US Bureau of Reclamation engineers say they have finished a programme of modification work at Deadwood dam in Idaho, US.

The US$680,000 contract was carried out by California’s Johnson Western Gunite Company and included the installation of 60 rock bolts through three rock blocks downstream of the dam in the left abutment. Inspectors have just approved the work, which was completed in October 2003. The left abutment has now been stabilised for certain static and seismic loading conditions.

Deadwood dam, located 140km northeast of Boise, is mostly used for irrigation, but water released from it is also used for power generation at facilities further downstream including Black Canyon dam.