Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse

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2010-07-21 12:32 AM

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Subject: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
Wow!  Any news from those on the "front line"?  Sounds pretty serious!

2010-07-21 12:36 AM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
I can't help but wonder how many dead bodies they'll find now that the lake is draining, or how many dead bodies this accident will create. Damn.
2010-07-21 7:10 AM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
Kinda puts a new twist on things!  May have to relocate some events if it can't be fixed in time, I guess!
2010-07-21 8:54 AM
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Master
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse

More important is the question on the Triathlon season in Tempe.  Although they were going to replace all 4 bladders anyway, they new dam was no even under construction yet at the manufactures.  Now I am no expert, but even when repaired they have to fill the lake again (last I checked we live in a desert.  After that they have to balance the water.

So,  Is Ironman Arizona going to be canceled or moved this year?  Sound off!

2010-07-21 9:10 AM
in reply to: #2993849

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Master
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
Can someone tell me why there is an inflatable dam... in such a hot place... with scorching sun?? Seems a bit counter-intuitive. It says in the article that it was built 10 years ago. I didn't live in AZ then. Why didn't Tempe build a regular dam?
2010-07-21 9:54 AM
in reply to: #2993849

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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse

You will often find that both the voting public and the Politicians that are put in place make short term decisions based upon the next election cycle, not the best practice long term.  Much like Arizona selling the capital buildings so the new legislature can pay lease on the space to keep the current people from actually addressing a budget issue - I believe that ASU/Tempe?Grant funding only cost covered an inflatable.

Keep in mind that a concrete dam would have maintenance issues as well.  It is probably a matter of Tempe along with most Phoenix metro cities, not having sufficient funds in the recreation budgets to keep up with the schedule to keep things safe and functional.

2010-07-21 9:56 AM
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2010-07-21 10:07 AM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
perkins_jerryw - 2010-07-21 8:54 AM

You will often find that both the voting public and the Politicians that are put in place make short term decisions based upon the next election cycle, not the best practice long term.  Much like Arizona selling the capital buildings so the new legislature can pay lease on the space to keep the current people from actually addressing a budget issue - I believe that ASU/Tempe?Grant funding only cost covered an inflatable.

Keep in mind that a concrete dam would have maintenance issues as well.  It is probably a matter of Tempe along with most Phoenix metro cities, not having sufficient funds in the recreation budgets to keep up with the schedule to keep things safe and functional.



Kinda what I thought. Can't say this state and its politics aren't consistent... Frown

Here's an interesting website with a historical timeline of the lake development.
http://www.tempe.gov/lake/LakeHistory/timlin.htm

Edited by SauseEnte 2010-07-21 10:16 AM
2010-07-21 10:27 AM
in reply to: #2993849

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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
Here's an article describing what happened...courtesy of Kara:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/07/20/20100720tempelake0720-ON.html 
2010-07-21 10:44 AM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
2010-07-21 10:49 AM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
I thought the inflatables dams were used because they could easily be raised and lowered depending on the flow coming from the salt river.  Some of us remember the days back in the 1990's when the Salt River was flowing with enough water to take out a bridge.  Supposedly the inflatable dams could be completely lowered in situations like this to prevent further damage.

2010-07-21 11:40 AM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
Hindsight is 20/20 but here is the history of the dams if anyone is interested.

http://www.tempe.gov/lake/lakehistory/dams.htm
2010-07-21 11:48 AM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse

Will's article mentioned that the lake is closed to public and 3/4 of 1 billion gallons of water got drained. It's already late July, even if they start the repair work soon it will take awhile to get it done and get the lake filled up again. I think Nathan (September) is probably going to be affected maybe even SOMA and IMAZ. Maybe they'll move the event to Bartlett lake?


Edited by JoeP138 2010-07-21 11:49 AM
2010-07-21 12:03 PM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
Filling the lake is just a matter of releasing water from the Salt River system up at Lake Saguaro. That wouldn't be too difficult.
2010-07-21 2:50 PM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
The mayor said that the lake should be ready for IMAZ...see the article below. As for the Redrock events, it will be interesting to see what happens...

http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/2010/07/21/20100721tempe-town-lake-hallman-ironman.html
2010-07-21 4:23 PM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
I'm guessing Nathan's is out but the Mayor said the lake should be open by Nov 1st. If they could get it open a week ahead of that then SOMA wouldn't be effected. The question is that even if the lake gets filled, will they let people swim in it. I'm also wondering if Red Rock will just move both because of the unknown. We'll see.

2010-07-21 4:26 PM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
bryancd - 2010-07-21 11:03 AM Filling the lake is just a matter of releasing water from the Salt River system up at Lake Saguaro. That wouldn't be too difficult.


It all depends on where Tempe buys the water from or if they had "Lake Drain" insurance. I'm sure they will be able to get the water but where and how much it will cost will be interesting.
2010-07-21 4:52 PM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
Did you take the pics? I love the second one, great symbolism with the guy's head down.
2010-07-21 4:59 PM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse

I hope they can fill it up with WARM water in November for IMAZ (just enough to keep it wetsuit legal though)  

2010-07-21 5:57 PM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
phxphotog - 2010-07-21 2:26 PM
bryancd - 2010-07-21 11:03 AM Filling the lake is just a matter of releasing water from the Salt River system up at Lake Saguaro. That wouldn't be too difficult.


It all depends on where Tempe buys the water from or if they had "Lake Drain" insurance. I'm sure they will be able to get the water but where and how much it will cost will be interesting.


Original cost to fill was $300,000. Estimates now are 450-500k, and one of the stories I read somewhere said that Bridgestone would be coughing up a substantial chunk of change.

John
2010-07-21 6:09 PM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse

i wonder if they have found my watch that i lost the other week..

2010-07-21 6:11 PM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
It's a good thing the dam didn't let go during the IMAZ swim, it would have been a long run back to T-1.
2010-07-21 6:46 PM
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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
max - 2010-07-21 4:11 PM It's a good thing the dam didn't let go during the IMAZ swim, it would have been a long run back to T-1.


would've been slow too if you had to trudge through the mud in your wetsuit.
2010-07-21 6:52 PM
in reply to: #2993849

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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
Good thing I didn't register for Nathan's yet! I was gonna do that next week.
2010-07-21 7:01 PM
in reply to: #2995993

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Subject: RE: Tempe Town Lake Dam Collapse
dieathlon - 2010-07-21 5:52 PM

Good thing I didn't register for Nathan's yet! I was gonna do that next week.


Yeah, Nathans is done.
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