Duckett Dam - Project Updates

September 2013

The first two sections of the scour slab have been poured on the Howard County side of Duckett Dam. When completed, the slab will protect the dam’s foundation from being undermined if water should pour over the top of the dam.

Rock anchors are visible in the sections, and more will be installed in successive sections to give additional strength to the scour slab.

The first two scour slab sections have been poured.

Getting prepared to install rock anchors
for another section of scour slab.

Installing centralizers on rock anchors so the
anchors will be centered when placed in position.

Rebar sticks up – that eventually
will be part of a retaining wall.

August 2013

This picture shows a machine
drilling holes for the rock anchors that
will eventually hold the scour slab. In the
background, forms go up for
the first section of the slab.

Most of the work now is taking place on the Howard County side of the dam.

It’s mostly the groundwork that goes into preparations for the huge slab of concrete, called a scour slab, that will protect the base of the dam in case water should flow over the top.

June 2013

Improvements at Duckett Dam are proceeding on schedule. It involves a lot of excavation, the hauling of dirt and pouring of concrete.

Excavation activity has picked up on the Howard County side. Soon they will be power washing rocks uncovered by the excavation, and then installing anchors that will hold thick slabs of concrete in place. These slabs will protect the base of the dam from scouring, if water should pour over the top of the dam in a storm.

The project is slated for completion in late 2014.

Shot of dam looking toward Howard County

February 2013

Work is progressing on schedule at the Duckett Dam project. Excavation work on the Howard County side follows similar work on the Prince George’s side. This will enable construction of thick concrete slabs on the downstream side of the dam. The slabs will minimize any damage to the dam’s “footer” if water should flow over the top.

Excavation on Prince George’s County side

November 2012

Work continues at a steady pace on the Prince George’s side of the project.

Special pilings are in place to form a 30-foot high retaining wall. This will hold back dirt as excavation below progresses. That work will involve clearing the way to pour a large slab of concrete that will keep water overtopping the dam (in a major flood) from scouring out dirt at the base of the dam. Large equipment has begun the clearing work.

A wide overview of the project shows the 10-foot concrete wall or “wing” that extends from the dam back toward the ball field. From previous photographs, you can see the wall was rather stark, so WSSC Water decided to add some fill dirt on both sides to make it a bit easier on the eye. You can see a worker walking on top of the wall.

The last picture is just one of those reminders about the beauty of the watershed.

Work on the Prince George’s side of the dam is estimated to run another 9 months.

The project is on schedule and on budget.

September 2012

The Duckett Dam Improvement projected remains on schedule. The concrete wall on the Prince George’s side of the dam is 90 percent complete. Workers are making cosmetic repairs to cracks in the dam on the Howard county side, and have completed the repairs on the Prince George’s County side.

Workers are also drilling to install special pilings to form a 30-foot tall retaining wall. The wall will hold dirt in place while work is going on near the base of the dam.

July 2012

Work on improvements to Duckett Dam began in May on the Prince George’s County side. Our contractors are fortifying the dam to withstand a 1-in-10,000 year flood, as required by the Maryland Department of the Environment.

These pictures show the first phase of work going on - creating concrete walls 10 feet high at the dam and slowly tapering to 6 feet high as the wall moves inland.