Tabor Dam was built by the USBR in 1917 and provides critical irrigation storage for farmers in the valley. The upstream 516 feet of the outlet tunnel was in need of rehabilitation due to the development of voids adjacent to the tunnel and within the earthen embankment. DJ&A provided construction management and QA services for this $1.4M rehabilitation on behalf of the Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) and in close coordination with the US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and the Flathead Irrigation Project.

Construction tasks included: pumping to lower the reservoir; drilling grout rings; backfill-grouting the voids outside the upstream lining; and drilling and pressure grouting holes into the earthen embankment.  DJ&A deployed 3 different Construction Managers (CM) during the project, including staffing the project on a 24/7 basis during accelerated construction.

Construction was completed during the winter to avoid impacts to irrigation needs during the agricultural growing season, with outside temperatures dropping as low as -39 degrees Fahrenheit during the construction period.

Key Services

  • 24/7 construction management
  • Establishment of a remote office
  • Coordination of weekly construction meetings and teleconferences
  • Submittal management
  • Coordination of consultant duties (ie: materials testing)
  • Construction documentation
  • Coordination of inspection activities with the US Bureau of Reclamation Chief Inspector

Value Provided

This project demonstrates DJ&A’s ability to provide specialized construction management services in remote and complicated project sites. DJ&A CMs required confined-space training, CPR, First Aid training, as well as appropriate on-site training for emergency extraction, air monitors and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The location required DJ&A to set up a remote office and communications hub, including cell-based WIFI to enable timely communications and teleconferenced project meetings.