Upon completion of the onsite restoration of the north embankment, excavating equipment was moved to the south shore of the dam. Access was obtained through an easement on a road maintained by the Upper Saranac Foundation that crosses Private and State lands.
Excavation of the embankment revealed the top of south cut-off wall. Several test pits around the wall were dug to determine the integrity of the wall and to determine if leakage was occurring. The test pits showed little water penetrating the wall and to be in better condition than the north cut-off wall. Unlike the north embankment, this wall had extensive rock supporting the full depth on both sides of the wall. Additional stone was used to further reinforce the south embankment. It was determined by our Engineer that Phase 3, further work on the south embankment, should be limited to monitoring for any settling of stone at this time.
A final on-site project walk-through was conducted with the Contractor, Engineer and Lake Manager. The conclusion of on-site work was accepted and approved. The Foundation’s Engineer, John Carr of Blue Mountain Engineering, will be submitting a signed and stamped summary of the work completed, and an as-built report to the Foundation and permitting agencies.
The Foundation will continue to work with our Engineer on routine maintenance. This includes conducting routine safety inspections, updating our Emergency Action Plan and obtaining our annual NYSDEC certification. We keep detailed engineering records, maintenance accounts and inspection reports. In addition, we are currently working on an Engineering Assessment Report. This report, submitted to the DEC every 10 years, is a thorough analysis and evaluation of the overall safety of the Dam.
The Upper Saranac Foundation understands the importance of maintaining the Dam, and has made a commitment to the Lake Community to assure Lake levels are maintained now, and for future generations.
