Construction on dam has halted for season

Construction work was halted for the season on Libby’s project to replace the Flower Creek Dam, the city’s 56-year old structure.

The replacement dam was approved in March by Libby’ City Council to replace the current aging one.

Morrison Maierle Inc., the Kalispell engineering firm assisting the city with the project, had handed off most of the winter’s work to subcontractors.

Rizzo, the structural designer firm from Pennsylvania, is heading up the design phase of the dam.

“The project is under design,” said Ryan Jones, an engineer from Morrison Maierle Inc. “We hope to move forward with construction late summer of 2013.”

Geo-technical work and core sampling, to determine the exact site of the proposed dam and its viability, had already been complete by the engineering firm.

After the design phase is complete, Jones said his firm looks to move forward as quickly as it can.

Jim Hammons, city administrator, said the dam would move in two phases after design work.

“The first phase would be dirt work on the canyon wall,” Hammons said. “There isn’t any progress at the site right now though, it has slowed down.”

The dam is part of a $12.3 million project to improve the dam and water-distribution system improvements the city council approved in spring of 2012.

Kootenai Surveyors is also assisting on the project.