Missouri River Dams Receive Repairs Following Flood

Repairs to six of the dams along the Missouri River are well underway following the 2011 flood. Between the six dams, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers identified more than 100 rehabilitation projects totaling more than $230 million. Among the four dams found along the river in South Dakota, minor repairs are expected to be completed this summer, while some of the larger projects won’t be done until summer 2015. Dave Becker is the operations project manager at Gavins Point Dam. He says most of the repairs at the dam are on schedule but some have been pushed back due to winter weather. Becker says the repairs are corrective and preventative measures.
 
“The 2011 flood is really what caused a lot of this damage, but also we want to get everything really fixed up so it’s in good shape to handle the events of the next 50 years. It was considered a 500-year flood and it was by far the largest event we ever had on the Missouri River here so the repairs really need to be taken care of so we’re ready for the next 50 years,” Becker says.
 
Becker says the Corps does routine inspections of all dams along the river and their biggest concern is making sure the dams are safe. He says he wasn’t dissatisfied with how the flood protection system handled the 2011 flood, and he hopes it continues to perform well in the future.