Colorado River Connectivity Channel Project: Challenges Faced in Design and Construction of the Reconfigured Windy Gap Dam

Windy Gap Dam and Reservoir, with their pre-modification layout and operation, impeded aquatic organism passage and sediment transport in the Colorado River, disrupting the natural ecological processes in the river. The Colorado River Connectivity Channel (CRCC) Project included the investigation, analyses and design of a reconfigured dam and reservoir allowing construction of a new channel and floodplain to provide habitat continuity adjacent to Windy Gap Reservoir that promotes natural geomorphic and ecological river processes. Approximately 900 feet of the existing embankment dam is retained as part of the CRCC Project. A new southern (i.e., east-west aligned) dam was constructed approximately 850 feet north of the previous east-west embankment and tied into the existing north-south aligned embankment to form the reconfigured Windy Gap Reservoir. A series of challenges were encountered during analysis, design, and construction of the reconfigured dam. This paper will provide a discussion of methodologies implemented to resolve the challenges faced during design and construction of the reconfigured Windy Gap Dam and Reservoir.