Inflatable Dams

[Stone]

   

http://m.tulsaworld.com/newshomepage2/inflatable-dams-tapped-for-arkansas-river/article_5bd44f39-4962-504f-bb13-f5890f8a166e.html?mode=jqm

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Somebody needs to inform Bynum and Flemming that inflatable bladder dams can and do burst like a balloon.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/Rubberized-dam-breaks-at-Tempe-Town-Lake-98917614.html

[Vision 2025]

The dams are not inflatable.  The dam structure will be concrete, the gates are made of curved Stainless Steel panels and are raised/lowered by adjusting the air pressure (low) in the lift bladders which are located on the downstream side of each individual gate which are a combination of full height (river bed to crest) or crest gates which are located along the top of fixed sections).  Overall the bladders are quite tough (1-inch think, Kevlar and various rubber compounds).  These are the very best type of gate for a river installation as they essentially lay flat when down (covering the bladder) to allow debris and sand passage.  Also, in the event of vandalism they are easily patched and the air supply can easily overcome leaks.  

Obermeyer pneumatic gates have been extensively utilized in river systems and have been proposed choice for the Arkansas River Low Water Dams for several years

If you want to see more http://www.obermeyerhydro.com/SpillwayGates

[Vision 2025]

Somebody needs to inform Bynum and Flemming that inflatable bladder dams can and do burst like a balloon.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/Rubberized-dam-breaks-at-Tempe-Town-Lake-98917614.html

This style of dam was NEVER considered for the Arkansas in any of the current planning.  Several years ago we visited Tempe Town Lake specifically to see that structure and meet with the operators.  It was obvious that style was not a fit for the Arkansas.

[AquaMan]

The Tempe bladder was 16 ft tall and was scheduled for replacing soon. It looks like the ones planned for the Arkansas are 3 feet tall and will be brand new. Not a good comparison I think.

These bladders are similar in operation to the lifts on tractor trailers, buses and other commercial vehicles. They withstand tremendous abuse and when the do fail are not only replaceable but merely put you in a default condition of what the river would have handled in the first place.

One of the better ideas floated for impounding the Arkansas, though for the life of me I can't figure out why it needs to be done to the entire river width.

Or...what he said above^

[Breadburner]

Those look nice....!!

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Thanks for the education, makes sense.

[guido911]

It at least sounds like the wheels are turning on some solutions for the river.

[SXSW]

Is it still the plan to build a larger dam near Sand Springs that would better regulate the water flow downstream, and then possibly these inflatable types in Jenks and Bixby?  What about Zink Dam, would it be retrofitted to be of this type too?

Something with a pedestrian bridge on top like the Big Dam Bridge in Little Rock would be cool

[sgrizzle]

Is it still the plan to build a larger dam near Sand Springs that would better regulate the water flow downstream, and then possibly these inflatable types in Jenks and Bixby?  What about Zink Dam, would it be retrofitted to be of this type too?

See original post, this would be used at all sites including zink dam

[Vision 2025]

Is it still the plan to build a larger dam near Sand Springs that would better regulate the water flow downstream, and then possibly these inflatable types in Jenks and Bixby?  What about Zink Dam, would it be retrofitted to be of this type too?

Something with a pedestrian bridge on top like the Big Dam Bridge in Little Rock would be cool

Similar but different...in short a much less complex dam/gate structure, there will be ped/maintenance bridges at the new structures combined with the dams and oh and no barge traffic!

Sand Springs would be of the same base design and general gate configuration, just taller than those downstream so that it can provice more storage for utilization in a re-regulated release methodology.

[DowntownDan]

Whatever it takes to get it done.  If the engineers are good with it, I'm good with it.

[heironymouspasparagus]

So the goal is just to get several miniature Keystone Lakes in a line from Sand Springs to Tulsa....?

Since we are in what appears to be developing into long term drought, do we know if the Corps of Engineers will work with the cities along the way to release enough water to keep them all full?

[Vision 2025]

So the goal is just to get several miniature Keystone Lakes in a line from Sand Springs to Tulsa....?

Since we are in what appears to be developing into long term drought, do we know if the Corps of Engineers will work with the cities along the way to release enough water to keep them all full?

Yes, the plan for many years has been a series of small lakes. 

As for water releases from Keystone there are many needs to release water and the project is intended to function with those releases that regularly happen, even in the past two years of low flows.  That said but if the entire river system dries up and they dry up the navigation channel and make no water quality releases for wastewater treatment plant flows or to generate electricity at the dam or from any of the downstream power plants that pick up river water for cooling then the proposed lakes will be just as dry as everything else. 

[Conan71]

Yes, the plan for many years has been a series of small lakes. 

As for water releases from Keystone there are many needs to release water and the project is intended to function with those releases that regularly happen, even in the past two years of low flows.  That said but if the entire river system dries up and they dry up the navigation channel and make no water quality releases for wastewater treatment plant flows or to generate electricity at the dam or from any of the downstream power plants that pick up river water for cooling then the proposed lakes will be just as dry as everything else. 

When the lakes are dry, maybe we could use the inflatable dams for catapults.