DOTD provides update on tainter gates at Lake D’Arbonne in Union Parish
Monday, April 17, 2023 at 1:53:57 PM
DOTD provides update on tainter gates at Lake D’Arbonne in Union Parish
Today, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development provided an update on the status of the tainter (flood) gates at the Lake D’Arbonne spillway in Union Parish.
When attempting to open the south gate in February 2023, the gate opening mechanism malfunctioned as the gate was being opened, leaving it opened approximately 1.5 feet.
DOTD immediately secured emergency funding to diagnose and repair the mechanism.
The equipment was then removed and taken via contractor to a specialized repair facility in Houston, TX, which was the closest facility that had the capability of repairing the mechanism.
Based on the scheduled provided by the repair facility, the mechanism is anticipated to be ready for pick-up in late May. The mechanism will then need to be re-installed and tested.
While the north gate is fully operable at this time, proactive steps have been taken to order a new mechanism for the north gate in order to avoid lengthy repairs in the future.
Since the south tainter gate is still open one and a half feet, DOTD is continually monitoring the lake elevation. A contingency plan is in place to stop flow through the south tainter gate if the lake elevation drops to pool stage.
The old spillway still allows for the flow of water downstream up to 80 feet, which is considered pool stage elevation.
As a reminder, DOTD does not manage boat traffic on the lake.