O.H. Ivie Water Supply System; Voss, Big Springs, et al, TX
Posted by: 
Tygress
N 31° 29.922 W 099° 39.099
14R E 438115 N 3485056
ASCE Texas OCEA 1996: West Texas’ O.H. Ivie Water Supply System’s several structures and facilities along the Colorado and Concho Rivers include the W.W. Freese Dam, the O.H. Ivie Reservoir.
Waymark Code: WMKXWH
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 06/10/2014
Views: 6
One of the many Texas Engineering Landmarks in celebration of Texas ASCE’s Centennial: 1913-2013 “Engineering a Better Texas.” Visit them all!
NOTE: Coordinates are given for TX 1929 below the W.W.Freese Dam for the O.H. Ivie Reservoir near Elm Creek Village, Voss, TX. Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMW) is headquartered at 400 E 24th St, Big Spring, TX. Obviously this project is larger than that. Please post the coordinates and details for your visit with your log!
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O.H. Ivie Water Supply System, ASCE Texas Section Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OCEA) Award 1996
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The O.H. Ivie Water Supply System consists of several structures and facilities in West Texas along the Colorado and Concho Rivers including the W.W. Freese Dam, the O.H. Ivie Reservoir, a 156-mile transmission line (pipeline), seven pump stations with a total static lift of 1,376 ft., a 100 million gallon terminal storage reservoir, a supervisory control center, seven electrical substations, and 30 miles of electric transmission lines.
One of the challenges faced by project engineers -- a zone of alternating limestone and shale in the spillway foundation -- presented concerns about the size of the spillway training walls. However, resourceful engineers were able to solve this problem by designing a seepage gallery through the troublesome zone, allowing the problem rock to remain mostly in place and eliminating the expensive prospect of removing these strata or further altering the foundation.
Construction of the O.H Ivie Water Supply System was achieved with an estimated $5 million in savings to the Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD), owing to very competitive bids, which resulted from a bid package that allowed contractors to bid on either concrete cylinder pipe or steel pipe or both, and gave the CRMWD the option to select the optimal combination - awarding contracts to one, two, or three contractors. Additionally, the use of heavy-duty trenching machines (which were specifically designed for the job of excavating the pipeline trench), special vibratory sieves for processing backfill, and a modified wide-track backhoe with twin compacting wheels (to compact the backfill) created significant gains in the cost-efficiency and progress of the project. The entire pipeline, which consists of 156 miles of 60-inch and 53-inch pipe, was installed in 28 months at a cost of $76 million.
This project was a monumental undertaking and its completion ensures West Texas and its growing population will continue to be able to develop economically with the provision of a reliable water supply.
FURTHER READING:
Colorado River Municipal Water District (
visit link)
Texas Water Development Board “O. H. Ivie Reservoir (Colorado River Basin)“ (
visit link)
Texas Handbook Online “O. H. IVIE RESERVOIR” (
visit link)
CRMWD History (
visit link)
Upper Colorado River Watershed Restoration and Management Plan CMD05203 February 2006 (
visit link)
Midland Reporter Telegram “Water sources pushed to the limit” (
visit link)
“Ivie’s projected lifeline extended” (
visit link)