Crane Valley Dam Retrofit

Winter Boat Ramp Access at The Pines Boat Launch

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:50:52 +0000

The Pines boat launch was retrofitted by PG&E with ramp extensions allowing boat access during low lake levels through the winter months weather permitting and for 4 wheel drive vehicles only. The Pines will provide boat launch access free of charge during typical business hours from 8am to 4pm until the lake levels rise to normal levels before the Easter weekend.

Timber Harvest Activities November 7, 2011 – November 10,2011

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:52:12 +0000

Starting Monday, November 7, 2011 additional timber harvest activities will be completed adjacent to the existing quarry to facilitate dam construction. Timber harvest activities are expected to be completed by November 10, 2011. Tree felling, timber harvest equipment and log trucks will be active in the area during this time frame.

Additional timber harvest activities may occur in December 2011 and January 2012. The website will updated accordingly as scheduling is finalized for the proposed additional timber harvest activities later this year.

Construction on Saturdays from 10/22/11 to 11/19/11

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:29:19 +0000

From 10/22/11 through 11/19/11, PG&E will conduct construction activities at the Crane Valley Dam and Wishon Quarry on Saturdays in addition to Monday through Friday operations. Saturday work hours will be limited from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Saturday Wishon Quarry operations will be limited to crushing, loading, and transporting rock only- no blasting activities will occur.

PG&E’s commitment to area residents is to finish the dam construction as quickly as possible. Construction on these Saturdays will help to avoid winter weather interruptions, which will facilitate completion of the downstream buttress foundation and will expedite rock placement on multiple sections of the dam.

Motorists should expect periodic traffic delays on Road 222 as you approach the Crane Valley Dam site. Signage along Road 222 will advise drivers of traffic delay and control measures. PG&E will have the appropriate traffic control staff and flagmen in place similar to controls during Monday through Friday operations during Wishon Quarry rock deliveries across Road 222.

Please continue to visit this project website for meeting and construction updates and other project information.

Trucking Activities Increased between 8/29/11 to 9/13/11

admin — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:45:32 +0000

Over the next few weeks, motorists should expect additional truck traffic on the roads leading to the dam construction site. To facilitate current construction activities on multiple areas of the dam, additional rock material from an outside quarry will be trucked to the construction site to augment rock supplied by the Wishon Quarry. From August 29 through September 13, approximately 64 truck loads per day of rock will be delivered to the dam per day. These deliveries will only occur Monday through Friday following an established truck route from CA Hwy 41 to Road 200/N. Fork Road to Road 221/Crane Valley Road and then to Road 222. See below for truck route map.

Motorists should anticipate periodic traffic controls on Road 222 as trucks approach the dam construction site. After September 13, truck traffic will be lowered to 32 truck trips per day through the remainder of September.

Please continue to visit this project website for meeting and construction updates and other project information. Click here for a printable map of the truck route (pdf).

Community Update on Crane Valley Dam Seismic Retrofit Project on 8/18/11

admin — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:37:02 +0000

PG&E will provide a community update on the Crane Valley Dam Seismic Retrofit Project as the second agenda item of Madera County Supervisor Tom Wheeler’s Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, August 18, 2011.

The Town Hall Meeting details are as follows:

Date: Thursday, August 18, 2011

Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Location: Pines Resort, Lakeview Room A

PG&E representatives will be on hand to update the public on the current construction efforts including upcoming phases of construction, lake levels and project timeline.

Loads of Rock Will Impact Road Travel: Area drivers urged to use caution in August

admin — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:53:55 +0000

Brian Wilkinson

Area drivers can expect to see more than 600 truckloads of rock on Mountain Area roads during August as the $60-million construction project to strengthen the dam at Bass Lake continues.

Starting Aug. 1, about 32 truckloads per day, Monday through Friday, will be transporting 28,000 tons of rock to the site from the Raymond Granite Quarry to augment rock supplied by the 8-acre Wishon rock quarry that was developed near the dam, according to Pacific Gas & Electric spokesman Paul Moreno.

