MARCH 6, 1998 MEMBERSHIP MEETING

"WESLEY E. SEALE DAM FIELD TRIP"

Field Trip Summary:

On Friday, March 6, 1998, the Corpus Christi Branch of ASCE took a Field Trip to the Wesley E. Seale Dam. About 20 members and guests attended. The following is a description of what went on at the field trip. You will also find numerous photographs that show the various areas of the dam that where visited. Click on the thumbnails to see the photos.

Wesley E. Seale Dam Background Information

Field Trip Photo Gallery

The south spillway is seen in the background from downstream on the Nueces River. Water flows down the river to the intake of the O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant and beyond into Nueces Bay.

City Water Superintendent Ed Garana (left) gives a presentation on the history of the dams at this location while Dr. Ron Waters with Freese & Nichols looks on. He explained that La Fruta / Corpus Christi Dam was originally built in 1929. It is just upstream and under water and was replaced by Wesley Seale Dam in 1958. Mr. Garana also told of major repairs done after a winter storm damaged the structure in the early 1960s, and the recent rehabilitation of all 60 crest gates.

Dr. Ron Waters (left) with Freese & Nichols of Ft. Worth showed a series of boards before leading the group to the field. He detailed the conditions which had been found that led to an extensive investigation into possible movement of the structure. Freese & Nichols has been hired by the City to design a solution to stabilize the dam and stop its movement.

A plaque mounted on the wall of the outlet tower commemorates the names of those who participated in the planning and construction of Wesley Seale Dam during the 1950s.

A view from the top of the outlet tower, looking down on the south spillway walkway, crest gates, and diffuser beams which dissipate energy from water released over the gates.

A view of the training wall area below the outlet tower where normal daily flows are released through a 48 inch Howell-Bunger cylinder valve.

City employees Bill Green (center) and Lou Hilzinqer (left) visited with some of the ASCE members near the control building on the outlet tower.

City employees Bill Green (center) and Lou Hilzinqer (left) offered details on the operation and maintenance of Wesley Seale Dam.

Members of ASCE stood on the deck of the outlet tower and listened to a narrative on the extensive renovation work recently completed on the dam.

City employee Lou Hilzinger (right) stands by the operating valve for one of the sluice gates on the upstream side of the outlet tower and tells how all the valve stems were replaced during the recent rehabilitation project.

The tour included a look inside the control room where operations at the dam and conditions in the watershed are monitored by the City of Corpus Christi around the clock.

City Water Superintendent Ed Garana (left) shows how the City employees in the control room can monitor rainfall events in the watershed and inflows into the reservoir.

ASCE Corpus Christi Branch members gathered behind the north spillway where a heaved condition exists in the hearth. The City of Corpus Christi had a number of displays set up to explain the ongoing engineering investigations into suspected movement of the dam.

A City of Corpus Christi employee shows ASCE members how he and his co-workers take readings on the extensometers which were installed in several locations. These instruments can detect very small amounts of movement.

Members looked behind the north spillway. One of the design methods being considered to halt movement of the dam is to fill these areas with concrete. The other method under consideration is the installation of anchors

The north spillway basin where a heaved condition was first noticed and gave concern that there may be some problems with the dam.

A view from the north spillway basin. The back side of the dam can be seen in the background, a buttress can be seen on the right, and diffuser beams can be seen overhead.

A City employee shows the access point where he and his co-workers check an extensometer to see if any movement is occurring.

ASCE Corpus Christi Branch members gathered behind the north spillway where a heaved condition exists in the hearth. The City of Corpus Christi had a number of displays set up to explain the ongoing engineering investigations into suspected movement of the dam.

The south spillway. Normal daily flows maintain a water depth of approximately 6 ft. in its basin.

The south spillway hearth with some temporary fill over the relief well lines which permitted movement of equipment during the engineering investigation of the apparent movement of the dam.

City employee Lou Hilzinger explains the ongoing monitoring of instrumentation which was installed to determine if movement of the dam still continues.

Branch members stood atop the south basin wall to observe some of the clues engineers noticed on the structure and were cause for concern that the dam may be sliding.

Misalignment observed in a keyed joint in the south spillway basin wall indicates that movement of the structure has apparently taken place some time in the past.

The south spillway is seen in the background from downstream on the Nueces River. Water flows down the river to the intake of the O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant and beyond into Nueces Bay.

Branch members gathered for a photo on the banks of the Nueces River downstream from Wesley Seale Dam.