↖Aerial view Spruce Run Dam
Project Overview
Introduction to Spruce Run Reservoir:
The Spruce Run Reservoir is an 11-billion-gallon on-stream water storage facility located in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The reservoir is part of the Authority’s Raritan Basin System, and provides stream flow regulation, recreation, and raw water supply for residents of central New Jersey. The Spruce Run Reservoir is impounded by the Spruce Run Dam and two smaller dikes. The main dam is about 5,950 feet long, with a maximum height of approximately 90 feet, and it spans three municipalities: the Town of Clinton, Clinton Township, and Union Township. History/Project Background: The Authority was created in 1981 by the New Jersey Water Supply Act. The Authority’s mission is to operate, maintain, and preserve water supply facilities including the Spruce Run, Round Valley, and Manasquan Reservoirs and the D&R Canal in order to ensure a dependable supply of water for central New Jersey residents. In addition to performing routine maintenance, Authority staff inspect and monitor the facilities on a daily basis to identify and undertake any remedial work or supplemental investigations necessary to ensure their continued integrity. In 2014, the Authority convened a Technical Review Board (TRB) comprised of three internationally recognized experts in the field of dam engineering: Mr. David Paul, Dr. Donald Bruce, and Mr. Trent Dreese. The TRB was tasked with evaluating the Spruce Run and Round Valley Reservoir Dams in consideration of all available information, including previous inspection reports, instrumentation data, stability and seepage analyses, geologic and seismic information, construction history, and surveillance data. Since 2014, the ongoing studies and analyses of the TRB have informed the Authority’s various approaches to improving dam safety at the two reservoirs. The Spruce Run Reservoir first became operational in 1963, after construction of the Spruce Run Dam at the former confluence of the Spruce Run and Mulhockaway Creek. The dam’s original design included construction of a cement grout cut-off (grout curtain) approximately 100 feet deep into the bedrock along the dam’s entire centerline alignment. By filling as much bedrock void space as possible, this grout curtain was intended to add strength to the dam’s foundation and minimize seepage below the constructed earthen dam. The effectiveness of grouting often slowly degrades over time, especially due to the increase in seepage caused by the impoundment of water due to construction of the dam. The original grouting was largely effective in blocking seepage paths in the limestone foundation, but new paths can form, and any remaining seepage paths can increase over time, especially since the rock formation below Spruce Run Dam is prone to dissolution, increasing the size of the openings in the rock through which seepage flows. The original grout curtain is now nearly 60 years old, and a new grouting program is required to improve the original grout curtain. Modern grouting techniques, materials, and equipment have advanced significantly since the original construction and are expected to significantly improve the grout curtain’s effectiveness. Previous reports and recommendations from the TRB have led the Authority to pursue the current timeline for remedial grouting at the Spruce Run Dam. Project Scope/Status: In December 2022, the Authority retained the professional engineering services of Schnabel Engineering to act as the Engineer of Record for the Spruce Run Dam Foundation Grouting Project. The Engineer has nearly completed preparation of design documents for the work, and it is expected that a construction contract will be awarded in early 2024. Once work is underway, construction activity on and around the dam will be apparent to the public. Drill rigs will be visible on the dam’s crest, as the contractor will be drilling and grouting exploratory holes into bedrock along the dam’s entire length, with additional grouting in select areas as deemed necessary. Earth moving equipment will also be onsite for minor grading and excavation as needed to facilitate the grouting operation. Areas along the toe of the dam, including areas adjacent to Halstead Street (outside the existing security fence) will be utilized by the contractor for the staging/storage of materials and equipment. It is anticipated that most Authority access roads along the toe of the dam that are currently utilized by the public will remain open during the work. There is no expectation that the project will in any way affect the recreational activities associated with the Spruce Run Recreation Area (State Park). Further, there is no expectation that the reservoir will need to be reduced for purposes of the project. Project Updates
Information will be updated as needed.
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