GBRA hosts Lake Wood discussion

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GONZALES — One year after the H-5 dam gate at Lake Wood failed, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) has stepped forward to discuss options.

According to GBRA General Manager Kevin Patteson and Engineering Project Manager Charlie Hickman, Lake Wood is one of many problematic gates, all built in the 1920s and 1930s, in the GBRA Hydroelectric System.

Hickman explained what the purpose of the H-5 dam is. He said it is a common misconception that GBRA runs the dam for flood control for downstream residents. In fact, the dam is there to produce energy. The lake is not big enough to prevent downstream flooding. Further, the water cannot be diverted for consumption or stored and must be returned to stream. GBRA is not permitted for anything but hydroelectric production at Lake Wood.

Hickman went on to talk about the gate failure. Using a slideshow, he showed H-5 schematics and the inner workings of the weir dam, explaining the mechanisms involved in the operation of the dam, as well as those involved in the failure.

According to Hickman, the dam gate is constructed with two leaves: one each for upstream and downstream. The downstream side rolls on top of the upstream side and the gate is raised by pressure.

"What happened here is the downstream side of that section blew out and we lost the ability to pressurize that gate so the gate went down," Hickman said.

Hickman said the upstream side of the gate was so bent out of shape after the failure, GBRA's engineers do not view repair as possible.

"You cannot affordably repair what's out there," he explained. "You would actually spend more time and effort trying to straighten out all that steel and put it back into shape than it would take to just build a new gate from scratch; so we've ruled out repairing the structure at all as a feasible option."

Hickman said from the beginning, GBRA enlisted engineers to put together a scope of work and cost figures. They have also asked for the design of a dewatering system to keep water off the upstream side of the gate and a backup locking system to prevent future gate failures.

According to Hickman, GBRA has looked at a number of dam gate options, including a Labyrinth Weir, a Hydraulic Crest Gate, and the preferred Obermeyer Gate with replacement going to the tune of $2.9 million all the way to $4.5 million for the one gate. Hickman said it would be prudent to replace both gates together given the age and condition.

The Obermeyer gate is constructed from two steel plates and a heavy-duty rubber and Kevlar bladder. It is operated by an air compressor control system.

Like any gate system the Obermeyer Gate has its pros and cons. The pros are: ease of operation, less labor intensive, reduced maintenance and operating expense, more rigid design to handle large debris loads, minimal safety concerns with regular maintenance and one of the cheaper alternatives to build. Cons are: the existing superstructure will need to be modified, gates will require recoating on regular intervals and potential tailwater (the water immediately downstream of the dam) concerns.

Hickman said the next steps for GBRA include 3-D computer modeling of proposed gate alternatives; complete the design of a dewatering system; use results to finalize life cycle cost analysis; and make a final recommendation on gate type for future replacements. Hickman said repairs to existing gate system include: issuance of a bid package; locking bare and tie bare removal and replacement; timber replacement at Nolte Dam Gate 3; future timber replacement as needed; and structural steel replacement as needed.

A big obstacle for GBRA is funding. Former Chief Financial Officer and current Senior Advisor to Patteson, Alvin Schurig reported on the funding aspect of hydroelectric system repairs.

According to Schurig the 86-year-old hydro system includes: six dams and 15 spillgates; six power houses and nine turbines/generators; two canals and headworks; approximately 22 miles of transmission lines; and approximately 18 transformers.

Schurig said GBRA purchased the system from Texas Hydro-Electric Corporation and the Texas Power Corporation in 1963, for $3,750,000. During the 54-year existence of GBRA and the Guadalupe Valley Hydro Electric System additional system investments total $10,043,066. In the same time period maintenance and repairs to the system have totaled $24,644,185. In 54 years the net revenue to GBRA has totaled just $1,620,165. As of August of last year the financial position of GBRA GV Hydroelectric Division was $72,378 in available cash; zero external debt; an interfund loan debt from the GBRA General Division of $4,301,357. Hydroelectric power sales account for 98 percent of the division's funding.

An hour and 10 minutes into the program the crowd grew restless and demanded answers, shouting from the audience.

"Are you going to fix the dam or not," one man demanded.

Patteson took over the meeting from Schurig and opened a question and answer forum.

"We want to fix the dam," Patteson said. "We are still exploring all of our funding options and replacement options."

Patteson said he was not willing to give the audience a false timeframe, giving an expectation that GBRA may not be able to meet.

"It's been over a year since you said you were going to fix it," another attendee shouted.

“We are going to fix it. We absolutely want to," Patteson responded. "We have to be responsible about how we approach those funding options and go down every path."

"We had initially budged about $3 million for a replacement," Patteson said in response to a question about previously-budgeted money, posed by Lake Wood property owner Dale Schellenberg. "At Lake Wood there are two gates. Each would cost $3 million to $4 million to replace, so we are looking at a cost of $6 million to $8 million."

The initial budget, according to Patteson was done back in the summer. He said GBRA has repurposed those funds to rehab other gates to prevent other failures.

“We still need to find a path forward to pay for the replacement of these gates," Patteson said. "That's the challenge."

Patteson said most of GBRA's revenue comes from water sales out of Canyon [Lake].

"Hydro does not support itself," he said. "If we charge our customers that purchase raw, water out of Canyon, to fix these hydro gates, they can challenge that."

Patteson said that challenge could result in a court battle that GBRA would likely lose. He said GBRA cannot pull from one to pay for another, that's not sustainable.

"The lakes are only there for hydrogeneration and right now it is not making enough money – or any money – we have loaned it money to support it," Patteson said. "My obligation is to explore what the future of Hydro is."

According to Patteson, Hydro today is going to look different than it did 86 years ago, so GBRA is going to have to talk to experts that the authority does not have in house to give GBRA a cost-effective solution that would increase generation.

"If we are going to do this, the hydro system has to be able to pay back the general fund," Patteson said.

Patteson said GBRA is looking for local, state and federal funding options. He also said the system's dam gates are typically good for 50 years and in the 80s, instead of replacement, GBRA opted for a rehab of the dam gates, which has bought the authority 35 years, until the failure at Lake Wood.

Local business owner and Friends of Lake Wood organizer Joe Solansky asked why the hydrosystem is not treated as a byproduct of the lakes water is sold from, since the water is collected, sold, sanitized and put back into the system.

Patteson said permitting stops this. The water used for hydro purposes is only permitted for hydro purposes.

"These lakes offer no flood control purpose and they offer no water supply," Patteson said "The water supply that we need is met by the natural flow of the river so the only reason we hold back that water is to be able to generate electricity."

According to Patteson, when there is a flood event GBRA's obligation is to lower the gates.

"We lower the gates to the maximum amount to prevent water from backing up," he said. "We have no right to consume that water; it is only pass-through."

Patteson said if the lakes go away, GBRA will still be able to supply water to all of its customers and Lake Wood's only a function is holding back that water to put it through the generators.

According to Patteson, the H-5 generators are currently out of service.

"It's time to get responsible...Gentlemen, in your vision statement you beat yourselves on the chest; in your mission statement you pat yourselves on the back," Schellenberg said, "Actions speak louder than words. After one year, actions are expected."

GBRA has a board meeting scheduled for 10 a.m., tomorrow, March 15 at the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority William E. West, Jr., Annex Building, 905 Nolan, in Seguin.

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