Constructed in 1926, Wolf Creek Dam is one of Ohio’s few remaining Ambursen-style dam structures. The 360-foot concrete dam comprises 20 bays supported by 21 buttresses founded on bedrock and includes a 198-foot-long spillway. The Wolf Creek Dam creates the Barberton Reservoir, which is the City’s primary water supply.
Since 1980, B&N has partnered with the City of Barberton to evaluate and maintain the structural integrity, safety and long-term operability of the dam. This collaboration has involved a comprehensive range of services, including inspections, engineering assessments, design upgrades and construction oversight. These efforts include:
- 1980: Inspection and repair
- 1985: Inspection
- 1986: Plans and specs for repair and construction administration
- 2001 to 2004: Inspection, design and construction services for dam repair improvements
- 2005: Design intake extension and valve replacement project included in WTP design
- 2007 to 2009: Flood Inundation Study; Emergency Action Plan; and Operation, Maintenance and Inspection Manual development
- 2010: Global stability analysis
- 2013 to 2016: Design and construction services for a 24-inch intake extension, six intake valve replacements and new Reservoir Oxygenation System and Building, including various dam maintenance and repair improvements
- 2014: Structural element analysis, structural design standard check with current federal design standards
- 2018: Structural condition assessment evaluating the overall physical condition of the dam to confirm safety and options for repairs
- 2018-2022: the Dam Improvements General Plan is an ongoing study examining options and costs to either repair or replace the dam. The study also included re-establishing the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) in the reservoir. The study also provided assistance with funding applications.
- 2022 to present: Detailed design improvements both convert the dam from a slab and buttress dam to a gravity-type dam by filling all the voids between buttresses with concrete. Comprehensive design improvements includes improving stability with rock anchors, installing toe drains, replacing the reservoir drain, expanding reservoir drain capacity with a supplementary drain line, flood mitigation wall and erosion control along Summit Road. Improvements also include various valve replacements on lines to and from the dam and telemetry and security improvements at nearby well sites.
Construction of the improvements is planned for 2026 and 2027, coinciding with the 100th birthday of the dam structure. The improvements will extend the life of the dam at least 50 years into the future to keep serving as the City’s principal surface water supply structure.