Reservoir work in progress

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Work to permanently fix Turner Reservoir, a popular fishing spot located seven miles northeast of Osage, began in January of this year following infrastructure failure that caused the four-acre fishing pond in the northeast corner of Thunder Basin National Grassland to drain in both 2018 and 2019. 
As originally reported by the News Letter Journal in August 2019, a temporary fix was completed after the initial drainage of the reservoir in 2018 while the U.S. Forest Service acquired funding for a permanent fix. Eventually, the temporary fix failed and the reservoir remained empty. 
According to Aaron Voos, a Forest Service public affairs specialist, the  reservoir, which is fed by Turner Creek and located 7 miles north of Osage, is now under construction and the area remains closed to the public for the duration of the project.  
“The project includes removing old infrastructure which failed in August 2019 and installing a new outlet pipe, control gate, spillway and dam excavation work,” Voos said in an email to the News Letter Journal. “The project is expected to be completed by this summer, but per the contract they (JTR Excavation out of Mills) have until September 2021.” 
He continued that the spring-fed reservoir will naturally refill after construction is completed. At that time, the Douglas Ranger District has also planned future work and maintenance to the dock and other on-site infrastructure.