Photo by R.D. Weigel Sheets of steel line the base of the dam (bottom half of photo). Taken at 10 a.m. Jan. 23.

Photo by Nebraska Public Power District Separation of the toe wall is evident in this photo, before repair work began.

Work is underway to repair the dam at Lake Maloney. The dam’s flaws were noticed during a routine inspection in mid-July.

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The dam runs along the north side of the lake above the valleys below. There are structural defects in the vertical part of the toe wall at the base of the dam.

Workers are driving steel sheets into the lake bed to reinforce the base of the dam.

Crews are working around the clock to complete the job by April 1. Although the project may run into unforeseen work and weather, officials are confident they will fill the reservoir well ahead of the summer irrigation and recreation seasons, said Mark Becker, spokesman for the Nebraska Public Power District.

Work on the $4.3 million project is well underway and will intensify, Becker said. The full work schedule begins Jan. 25 and will last 3-4 weeks.

The sheet pilings are aligned during the day. A power driver attached to a crane pounds the sheets into the lakebed overnight.

Driving the pilings at night require fewer personnel, Becker said, although the noise can be a nuisance.

“We will look at ways to mitigate the sound if at all possible,” Becker said.

Also, construction lights on the dam are left on at night for security, as a power source and to provide light.

On Jan. 25 and continuing, work will begin each morning at 7 a.m. and continue until 5 a.m. the following day, Monday through Saturday morning, Becker said.

On Saturday and Sunday, the contractor will work from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Earlier work

To correct the problem, officials began draining the lake in late September. But in October an unexpected amount of silt appeared near the outlet canal, which was holding water against the dam, interfering with repair work.

To remove the silt, Nebraska Public Power crews dug a trench of soil 1,100-feet-long and 7-feet deep with an amphibious excavator.

The NPPD team worked around the clock in early November to clear the canal and finish draining the lake by Dec. 1.

NPPD’s board of directors awarded the repair contract to Ames Construction Co. Ames Construction has experience with NPPD’s Gerald Gentleman Station near Sutherland.

History

The dam dates back to the 1930s, when the lake was built.

Lake Maloney has interesting beginnings.

In 1933 a number of interested North Platte citizens and other people formed committees to visit local farmers and area businessmen and discuss plans for the lake. Those interested started raising funds. Some of those funds financed several trips for Keith Neville (for whom the Neville Center is named on the corner of Fifth and Bailey) and businessman William R. Maloney to Washington D.C. to confer with Congressional representatives.

The efforts of these two, along with other local supporters including Nebraska State Sen. Harry Pizer, helped Congress pass a bill to build the chain of lakes and reservoirs in Nebraska below big Lake McConaughy near Ogallala, according to publications collected by Lake Maloney resident Marlin Manske.

The lakes store water for summer irrigation of farms from Sutherland to Holdrege.

In 1934, construction of Lake Maloney began. The reservoir was complete in 1936 and opened to the public for leisure and sport.

Lake Maloney was named after W.R. Maloney, who died shortly after its completion.