The Unified Command announced Monday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed construction of a temporary rock dike to aid in the repairs of the Marseilles dam.
The Marseilles Dam was damaged during an incident April 18 when seven barges broke loose from a tow during historic flooding on the Illinois River. Four of the seven barges were removed through salvage operations in April. Work is underway now to safely remove the remaining three barges, beginning with lightering of the barge containing iron ore.
The Army Corps of Engineers built a temporary rock dike just below the dam to reduce river flows and facilitate repairs to the dam. The dike was constructed using approximately 42,000 tons of rock and stretches more than 300 feet. The dike may also assist the Corps in maintaining the navigational pool upstream of the Marseilles Lock and Dam.
In addition to the dike, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and the barge industry, implemented a temporary drawdown of the pool to further reduce river flows at the dam.
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Press Release, May 15, 2013