Marine Equipment Solutions (MES) recently supported J.F. Brennan Company (Brennan) on a spillway gate and trash rack rehabilitation project at Blackburn Crossing Dam on Lake Palestine, Texas. Working for the Upper Neches River Municipal Water Authority, JF Brennan was tasked with updating components of the dam’s control structure, originally built in the 1960s. After decades of service, the original cast iron gates and trash racks had reached a point where replacement with modern stainless-steel components was planned.
The project was completed in two phases. Phase one included installing a downstream cofferdam to dewater the discharge tunnel for concrete joint repairs while maintaining makeup water downstream 24/7 for three weeks. Phase two focused on replacing the original cast iron gates with new stainless-steel gates and trash racks within a two-month timeline. MES supplied barges, hydraulic winches, fairleads, and sheaves to provide a stable work platform and reliable mooring system throughout the project.
The equipment proved especially valuable when crews encountered winds reaching 40 to 45 mph. As the project team noted, “The mooring system and equipment were top of the line. The setup of the barge platform with the mooring setup made it incredibly safe and successful. There was no movement of the platform while working, even in 40 to 45 mile-an-hour winds.”