Lake Townsend Dam

Greensboro, North Carolina

This $14.9M High Hazard Dam project for the City of Greensboro is comprised of a new Labyrinth Spillway and partial demolition of the existing dam. Site excavation required extensive dewatering due to the proximity of the existing dam and the need for the dam to remain functional during the construction of the new spillway. The dewatering was installed in stages as the excavation progressed, and ground water levels were monitored daily at crucial times of the project with vibrating wire piezometers.

After the new construction was completed, portions of the existing dam and pump station were demolished. Demolition of the existing dam required divers to work at depths of up to 30 ft. Thousands of pounds of reinforcing steel had to be cut underwater and retrieved to the surface for disposal to eliminate hazards for recreational swimmers and divers. This project earned Schnabel Engineering and City of Greensboro the ASDSO Project of the year 2012.