ice. For safety reasons, two vessels are used when breaking up ice. “These guys were the heroes,” Beaver said. “This is the worst ice I’ve seen and I’ve been around a while.”The MV Sierra Dawn (below and below right) spent more than 9 hours locking through because of the ice. (Photos by Jim Beavers, Hannibal L/D)
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After months of pushing and pulling tons of equipment around on all three Pittsburgh District rivers, the Motor Vessel Evanick received some well-deserved downtime this winter. The workhorse of the district’s repair fleet was drydocked at the Campbell Transportation Company, Georgetown Facility, from late January to early March for major maintenance repairs.
“The MV EVANICK is typically dry docked every two to three years to inspect and perform repairs to the underwater portions of the vessel,” said Jim Williams, project engineer, Pittsburgh District. “This work is important because the MV EVANICK is the motor vessel that pushes our fleet from lock chamber to lock chamber for our repair fleet to perform routine and major maintenance.”
Crews removed and replaced propellers and shafts with newly renovated ones; disassembled, inspected and cleaned rudders; and repaired and maintained other critical components as part of the $439,000 contract.
The district’s Maintenance Branch has historically worked within the 328 miles of navigable waterways in the Pittsburgh District, but a new regional focus will see the vessel in other districts of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division as well.
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HERE Jim Williams serves as the project engineer having overall life cycle responsibility for the district’s repair facilities, floating plant and land plant. Projects include preparation of justification and economic analyses, and the development of plans and specifications for acquisition of new plant and equipment; preparation of plans and specifications for major repair efforts; rehabilitation or retrofit of existing resources; planning and execution of scheduled preventative maintenance; and development and monitoring of plant rental rates as necessary to budget plant income and costs.
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Rich Lockwood, operations chief, inspects a propeller from the MV EVANICK. The MV EVANICK underwent major maintenance to prepare it for the 2015 repair season.
The twin screw, 3,000-horsepower, Motor Vessel EVANICK is used for towing and tending the Maintenance Branch Plant Unit of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District on the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers.
Story and photos by Jim Williams and Jeff Hawk 13
District hosts Construction Quality Managment Course By Tammy Myers-Putman Members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Construction Branch conducted the Construction Quality Management Course for Contractors, Feb. 18 – 19. Shawn Soltis and John Pontus instructed 24 students through the two-day course. The course offers students the opportunity to satisfy the CQMC training
requirements specified for contractors to compete for USACE construction contracts. Students must achieve a score of 70 percent or higher to receive the certification which is valid for five years. All of the students in the classed passed the course, and six of them scored 100 percent. The Construction Branch will conduct the next class in October.
Did you know: How much water is in a cubic foot per second? By Mark Keppler, Conemaugh River Lake According to the U.S. Geological Service (USGS) formula, a cubic foot per second (CFS) of water is equal to 7.48 gallons. On March 13, Conemaugh Dam discharged 10,400 CFS which is equal to: • 77,792 gallons a second or enough water to flush a standard toilet 15,558 times • 4,667,520 gallons per minute or enough water to fill 3,218 – 21-foot, round swimming pools • 280,051,200 an hour or enough water to take 3,734,016 – 15-minute showers • Using a 20-ounce glass, it would be filled 4,977,868 times in one second
Berlin Lake, DNR install fish habitats Berlin Lake and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) staff worked side by side, March 11, installing more than 500 pine trees on Berlin’s lake bed in the upper reaches off of Pricetown Road. As spring begins to approach, timeliness is important for the installation of the fish attractors to provide habitat and cover for fish. The team drilled holes into the tree trunks, bound five trees together, hauled them onto the lake bed and attached them to old parking lot bumper blocks. They accomplished their mission just as the lake’s water began to cover the bumper blocks.
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Volunteers install fish habitats at Tygart Lake By Christine Renzoni, Tygart Lake As part of the Tygart Lake’s annual fish attractor project, 20 volunteers braved the singledigit temperatures to improve fish habitats in the lake, Feb. 28. Members from the Boy Scout Troop 14, the West Virginia University Fishing Club, the American Fisheries Society WVU Chapter, and homeowners who live along Tygart Lake came out to support the event. Improvement efforts started in December 2014, when various store managers and the general public were contacted for unwanted tree donations. By the end of the collection period, nearly 300 trees were donated, but getting the trees was only West Virginia University Fishing Club and American Fisheries Society, WVU Chapter place trees at the first step in the project. the Tygart Lake Marina. The bulk of the work came Tygart Lake Marina and the creation the lake rises to its summer level. from placing the trees along of an entirely new attractor that can be Fishermen along the lake report exthe lake’s shoreline and anchoring accessed by the public visiting Tygart cellent success at catching fish by the them so that they do not float away. Dam. It took the volunteers four hours to attractors. Many of the fishing club Shelter for fish is scarce along the place and anchor all of the trees. members expressed excitement at beshorelines of Tygart Lake and these Their efforts resulted in the iming able to test out the new attractors provement of one fish attractor at the trees will quickly draw in fish when in the spring.
