Upper Diversion Weir & Bridge Completion
The Upper Diversion Weir and Bridge project took about a year to complete, wrapping up summer 2008. This project included a bypass channel, which will be used in the future to divert flows during maintenance and upcoming construction projects downstream.
Challenges facing this project included the hard-packed caliche soil which made excavation more difficult. During an inspection of the bridge supports, gaps in the concrete were found 27 feet below ground. Cross-hole sonic logging technology enabled this find and helped in forming a strategy to correct it. Aside from these hurdles construction progressed without incident.
The eastern section of the bridge over the newly diverted bypass channel.
Because of its location, Upper Diversion Weir will help eliminate about 50 percent of the headcut moving upstream near the site. The bypass channel will also help to reduce flooding at the Nature Preserve in The Clark County Wetlands Park during storm events. Several acres of wetlands will be created behind the weir, adding much needed habitat for wildlife in the area. In the future, the bridge will serve as a link, connecting visitors from the Nature Preserve to Sunrise Mountain Trailhead.