Work on the Turtle Dam?

[FlambeauFisher]

I was up last weekend and noticed erosion protection on the dyke south of the Turtle Dam. Anyone know what's going on?

Rich P

[Flambeau Vista Retreat LLC]

The dike is being built up and enforced to withstand the 1000 year flood. For more info, contact Chris Niehaus, WDNR Property Manager of the TFF, at 715.476.7846 or christinea.niehaus@wi.gov

[MuskieRandy]

Isn't this just to improve and strengthen the dyke? Would they ever allow the TFF to go much above full pool? Is the dam itself capable of holding water above full pool? Looking at it, the metal gate's top appears to be at full pool, however, it looks like the top can be raised, so does this imply that if there was too much outflow that was causing trouble downstream they would consider going above 1572?

[Flambeau Vista Retreat LLC]

MuskieRandy,

These are all good questions, but best directed to Chris Niehaus at the email address below.

[BlueRanger]

Randy, it's a Tainter gate dam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tainter_gate). Raising the gates opens them and the water flows under the gates. One benefit of this design is that it discharges cooler water downstream.

[MuskieRandy]

17750
I've been on the downstream side of the dam a number of times, and all the flow I saw came out of a 3 foot diameter pipe, down at the bottom of the dam. I think they use the pipe under normal flow conditions, and maybe the tainter gate is raised under very high flow conditions?? In this case the water flows out the bottom under the gate, and the top of the gate is then going above full pool. I would guess that if the flowage got too high and there was too much flow, that the gate would have to be raised higher, but probably the upper lip would always be above the water line. The more it's raised, the higher the top lip goes, but the greater the outflow. So I suspect it's kinda got a built in limit as to how much it can hold back.

When I see the pipe being used for outflow, it appears the top of the gate is about at full pool.

I can't imagine the outflow being so high that they would "punt" and allow the flowage to go way over full pool, but, who knows?

I think dikes can fail, even if the water level does not go over the top. The water pressure can form an internal water tunnel, that has water flowing throught it, and eventually this can turn into a bigger "tunnel" and then create real problems. The dike has to be made out of the correct materials to prevent this from happening. Maybe this reconstruction is to just beef the dike up somehow. Do a seach on wikipedia on "levee" for more info.

[George G]

Shane at the Midway is the person who alters the flow of the water at the dam on a weekly basis or more or less according to those that tell him what to do. He would also be familiar with what is going on at the dam. Interesting to say the least . When the most recent people that manage the dam took over they then changed the out flow from the gates to the tube. This changed the fish habits also at the dam. Klaus's favorite tie up to the dam no longer is a good location. And the catch their now tends to be smaller fish than before. Things change. The dam still does what it is suppose to do. :o