Shenango Lake turns the big 5-0 Shenango River Lake is one of 16 flood control projects in the Pittsburgh District. The project provides flood protection for the Shenango River Valley as well as for the Beaver and upper Ohio Rivers. Since its completion in 1965, Shenango has prevented more than $198 million in flood damage. The project has the capability to store the equivalent run-off of 10.5 inches of precipitation from its 589 square mile drainage area.
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River salvage crews work to free barges lodged against a railroad bridge upstream of Braddock locks and dam on the Mon River.
Teamwork averts disaster after barges break away Story and photos by Jeff Hawk, PAO When 17 barges broke free of their moorings on the raging, icefilled Monongahela River, March 4, and lodged against a railroad bridge upstream from Locks and Dam 2 at Braddock, Corps navigation experts began to prepare for the worst. Previous breakaway incidents on the river had led to a loss of pool and severe, debilitating damage to navigation facilities when errant barges struck dams, rendering them partially inoperable. The U.S. Coast Guard led the barge recovery effort and worked with the Corps, the National Weather Service, railroad officials and the navigation industry to monitor the situation and devise a plan. All were concerned that the barges would break loose of the railroad bridge and speed toward the four-gated Braddock Dam, less than a mile downstream. “The best case is that the barges will come in straight on and pass through the open gates,” said Rich Lockwood, Pittsburgh’s operations chief. The worst case breakaway scenario is for the barges to
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collide sideways with the dam piers, he said. In that instance, even 325-ton barges are no match for a raging river, which can potentially curl the empty barges around the pier, preventing the operation of two adjacent gates. Or the barges could collide sideways with the dam’s lift gate bays and become wedged there, also limiting the Corps’ ability to “influence the river,” said Lockwood. But the Corps has standard procedures to minimize the risk of such scenarios, said John Dilla, chief, Locks and Dams Branch. “In general, we posture the gates in a way that funnels the barges to the center of the dam to try to direct them through the dam,” said Dilla. “This involves shutting down the outer most gates and keeping the center gates wide open to create the funnel.” At Braddock, the gates are 110-feet wide, so there is room for them to pass through without touching the dam, Lockwood added. The Corps continued to monitor the situation as a river salvage company waited for improved river conditions to execute the barge recovery plan. On
March 7, as the sun shone on a much calmer river and under the watchful eye of the U.S. Coast Guard, operations began to recover the barges and remove the risk they posed. Later that day, 16 of the 17 barges were returned to their fleeting facilities without incident. “On scene responders have successfully removed all 16 of the floating barges lodged against the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge on the Monongahela River,” reported Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Devin Adams. “One barge remains submerged and is securely lodged against a bridge pier head and is not in the vicinity of the navigable channel, posing no threat to commercial traffic.” At the time of publication, salvage crews were waiting for lower river levels to recover the remaining submerged barge. In a statement to media, Adams expressed appreciation for the successful, coordinated, multi-agency effort. “While incidents will sometimes occur on the waterways, the solid response this week is a testament to the strong working relationship between all parties involved in the Port of Pittsburgh region,” said Adams.
Above, John Dilla, (right), chief, Locks and Dams Branch, and Mark Ivanisin, Ohio River operations supervisor, observe barge recovery operations. Below, Gary Householder, (center), Mon River operations supervisor, and Mark Ivanisin, (right), Ohio River operations supervisor, speak with an unidentified man during barge recovery operations.
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“I was really shocked...”
Lower Mon recovers from ice, mud, debris Story and Photos by Jeff Hawk, PAO
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“I was really shocked by how fast the river came up,” said Lockmaster Paul Meininger, as he stood against a backdrop of mud, ice and debris scattered across Monongahela River Locks and Dam 4 at Charleroi, March 7. Two days prior, Mother Nature was preparing to slam Charleroi and most of the Monongahela River locks. Weather forecasters predicted high water and potential ice jams. Lock operators and mechanics at the Lower Monongahela River locks at Braddock, Elizabeth and Charleroi scrambled to strip lock walls of critical
electrical components and equipment as warming temperatures and precipitation induced a quick thaw of ice and snow. “We didn’t think it was going to give us this much water,” said Meininger. “We had to prepare. Take down all the equipment that could be damaged by the water. It was a labor intensive effort.” The receding water left a jumble of trees, brush, and debris glued to the lock walls by frozen mud. Recovery was slowed by equipment failures due to the extreme temperatures, but lock operators at Charleroi were able to push through the first tow barge about a day after the flood. “We had lots of frozen mud on the
Jay Kochuga, Lock and Dam Mechanic, peers up from the mud-caked middle lockwall utility gallery at Charleroi
walls,” said Lock Operator Alan Nogy. “It was so cold that we could not use the pumps and hoses to clear it off.” Just downriver on March 5, Charlie Weight and his crew prepared for flooding at Locks and Dam 3 at Elizabeth.
