Austin Energy has maintained the dam since 1959, when it was first built to create a cooling reservoir for the steam generators at the Holly Power Plant and ensure that the plant always had enough water to operate.
While commercial divers are inspecting the structural integrity of Longhorn Dam below the surface, the City of Austin Police and Fire Dive Team will conduct a training dive to learn how to navigate the dam as well.
Austin Energy says the 51-year-old dam is not in any danger of failing at this time, but is beginning to show signs of old age. The utility plans to make necessary replacements or upgrades to equipment over the next two years, including an already-planned upgrade to the hydraulic systems that move the two gates in the center, as well as replacing the dam's analog controls with modern digital equipment. Austin Energy will also discuss turning over responsibility for Longhorn Dam over to the Lower Colorado River Authority, which already manages the Colorado River.
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