Alameda County Water District
Rubber Dam No. 1 and Fishway

The $41 million project consisted of three projects combined into one.

• Rubber Dam No. 1 Bladder Dam/Drop Structure Fishway consisted of the removal, storage, modification, and reinstallation of the ~80,000lbs, ~380 LF dam’s bladder; the placement of new bladder dam rubber underlayment/abrasion sheeting; repairs, modifications and expansion to the dam’s foundation including underdrains. The new ~625 LF concrete Fishway structure included a complex system to assist with upwardly migrating fish, auxiliary piping, and utility relocation.
• The Shinn Pond Fish Screens consisted of construction of a new Outlet/Inlet structure with a new two-story metering vault and six fish screens. This included new 60-, 48-, 36- and 24-inch epoxy coated steel conveyance piping, and new instrumentation and controls.
• Rubber Dam No. 1 Control Building Modifications consisted of complete removal and upgrade replacement of fill and drain piping, and all new controls (MCC, PLC, Switchgear) and electrification, and a new pressure relief structure.

Project duration was 1,070 calendar days with critical seasonal shutdowns and project completion date. ACWD receives over 40% of its water through impoundment of the Dam which required critical elements be completed and in place in order to meet the water demands to ACWD’s customers. Project was also constructed under UPRR and BART overpasses. The project included coordination with multiple agencies due to their jurisdiction such as Division of Safety and Dams, US Army Corp of Engineers, RQWCB, CDFW, BART and UPRR (as the project was constructed under UPRR and BART overpasses), Alameda County Public Water Agency, California Coastal Conservancy, East Bay Regional Park District, and NOAA Fisheries.

The projects encountered various challenges such as the Dam repair and modification parts that were internationally produced and shipped. Due to COVID-related restrictions and supply chain issues it was all hands-on-deck as the Team quickly looked at all scheduling options to ensure timely completion.