Black & Veatch has been appointed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as engineer of record responsible for the design and quality assurance of a project to remediate the Boone Dam to repair seepage through the dam’s foundation.

Built in the early 1950s on the original channel of the South Holston River, the Boone Dam provides hydroelectric power, water supply and flood control for the region.

TVA has a robust Dam Safety Program with comprehensive inspections, monitoring and regular “health checks” to thoroughly analyze conditions at all of its dams. In 2014, TVA employees trained to identify safety issues as part of the overall Dam Safety Program discovered a network of seepage pathways through the dam’s foundation.

 The Authority  has lowered water elevation at the reservoir while seepage mitigation measures are designed and implemented. The dam and surrounding structures are continuously monitored so that any potential issues or changes in their condition can be identified in their earliest stages.

Due to the impact on the region due to lower water elevation, TVA has fast-tracked the multi-year project and construction work has already begun.  The reservoir is expected to return to normal operation in five to seven years.

 Cindy Wallis-Lage, President of Black & Veatch’s water business said the firm had a long history of effectively completing fast-track projects. The company has been responsible for the analysis, design or construction of more than 1,500 dams in 20 countries. Black & Veatch worked recently on the McCook and Thornton Reservoir projects in the Chicago area involving grout curtains up to 400 feet deep.

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