The District just completed the repair of the Lamb Valley Flume with the application of the AquaLastic concrete repair system, right before the rainy season.
The District has four flumes on the Winters Canal that were constructed circa 1914, which are critical infrastructure for conveying irrigation water over sloughs that run perpendicular to and below the main-stem canal. After being in service for more than one hundred years, they are definitely showing their age, with cracks and deterioration in the concrete. Annual inspections revealed leaks and sink holes in these flumes and have led to short shutdowns of the Winters Canal while emergency repairs were completed.
The District opted for the high-pressure application of the polyurethane-based AquaLastic repair system to address the decay of the Lamb Valley Flume. The District has successfully used the AquaLastic system in the past on the Cottonwood and the Almondale flumes repaired in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The coating, which extends the life of concrete infrastructure, is applied by a professional applicator after cleaning and preparing the surface for proper adhesion. Advantages of AquaLastic include material strength and the ability of the product to expand and contract with temperature changes without the product breaking down.
Although the repair is expected to add an additional 8-12 years of use, the flumes will soon need to be replaced, as they remain vulnerable to failure due to age and erosion. Sal Espinoza, the District’s Operation and Maintenance Supervisor said of the repair “it’s a Band-Aid, but it’s a good Band-Aid.” District staff are hopeful for a rainy winter as we work to prepare for a successful 2025 irrigation season.
