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U.S. Army Dive Team Completes Repairs at Corps’ Narrows Dam

Published April 4, 2014
PHOTO: SGT Bryan Crowley, standing left, gives instructions to divers seated left to right, SGT Scott Wilson and PFC Kiley Bannan, while other dive team members look on, left to right, PFC Jesse Moore, SFC Blanchard Woodcox, and PFC Jordan Ramirez.

PHOTO: SGT Bryan Crowley, standing left, gives instructions to divers seated left to right, SGT Scott Wilson and PFC Kiley Bannan, while other dive team members look on, left to right, PFC Jesse Moore, SFC Blanchard Woodcox, and PFC Jordan Ramirez.

U.S. Army Dive Team Completes Repairs at Corps’ Narrows Dam

Vicksburg, Miss… The 569th Engineer Detachment (Dive), 30th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade of Ft. Eustis, Virginia, completed repairs earlier this week at Narrows Dam at Lake Greeson in Murfreesboro, Arkansas.

Narrows Dam at Lake Greeson has three generators whose intakes are protected by metal trash racks. A trash rack broke loose and slipped to the bottom of the dam, estimated to have fallen about 160 feet. An inspection of the racks indicated that the cause of the breakage was metal deterioration of the guides that hold the racks in place. Due to the missing trash rack, only one of the three generators could operate. The dam could not meet full power generation requirements until repairs were completed.

The repair work was planned to be a 21-day mission but, the dive team completed the repair work in 10 days. The team, composed of 17 divers whose diving experience ranges from 18 years to three months, spent more than 22 hours of dive time during the 23 dives. They worked in shifts for about seven hours per day. Narrows Dam became available for full power generation Wednesday, April 2.

“Jobs like this are a great opportunity for our Soldiers to put some of their skills to use. It is also a great opportunity for some of the newer divers to gain experience using the tools they have been trained on,” stated Cpt. Daniel Arnold, Commander of the 569th Detachment. Utilizing the U.S. Army Dive Team produced an estimated $130,000K in savings to the project, not including savings to Southwest Power of Arkansas consumers by bringing the plant back online by mid April.

Narrows Dam was authorized as a flood control and hydroelectric power project by the Flood Control Act of 1941. At the peak of all generators, the dam can generate 27,000 kwh, and can support 21,825 homes. The dam is a feature of the comprehensive plan for the Ouachita River Basin. It impounds the waters of the Little Missouri River to form the 7,000-acre Lake Greeson, a prime recreational lake.

The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District has released a FREE app for your cell phone or tablet. The app is a great source for learning about the services offered by the District. Download the FREE app from your app store on ITunes, the Google Play store or Amazon's App store. 


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Contact
Greg Raimondo
601-631-5053
gregory.c.raimondo@usace.army.mil

Release no. 14-029