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Dam Deconstruction Begins At Tempe Town Lake

3D Model Of Tempe Town Lake Western Dam
(Photo by Carrie Jung - KJZZ)
A 3D model of the Tempe Town Lake western dam replacement.

Efforts to remove the rubber dam at Tempe Town Lake began Monday. It comes shortly after crews finished draining the lake as part of the city’s dam replacement project.

"Crews are out here unbolting the rubber bladders and then pumping out a little bit of water that was held back by a cement lip," said Kris Baxter-Ging, a spokeswoman with the city of Tempe. 

Baxter-Ging said while there is no water in the lake, the lakebed will remain off-limits to members of the public.

The city is on track to reopen the lake with the new hydraulically operated steel dam on April 30.

Carrie Jung was a senior field correspondent from 2014 to 2018.