Dam Work Continues as Sediment Removal Phase Begins

SAN BERNARDINO>> The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved a contract Aug. 23 with Earth Construction and Mining signaling the start of the next phase of repairs for the Lake Gregory dam. Sediment removal from lake areas including the main channel, the south parking lot, and the south basin in front of the San Moritz Lodge is the focus of this newest phase, set to begin late September, pending permit approvals from multiple regulatory agencies. Sediment removal is expected to take three months, during which time the material will be drained and dried, taking advantage of the area close to the lake to allow the water to percolate through the soil and back into the lake. The dried material will be placed on Lake Gregory’s ballfields at the east end of the lake and may remain there for up to 18 months. The ballfields were chosen as the temporary storage site because they are large enough, flat and in close proximity to construction activities, making them a prime location for storage and maintenance of the material. The location will also minimize impacts to the community by reducing the length of trips made by large trucks during hauling. The estimated 32,000 cubic yards of sediment removed from the basins and lake bed, which is about 3,200 commercial dump truck loads or enough to cover the two-acre ballfields 10 feet high, will be conditioned and eventually added as buttress material. While at the ballfields, the stockpile will be graded, shaped and colored to maintain visual aesthetics for the public and will be watered to control dust. Once the project is completed, the area used for stockpiling will be returned to a usable condition.