New floodgates on the way for Tom Miller Dam

The Lower Colorado River Authority will soon begin replacing the floodgates at Tom Miller Dam in Central Austin. Installed during construction of the dam in the 1930s, all nine floodgates are ready for an upgrade and will be replaced one at a time so that the dam can remain in service during the repair period. “The dam is in excellent condition, but it’s almost 80 years old,’’ said John Hofmann, LCRA executive vice president of Water, in the news release. “This project will replace the aging floodgates with new, custom-built floodgates that will help ensure the dam will continue to perform reliably and safely for generations to come.” The most floodgates that have been opened at one time is five, which has only happened twice: during Tropical Storm Hermine in 2010 and the Halloween flood in 2013. Each floodgate weighs 40,000 to 55,000 pounds, and the steel will be recycled. The $9.9 million project is expected to take 18 months to complete.