Lake Williams dam project is over halfway done

Paul Kuehnel, York Daily Record
·2 min read

As spring rolls across Lake Williams, the York Water Company dam project is 60 percent completed, according to Steven Metzler, senior engineering project manager for The York Water Company.

On a recent bright sunny day, crews were working on rebar that will form one the highest points of the dam. Plans are in place, within a couple weeks, to begin rolling concrete that will form an amphitheater-looking structure on the southern side of the dam that will form a secure overflow to control extreme amounts of water in the future, Metzler said.

The original dam, built in 1911, lasted for more than 100 years. It was still in good shape but lacked the ability to withstand extreme weather events. A small section of the original dam, a core wall, will remain as part of the new dam.

Steven Metzler, senior engineering project manager, describes how the Lake Williams dam project was 60 percent completed on March 16, 2023. Bracing is in place next to the valve tower on March 16, at right, that will help support the trapezoidal weir that be the primary path of water over the dam.
Steven Metzler, senior engineering project manager, describes how the Lake Williams dam project was 60 percent completed on March 16, 2023. Bracing is in place next to the valve tower on March 16, at right, that will help support the trapezoidal weir that be the primary path of water over the dam.

More photos:Nature is evolving as a drained Lake Williams passes through the seasons

Video:Check out the old and Lake Williams dam, how it works, with historical photos from 1911

Boot marks pressed into the 1911 core wall, century-old reminders of those who toiled to build the original dam with the help of horses and steam engines, have been slowly disappearing as they are entombed in the new construction for future generations to find.

According to Metzler, delays have centered around supply shortages, one as a result of an energy supplier near York Haven converting to natural gas. Fly ash, a by-product of burning coal, is used in the mixture of concrete. A new source had to be found in northeastern Pennsylvania and the new mixture approved by engineers.

A boot print in the original core wall from a worker from over a century ago. The original core wall Is incorporated into the new new dam but won't be visible once construction is completed.
A boot print in the original core wall from a worker from over a century ago. The original core wall Is incorporated into the new new dam but won't be visible once construction is completed.

York Water recently received approval to use fill excavated from the project as a tiered aquatic environment for the lake, said Mark Wheeler, chief operating officer. "Fisherman will enjoy it once everything gets back (filled) and populated," Metzler added. The different depth shelves of fill will attract different species.

Once the project is completed later this year, it is expected to take several months to refill Lake Williams’ 1.144 billion gallons, Metzler said. Clean up will continue into the first quarter of 2024.

"About an inch of rain, equals about a foot in the reservoir," Wheeler added. However, it depends on how dry the ground is at the time and how much precipitation soaks into the ground. York Water is required to discharge six cubic feet per second into the stream below the dam during construction and while it's filling up.

I have captured life through the lens since 1983, and am currently a visual journalist with the USA Today Network. You can reach me at pkuehnel@ydr.com.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: The Lake Williams dam project is over halfway done