When complete, the $209-million, multi-phase, dam safety project currently underway at Canton Lake will span over a decade of study, design, and construction. It is the second largest civil works project ever undertaken by Tulsa District.
Its purpose is to construct an auxiliary, fuse-gated channel capable of passing the Probable Maximum Flood. The fuse gates are 53 feet wide, 21 feet deep, and 32 feet tall -- making them the tallest gates of this type in North America. The project also includes a wet well water intake structure which is composed of nine separate intake pipes whose heights are specifically adjusted to activate the fuse gates based on the probable maximum flood hydrograph. The project includes an intake conduit, upstream and downstream concrete aprons, and shoring of the existing diaphragm walls. The final phase of the project includes extending the diaphragm wall to tie in to the existing spillway approach wall, removing the remaining soil in the channel, and reconfiguring impacted recreation areas.
To date, work has included the anchoring of the existing spillway; relocation of State Highway 58A; installation of a bentonite slurry wall; awarding the phase 1 auxiliary channel excavation contract which included 1,465 linear feet of diaphragm walls, a 63-foot deep cutoff wall, as well as the excavation, transport, and placement of approximately 1,500,000 cubic yards of material; and construction of a 11,000 linear-foot toe drain system. The most recent contract completion was the 500-foot highway bridge over the new auxiliary channel excavation. Contracts totaling over $50 million have been awarded and completed on schedule and within budget.
Canton dam is located on the North Canadian River, about two miles north of Canton, Okla., and about 75 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. The existing structure is a 15,140-foot-long, rolled, earth–filled embankment with a 640-foot gated concrete