Town of Wise – Bear Creek Reservoir

The Town of Wise owns and operates the Bear Creek Reservoir, constructed in 1964 at 45-feet high and holding approximately 808 acre-feet of water. This impoundment was constructed as a water supply reservoir for the Town and surrounding areas.

In 2003, the Town retained Thompson & Litton (T&L) to determine the water supply needs for 25 years ending in 2028. This study determined that the capacity of the reservoir needed to be increased in order to supply predicted water needs throughout the planning period.

In 2007, T&L was again retained to determine the best means to increase the storage of water by the Bear Creek Dam. This study also determined that the spillway must be enlarged to pass the entire Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) due to potential damage that would result if the dam breached. Following is a summary of the findings from the 2007 Study:

• Determined the best alternative spillway to pass the PMF. It was concluded that allowing the flood to overtop the dam and armoring the entire downstream face of the dam with roller compacted concrete was the best option; and
• Determined the best way to increase the capacity of the reservoir. Raising the normal pool elevation by five feet provided the required additional storage.

In 2008, the Town retained T&L to design the repairs identified in the 2007 study. The following corrections were designed, and construction began in 2011:

• Construction of a roller compacted concrete armoring of the entire downstream face of the dam;
• Added a structural concrete parapet wall, raising the normal pool elevation by 5 feet and adding eighty million gallons to the storage, which increased the safe yield of the watershed; and
• Raised the concrete primary outlet to accommodate the increase in normal pool elevation, and replaced the gates and hardware in the primary outlet for operability and reliability.

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