U.S. seeks headgate hoist rehab at 200-MW Mt. Elbert

The Bureau of Reclamation seeks bids to overhaul hydraulic cylinders used to hoist headgates at the 200-MW Mt. Elbert Pumped-Storage project near Leadville, Colo. Bids are due June 28.

Mt. Elbert power plant is part of Reclamation's Fryingpan-Arkansas project, which diverts surplus water from the Fryingpan River and other tributaries of Roaring Fork River on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains to the Arkansas River Basin on the eastern slope. Mt. Elbert generates power from water originally pumped from Twin Lakes, the plant's afterbay, and from supplemental water delivered from Turquoise Lake to the forebay.

Reclamation seeks overhaul of two hydraulic cylinders that hoist headgates at the Mt. Elbert forebay reservoir dike. The cylinder bore is 12 inches; stroke length 16 feet, 2 inches; rod diameter 3 inches; maximum hydraulic pressure 1,000 psi. Work entails disassembly, inspection, lapping the barrel, and replacing piston rings, rod scraper, cylinder head O-rings, and seals. The contract is valued at between $100,000 and $250,000.

A solicitation notice may be obtained from the Federal Business Opportunities Internet site, www.fbo.gov , by entering solicitation No. R11PS60176 in the "Keyword/Solicitation #" box.

Bids are due June 28. For information, contact Vaschelle LaForge, Contracting Officer, Bureau of Reclamation-GP-5000, 316 N. 26th St., Billings, MT 59101; (1) 406-247-7812; E-mail: ec-helpdesk@nbc.gov .

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CRUISING KENTUCKY – DAY 4 « Don Gasaway's Blog

CRUISING KENTUCKY – DAY 4

The purpose of this trip down the Cumberland River from Eddy Creek Marina is to get a handle on fishing the new square billed crankbaits of Pradco. They are a hot item on the market due to Kevin Van Dam using them to aid in his victory at the BASS Masters Classic.

Guide Brad Wiegmann (WWW.BRADWIEGMANN.COM) represents Pradco (www.lurenet.com) at the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers Spring Cast & Blast event. He is my guide for the afternoon and has promised to also teach me how to fish boat docks.

Wiegmann lives on Beaver Lake in northwest Arkansas. That lake has many boat docks and he knows them well.

The square billed crankbaits we are using are in the 100, 200, and 300 series. The different size baits work at different depths. The cove in which we are fishing contains a variety of structure in combination with some boat docks. We throw the crankbaits at submerged wood and rip rap.

One of the nice features of these crankbaits is that the hooks ride up against the body to reduce the number of snags. As we cast out and begin the retrieve, I can feel the bait bouncing off the rocks and vegetation. Brad explains that once I feel the bait hit something, I should pause to mimic a wounded baitfish.

The theory is that the square bill on the bait allows the angler to make a “bump and run” retrieve though fall timber and other cover.

With a couple of nice 2 pounders landed, photographed and release, the discussion turns to the boat docks. The sun has come out after several days of nothing but cold, rain, drizzle and cloudiness.

Brad explains that fishing boat docks is his favorite bass pattern during the summer months. In summer he likes a boat dock with lots of water under it. In the spring he looks for one with brush.

In summer the bait forage will move under boat docks to get in the shade and little cooler water. The bass follow them. In spring the forage seek out the brush to avoid being eaten by the bass.

Brad recommends throwing something small like a wacky worm or tube bait on a 5/16 ounce jig. The worm can be skipped under the dock and the jig can be used around the edges and in the front. He seeks out docks with ramps and decks with cables. He finds that the cables appear like a tree limb to the bass and they will actually spawn beneath them.

By fishing the areas around docks that people ignore because they are difficult to reach, he is able to find fish.

Lakes of Arkansas, Lake Chicot, Mud Lake, List of Lakes in Arkansas, Lake Brittany, Lake Windsor, Murphy Lake (White County, Arkansas)

Flyfisher's Guide to Missouri & Arkansas

Arkansas

Report on transportation business in the United States at the eleventh census: 1890

Census reports, Eleventh census: 1890