The LCDRP is in full swing. Since October 2022, we have been working hard to prepare for the design process. That effort continues along with other supporting functions including, but not limited to, geotechnical exploration and drilling, construction permitting, NEPA review for federal funding, field investigations to support construction (topo surveys, environmental site assessments, site access, and others), OPM procurement, EPC development and procurement, Design-Build team selection, and ultimately, construction of the new dam.
Big picture: we expect this project will be complete in about three years (c. September 2026)
We will continue to update this scheduling page as changes occur or milestones are reached. The milestones presented below are in reverse chronological order; so, tasks already complete are at the bottom, and tasks we are still actively working on are at the top.
The work on the design of the dam and the permitting required for the construction of the dam has begun. This phase of the project is lengthy and complex, and is expected to extend through the end of 2024. Based on the current conditions, these permits are a condition precedent to beginning construction. The first of these permits was for the geotechnical investigation. The US Army Corps of Engineers ("USACE") issued the permit to allow the investigation on July 24, 2023, and DHEC issued its permit for construction activities in navigable waters on August 15, 2023. We have completed the activities under the permit, and have begun to close the access road.
We have participated in a pre-application meeting on November 21, 2023 with the USACE (they issue the permit for the dam itself) and DHEC (they have the right to require additional conditions to protect water quality). The meeting was very informative and helpful, and we look forward to working with the teams at the USACE and DHEC. The work to submit the application materials is challenging and voluminous, and we will continue to march forward to put together the strongest application possible. Ultimately, the LCDRP team will work with the Design-Build team to prepare and submit the applications on behalf of the LCDRP based on the design the LCDRP team and the Design-Build team produce together. The intention of the Project is to construct a new dam that mimics the old dam as much as possible, both in terms of function (hydrology and hydraulics) and aesthetics. We have baked these concepts into the Project's design requirements.
Kleinschmidt Associates, the Project team's engineer, successfully crossed the schematic design threshold. Based on this, we prepared a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), which we published on December 1. We reviewed the responses to the RFQ and selected the most highly qualified candidates to respond to a Request for Proposals (RFP). These general contractors brought to bear their own engineering teams and provide a proposal to construct the dam. The four pre-qualified teams are as follows: Kiewit Infrastructure (both engineering and construction); Morgan Corp and Schnable Engineering; Philips & Jordan and Freese and Nichols; and Sequoia Services and GEI Consultants. These are all very well qualified teams, and for that, we are grateful and delighted.
On Tuesday, February 13, we met on site with all four of the Design-Build teams to answer questions, allowed up-close observation of the project location, and received first impressions from the invitees. You can see new pictures of the site visit in the Photo Gallery (click here); note: it's mostly just photos of folks walking the site). Three of firms presented their proposals and designs to the selection board on March 25, 2024 (one team decided not to participate any further), and conducted interviews of all three teams on March 27-28.
The competition was fierce, and with three exceptional proposals to choose from, we had an embarrassment of riches. The margins at the end were almost imperceptible. In the end, the Selection Board chose Kiewit. We are now negotiating the terms of the contract for the design phase of the project. This phase will likely consume the remainder of 2024.
Kleinschmidt Associates, the engineer for the Project, and S&ME, one of our incredible partners, have completed the field work needed for acquisition of geotechnical data related to the construction of the dam. This will allow them to evaluate the condition of the bedrock underlying the expected footprint of the dam, and to determine the best locations for installing rock anchors, if needed. The US Army Corps of Engineers issued the permit to allow the investigation on July 24, 2023, and DHEC issued its permit for construction activities in navigable waters on August 15, 2023. We obtained DHEC's approval of our workplan, put the drill rig in place, and have now completed the field investigation. The drilling operation and the geotechnical team's downhole instrumentation concluded on October 28, 2023. This allowed them to confirm the quality of the rock we saw from the drilling operation. The final report is complete, and the LCDRP team will incorporate the results into the design with the full design team once the contractor and engineer of record have been brought on board this spring. Check out the photos at the Videos/Photos page.
Earlier this summer, we conducted a series of interviews of project management firms in order to build out the project team. This will ensure the project proceeds in an orderly manner, and hopefully ahead of schedule and under budget. The proposals from all finalists impressed us greatly, and choosing was exceedingly difficult, but we have made the selection and our now more robust team continues moving forward. This task was completed on time and on budget.
The budget has now passed the House, Senate, and Governor with $36 million included for the LCDRP. We also have commitments from stakeholders in the amount of $8-9 million, and we will likely pursue federal funding beginning this autumn. Stay tuned.
The LCDRP team conducted a series of four workshops to review project history; establish project goals, vision for success, and strategy; determine the method of delivery; define project phases; review roles and responsibilities; and create a risk management plan. The nature and complexity of the project required this series of workshops so that the team would be well-prepared for success. This task was completed on time and under budget.
The surveyors completed the topographical and land surveys of the dam and the surrounding site to create a digital surface profile compatible with AutoCAD Civil 3D that will be used by the engineers to lay out the project work in the Schematic Design phase. This task was completed on time and under budget.
The environmental engineers completed the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment for the project in May 2023 on time and under budget.
Copyright © 2023 Lake Conestee Dam Restoration Project, LLC - All Rights Reserved. Most recent update: February 20, 2024 (K. Lowry).
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