Lake Mead Intake No. 2 Connection and Modifications (Marine/In-Water)

Increased demand for water, coupled with a prolonged drought, has caused water levels at Lake Mead to drop significantly in recent years. Located 20 miles southeast of Las Vegas, this reservoir created by the Hoover Dam provides water for users in Nevada, Southern California, Arizona, and Mexico. While the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) needed to add this connection for access to its low-level intake in Lake Mead, work on the shaft and tunnel had to be conducted precisely and on a tight schedule. The immediate proximity of operating pump stations responsible for water delivery to the City of Las Vegas left no room for error in gauging the vibration of our drill and blast construction for a 380-foot-deep hard rock shaft and a 570-foot-long modified horseshoe tunnel.

Part of our success in completing this complex project on time and on budget can be credited to our close working relationship with SNWA, the Engineer and other stakeholders on the project. We also succeeded in meeting SNWA’s strict 6-week work window, completing the tunnel tie-in within SNWA’s scheduled shutdown of the existing Las Vegas water supply tunnel. This included working in water up to 180 feet deep.

Lake Mead Intake No. 2 Connection and Modifications (Marine/In-Water)