St. Francis Lake project a success

Published Feb. 5, 2020
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IN THE PHOTO, Chase Kestner, USACE; Jonathon Delp, USACE; Jessica Holman, Arkansas Game and Fish; Chris Durbin, DW Mertzke; Gary Billingsley, USACE; Jake Eiler, Capital Construction; John Sherman, USACE; Jon Korneliussen, USACE; J. R. Holloway, USACE; Kyle Wheeler, USACE. (Photo by Loy Hamilton, USACE)

If anyone ever hoped for a success story involving scour repair, the St. Francis Lake Control Structure Scour Protection project is it.

 

Not only was this Memphis District project completed ahead of schedule and under budget, but it also came complete without any safety incidents in all the 800.5 hours spent working.

 

“The purpose of this project was to repair scours that formed around the closure structure,” said Jonathon Delp, Wynn Area Office. “Repairs consisted of stone repairs in the vicinity of the 2017 stone closure structure that helps maintain authorized water surface elevations of the St. Francis Lake.”

 

Contractor Chris Durbin, John Sherman, Quality Assurance, and Delp all worked very closely with local Arkansas Game and Fish partner Jessica Holman to get the work done without interfering with wildlife and hunters.

 

“Their coordination included managing the water level in the St. Francis Lake to a low enough level to allow work to proceed while also maintaining adequate water levels for waterfowl habitat and access for hunters,” added Delp.

 

Finally, contractors also worked with Doyle Hillis of Drainage District 7 to activate the Marked Tree Siphons, which discharged high water flows after the area endured several large rain events.

 

Members of the Memphis District Engineering and Construction Team, the Wynne Area Office, Contractors DW Mertzke and Capital Construction, and Project Partner Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, all worked together as a team to ensure this project was such a success.