Wichita City Council members have given unanimous approval to a project to make needed repairs to the dam at Cheney Reservoir.
The dam, constructed in 1961, has had significant erosion and decay and the last repairs were done in 2000. The water level at the reservoir has been down because of the ongoing drought, and Public Works Director Gary Janzen said this will be a good time to get repairs made.
The repairs will be done in a stair-step fashion, with the lowest step to be repaired first. That will provide a base for future repairs, extending the life of the soil-cement portion of the dam and protecting its inner core.
The total cost of construction will be $13.8 million, and Janzen said the plan is to have a firm chosen within the next 60 days. He said the work will be done on as short a schedule as possible to get the work done, and the contract will provide for options to continue the project in case there is a rain event that causes the reservoir level to rise.
[ photo: City of Wichita ]
