Kathryn Dam was an aging low-head concrete dam located on the Sheyenne River in Kathryn, North Dakota. The Barnes County Water Resource District was looking for options to remediate structural concerns and also eliminate the dangerous hydraulic roller that existed below the dam.
The district hired Barr as a subconsultant to its primary engineering consultant, Moore Engineering, Inc., to evaluate alternatives to repair, remove, or replace the dam. The project began with a feasibility study to analyze three alternatives: complete removal of the dam, replacement of the dam with rock-arch rapids, or placement of a rock wedge beneath the dam to mitigate dangerous recirculating currents below the dam. The district decided to replace the dam with rock-arch rapids.
Barr, in consultation with Moore, completed permitting, hydraulic modeling, final design, and preparation of construction documents for the rock-arch-rapids dam replacement. The project was constructed in winter 2020-2021; Barr provided periodic on-site construction support and assisted Moore with administering the project, which was partially funded through the North Dakota State Water Commission’s cost-share program.
The completed project eliminates the dangerous hydraulic roller beneath the dam, minimizes the need for future maintenance, mitigates erosion concerns on the banks downstream of the dam, offers fish passage through the structure, and provides recreational features for paddlers and anglers on the river.