“We look at the predictions with the weather conditions and we use those as tool to calculate what we need to remove,” said Weight. Crews move safety equipment, tools, and electronic lock gate components from the middle lock wall – which is the control center for the lock – to higher ground. “If we don’t remove it, we’re at risk of losing major components we need to operate the locks. The 108-year-old lock is the first to go under water during high water on the Mon River and stripping the lock is almost routine. However, recovering from this icy flood was tougher than most. Five feet of water covered the lock walls during high water and then temperatures dipped below freezing again after the river crested. As
water levels dropped, the deposited mud and debris froze inside the utility galleries that run the length of the lock’s middle wall and contain the critical components for operating the locks. Crews worked to chipped out utility galleries and warm components in an attempt to speed the facility’s return to service. “We’re removing the plates and trying to get some sunlight down there to thaw this out,” said Lock Operator Russ Mikach as he yanked a large, square plate off the Chris Povich, Lock Operator, power washes the lock wall to remove mud and debris following the recent high water event. top of a utility canal. “We’re going to push The hard work paid off as naviganavigation on the district’s three rivers. water through to get the “It was hard work but these guys do tion resumed shortly after the flood. mud and ice broken up a little bit and a wonderful job,” said Meininger of his Throughout the winter, lock workers free up the emptying valves so that we crew. battled the extreme elements to ensure can get back into operations,” he added. From left to right, Jason Wiegand, Keith Millstine and Denise Tamulinas had to remove the grates covering the operating machinery so that the ice could be thawed.
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Corps projects prevent $143.9 million in flood damages The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers informed Congress recently that its flood risk management efforts in the Upper Ohio River Basin in fiscal year 2014 prevented an estimated $143.9 million in flood damages. The district operates 16 multi-purpose, flood risk management reservoirs, which prevented $127 million, and oversees 42 local flood protection projects such as channels, floodwalls and levees in the basin. Berlin Lake and Michael J. Kirwan Reservoir in Northwest Ohio greatly contributed to reducing flood waters along the Ohio River during the fiscal year’s heaviest rain Shenango River Lake FY2014 – $8,635,000 Since 1965 - $198,797,000
event in December 2013. During that event, the northern half of the Upper Ohio River basin received two inches of rain over two days, Dec. 21 and 22. Rivers rose sharply, causing a peak event which passed the Point of Pittsburgh on Dec. 23. Flood elevations on the Ohio River were reduced by 4.8 feet at Pittsburgh and 8.2 feet at New Martinsville, West Virginia. Total flood damages prevented by the district’s 16 reservoirs during the December 2013 event are estimated at $69.3 million. Of that total, Berlin Lake and Michael J. Kirwan Reservoir contributed approximately Woodcock Creek Lake FY2014 – $279,000 Since 1973- $34,332,000
$46.3 million in flood damage reduction benefits. The district’s 42 local flood protection projects prevented an estimated $4.1 million in damages during the December 2013 event. Of that total, Johnsonburg, Brookville, Reynoldsville and Buckhannon projects contributed approximately $2.3 million in flood damage reduction benefits. The report states that Pittsburgh District experienced a typical year during fiscal 2014 with 38.9 inches of precipitation compared with an average of 38.2 inches. Annual amounts of flood damages prevented by Pittsburgh District projects
Union City Dam FY2014 – $4,707,000 Since 1971- $88,036,000
Mosquito Creek Lake FY2014 – $9,384,000 Since 1944- $429,207,000
Tionesta Lake FY2014 – $564,000 Since 1940- $571,408,000
Pittsburgh
Mahoning Creek Lake FY2014 – $429,000 Since 1941- $687,435,000 Crooked Creek Lake FY2014 – $224,000 Since 1940- $548,981,000
Pittsburgh District Flood Damages Prevented
Conemaugh RiverLake FY2014 – $1,701,000 Since 1952- $2,229,298,000
FY2014 – $127,555,000 Project Lifetime - $11,266,997,000 Stonewall Jackson Lake FY2014 – $11,475,000 Since 1990- $254,051,000
Kinzua Dam/Allegheny River Reservoir FY2014 – $2,026,000 Since 1965- $1,269,414,000 East Branch Clarion River Lake FY2014 – $93,000 Since 1952- $91,209,000
Michael J. Kirwan Lake FY2014 – $23,395,000 Since 1944- $787,843,000 Berlin Lake FY2014 – $59,306,000 Since 1943- $1,778,522,000
have varied over the past 10 years from $22.8 million in fiscal 2006 to $794 million in fiscal 2011. Pittsburgh District’s 26,000 square miles include portions of western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, eastern Ohio, western Maryland and southwestern New York. Our jurisdiction includes more than 328 miles of navigable waterways, 23 navigation locks and dams, 16 multi-purpose flood risk management reservoirs, 42 local flood protection projects and other projects to protect and enhance the nation’s water resources infrastructure and environment.
Loyalhanna Lake FY2014 – $390,000 Since 1951- $530,150,000 Tygart Lake FY2014 – $1,956,000 Since 1938- $1,192,360,000
Youghiogheny River Lake FY2014 – $2,991,000 Since 1943- $575,954,000
reservoir information visit: wmw.lrp.usace.army.mil/current/forecast.html District ReservoirsFor prevented more pool than $127 million in flood damages in FY14
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