Read full article on Sierra Star >

Trucking Activities begin on July 20, 2011

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:57:59 +0000

Construction has been underway during the past four months on the Crane Valley Dam Seismic Retrofit Project. As of today, construction efforts are visible on most areas of the dam. Over the next few weeks, the following additional construction activities will be noticeable in and around Bass Lake:

PG&E is conducting a coring study to verify and document the dam foundation material for the designed dam retrofit. The study is being done from a barge located in the restricted construction area near the dam and will continue through early August.
To facilitate current construction activities on multiple areas of the dam, additional rock material from an outside quarry will be trucked to the construction site to augment rock supplied by the Wishon Quarry.
Wednesday, July 20, and Thursday, July 21, approximately 18 truck loads per day will be delivered to the dam following an established truck route from CA Hwy 41 to Road 200/N. Fork Road to Road 221/Crane Valley Road and then to Road 222. See below for truck route map.
Beginning August 1, 2011 and continuing for four (4) weeks, construction activities will require approximately 32 truck loads per day of rock delivered to the dam. These deliveries will only occur Monday through Friday. The truck route will be the same as during July 20 – 21 rock deliveries. See below for truck route map.
There will be periodic traffic controls on Road 222 as trucks approach the dam construction site.
PG&E is in the process of scheduling a public meeting to provide an overall update on the project.

Please continue to visit this project website for meeting and construction updates and other project information. Click here for a printable map of the truck route (pdf).

Click image for printable directions (pdf)

Boat Ramp Access During Low Winter Bass Lake Water Levels

admin — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 22:33:03 +0000

To complete the seismic retrofit at Crane Valley Dam, certain construction activities require Bass Lake to be drawn down to below normal winter levels. PG&E is committed to raise Bass Lake water level during the summer months to 10 feet below normal reservoir levels to maintain summer recreation activities at Bass Lake. Consequently, PG&E has a limited window of time during the winter and spring months to lower the lake level for seismic retrofit dam construction before water levels are raised in the summer months.

Currently, Bass Lake water level is below normal winter levels allowing for construction activity and balancing anticipated rain and weather impacts on dam construction and hydro power operations. During this time of reduced lake levels, unfortunately boat ramps are out of the water part of the time.

In order to facilitate boat ramp access, PG&E ordered extension ramps and submitted a permit application to extend one boat ramp at Bass Lake ensuring boat ramp use during the winter construction activities. Upon approval of the permit and arrival of the ramp extensions, PG&E will work quickly to install the ramp extensions and notify the public when boat ramp access is restored.

In the meantime, PG&E will continue to perform critical seismic retrofit construction to reduce the risk of downstream flooding in the North Fork area in the event of a dam breach during a seismic event.

PUBLIC NOTICE: Quarry Operations Postponed

admin — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:20:12 +0000

The blasting operations for the quarry scheduled to begin on February 2, 2011 are postponed. The blasting will commence within the following two weeks. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. The following are public safety procedures prior to and during blasting activities to ensure public safety near the quarry:

The public is prohibited from entering areas within 1,000 feet of the quarry during blasting activities.
Flagmen will be posted on Road 222, within the 1,000 feet blast safety radius, to stop all traffic during blasting activities. This area on Road 222 is within current flagmen operations.
The public will hear the following warning horn signals:
- 5 minutes before the blast occurs will be a one minute series of long horn signals.
- 1 minute prior to the blast will be a series of short horn signals.
Following the blast will be one prolonged horn signal indicating the blasting is complete.
Blasting activities are limited to short periods of time during blasting days. Blasting will be limited to a few days per week throughout the dam construction.

Blasting operations at the quarry will begin on February 2, 2011

admin — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:55:45 +0000

In recent months, PG&E has developed a quarry to produce the rock materials needed for the seismic retrofit of the dam. The quarry is located west of Road 222 near Crane Valley Dam. This notice is to inform the community that blasting operations at the quarry will begin on February 2, 2011. The following are public safety procedures prior to and during blasting activities to ensure public safety near the quarry:

The public is prohibited from entering areas within 1,000 feet of the quarry during blasting activities.
Flagmen will be posted on Road 222, within the 1,000 feet blast safety radius, to stop all traffic during blasting activities. This area on Road 222 is within current flagmen operations.
The public will hear the following warning horn signals:
- 5 minutes before the blast occurs will be a one minute series of long horn signals.
- 1 minute prior to the blast will be a series of short horn signals
- Following the blast will be one prolonged horn signal indicating the blasting is complete
Blasting activities are limited to short periods of time during blasting days. Blasting will be limited to a few days per week throughout the dam construction.