Tempe, Arizona - Approximately 10:10 pm one of four large rubber bladders made by Bridgestone; holding back Tempe Town Lake's near 1 billion gallons of water, ruptured-allowing the lake to be drained into the seasonally dry Salt River bed.
Officials issued the following statement:
Tempe had been working to replace the bladders for the the last year because they were determined to be reaching their life span earlier than anticipated. Bridgestone, the manufacturer of the bladders, had delivered two of the four replacement sections of the west dam. But the city and its contractor had been working to replace the sections but efforts were hampered in recent months by upstream water flows from snow melt and rain in other parts of the state."
One of four large rubber bladders forming the west dam failed for reasons that are yet unknown. Tempe Police are investigating the breach.
Tempe had been working to replace the bladders for the the last year because they were determined to be reaching their life span earlier than anticipated. Bridgestone, the manufacturer of the bladders, had delivered two of the four replacement sections of the west dam. But the city and its contractor had been working to replace the sections but efforts were hampered in recent months by upstream water flows from snow melt and rain in other parts of the state.
Tempe Town Lake, which opened in 1999, holds about 1 billion gallons of water. Most of the lake's water is projected to be lost because of this breach. Some areas of the lake may be left with about three feet of water. The average lake depth is about 16 feet. At the peak of the flows Tuesday night, the water was estimated to be flowing over the west dam at a rate of 15,000 cubic feet per second.
When the city learned of the breach, it immediately worked to ensure that the Salt River bed west of the dam was clear of any people. The city also removed docks to accommodate the water flow. The lake is now officially closed to classes and boaters until further notice.
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Video by KGUN
