Ames Construction Inc has won a $41.2 million contract from the US Bureau of Reclamation for repairs at Glen Elder Dam in north central Kansas, with work set to begin in early 2022.
The aging infrastructure requires high-quality concrete replacement to repair the spillway chute floor. Repairs will ensure continued operation and protection for residents downstream of the dam.
“Glen Elder Dam is critical to protecting the way of life in the surrounding communities,” Nebraska-Kansas Area Manager Aaron Thompson said. “The main purpose of the dam is flood control; we want to continue to safeguard these communities from potential disaster from Solomon River flooding for years to come.”
Glen Elder Dam was approved under the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program to support flood control and irrigation efforts. Construction of the dam began in 1963, following devastating floods of 1951 that killed 17 people, exceeded $935 million in damages, and displaced more than half a million residents in Kansas and Missouri.
Repairs are scheduled to be completed within three years.
