County public works reports progress on Stanglish Lake Dam; gate arrival expected in March

Public Works provided an update to the Garfield County Commission on work at Stanglish Lake Dam. The agency reported the upstream face is complete and crews will pour and compact a test section of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) as the next step.

Dave of Public Works described the RCC process: crews pour a thicker, road-base-like concrete and compact it with rollers at a rate of about a foot per day. He said the outlet pipe and gate installation follow completion of the RCC placement and that the specially ordered steel gate is not expected to arrive until March. "The gate is a special order, and so it's not gonna arrive till March," Dave said. If the test section performs as expected, crews should reach the outlet level in stages over several weeks.

Public Works staff also told the commission they have coordinated with mining operators about road use and that current drilling activity is taking place on patented private land rather than Forest Service-managed land.

Next steps: crews will pour a test section of RCC, install the outlet pipe, and continue phased placement; the county expects the gate installation in March and to be prepared for the upcoming flow season if timelines hold.