Engineers continue to finalize the new design for the Duck River Dam, and a full engineering report has now confirmed the redesign is likely the most viable option for construction.

The total cost of the dam project is estimated at approximately $110 million, which is up approximately $40 million from initial estimates due to some unforeseen geological concerns at the site and higher-than-expected flood standards. Along with the increased price tag, local water rates will also be going up to cover the debt service for the project.

Those geological issues led engineers CH2M Hill to conduct a redesign of the project to fit the site as it stands, and the utilities board recently received a formal report from third-party engineers URS Corporation confirming the redesign plan is a sound option.

In an effort to reduce costs, the Cullman Utilities Board has also commissioned some detailed rainfall studies that could help reduce the spillway size and trim costs.

“URS has given us their draft report and they concurred that the geology is what it is, and recommended move forward immediately with this design,” project coordinator Dale Greer said. “They agreed it was the best option within our time frame. They also concurred with getting a new hydrology study, since that came out higher than we’d anticipated. A lot of that is because the numbers we got from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were lower in the 1990s, before those things were adjusted for more recent floods.”

CH2M Hill expects to have the 60 percent design finalized by the end of this month, with plans to present it soon after. The 95 percent design is slated for completion on March 12. At that point, officials hope to have a better grasp on the project’s exact cost.

Construction is scheduled to bid on April 22, with plans to have contractors on site by May 20. Officials say the tight timeline is needed to stay within the permit’s requirements to finish the dam by November 2016.

“This schedule gives us as much time as we can to get started and get work done during the dry months,” Greer explained.

The Duck River project has been in the works for more than a decade, after being permitted by the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers than subsequently delayed by environmental challenges that have since been resolved. Once complete, the project will create a 640-acre lake with a 32-million-gallon-per-day capacity in northeast Cullman County, which will work in conjunction with the area’s current sole major water source Lake Catoma. The design will be a hybrid, with roller-compacted concrete in the center and earthen wings.

Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 134.