Yellowstone Times

Barnard Construction Inc. of Bozeman has been chosen as the contractor for a $485 million dam project in Colorado.

The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District board made the announcement earlier this month, awarding construction of the 90,000 acre-foot Chimney Hollow Reservoir dam to Barnard, a press release states.

Upon completion, the reservoir will supply 11 water providers and a utility.

“This contract marks an important milestone for the future of the water providers participating in the Windy Gap Firming Project,” Northern Water General Manager Brad Wind said in the release. “Construction of Chimney Hollow Dam and Reservoir will offer assurance to water managers that they will have the water their residents need for the next generations as well as fulfill key elements of the Colorado Water Plan.”

Barnard was selected from two price bids because of its previous experience, strong safety record and for offering the best value for its work, Northern Water spokesperson Jeff Stahla told the Loveland Reporter-Herald.

Barnard has a proven track record in large-scale water infrastructure projects. These include the Keeyask Generating Station, a series of dams and dikes to generate hydropower in Manitoba, Canada, as well as a new to reservoir to safeguard water quality in the St. Lucie Estuary on Florida’s southeast coast. An affiliate of the company also is helping rebuild border fencing in southern Arizona.

The core of Chimney Hollow Dam will be composed of flexible asphalt. 

“While such asphalt-core dams are common in Europe, Chimney Hollow Dam will be only the second in the United States to have that feature. Barnard Construction Inc. will employ a subcontractor with experience in building asphalt core dams,” the release states.

Along with the main Chimney Hollow Dam, Barnard crews will construct 40-foot-tall saddle dam at the southern portion of the site, as well as outlet works, access roads and a valve house.