Making the Tuolumne safer for fish and people
Long-Term Committment
Originally built in 1935 to create a swimming hole, Dennett Dam blew out and was rebuilt twice. The third time it washed away, all that was left was a jagged, steel sheet pile wall that blocked fish passage and prevented safe boating. FlowWest worked tirelessly for over a decade with the Tuolumne River Trust raising funds, planning, designing, and ultimately monitoring demolition of Dennett Dam. Even though the dam posed serious risks to public safety and blocked migration of salmon on the Tuolumne, it took perseverance and creative technical approaches to make dam removal a reality.
A challenging multi-benefit project
Removing Dennett dam required temporary rerouting of the entire Tuolumne River during a 12-week construction window. FlowWest worked with the City of Modesto and State and Federal regulatory agencies to deliver a safe dam removal design and a pro-active environmental compliance approach to make the job a success. Leveraging our deep experience implementing river construction projects, we helped Modesto weather multiple surprises leading up to and during the removal. With our help, the dam was removed and the river restored.
Rebuilding a community
This wasn’t just a job to the FlowWest family. The Tuolumne River is a special place, and FlowWest was and remains committed to the improvement of this river for the people and creatures that live around and in it. The whole FlowWest team couldn’t have been prouder on ribbon cutting day after the dam was gone!
