The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the 1,450-mile Colorado River in the West, is taking a unique approach to fix a nagging problem that threatens vital water supplies for seven states, tribes and Mexico.
On Tuesday, it announced it is joining forces with the NASA Tournament Lab and HeroX, the leading platform and open market for crowd-sourced solutions.
The challenge is designed to seek innovative designs for a rapid-deploying, high-pressure seal capable of controlling failed dam conduits — protecting critical water supplies and power generation infrastructure.
With water scarcity a persistent and potentially life-changing problem for growth in the West, critical ecoystems and power generation, the bureau wants to save every drop of water it can.
When primary gates malfunction due to mechanical issues, debris, or system faults, thousands of cubic feet of water can escape per second — threatening public safety, hydroelectric generation, and water storage. A robust, easily deployed seal could prevent a catastrophic emergency, the bureau said.
“One of the most significant vulnerabilities across our facilities is the failure of the primary gates that regulate water flow through massive conduits,” said Bureau of Reclamation’s Prize Competition Administrator Christine VanZomeren. “When a gate fails, rapid, reliable intervention is critical to protect downstream communities, conserve water resources, and maintain control of vital infrastructure.”
Contest organizers say that the failure of these gates — whether due to mechanical issues, debris or system faults — means thousands of cubic feet of water can surge uncontrolled, threatening public safety, storage and power generation. A robust, quickly deployable seal could mean the difference between a manageable incident and a catastrophic emergency.
The Bureau of Reclamation, which manages more than 330 reservoirs storing over 140 million acre-feet of water across 17 states, is calling on engineers, fabricators and inventors to help solve this challenge.
Up to five winners will share a $575,000 prize purse, progressing through three phases: concept white paper, prototype build, and lab-scale hydraulic testing.
The agency, through its “Fix the Seal” contest says they hope it will open the gate, so to speak, for innovative solutions.
A number of steps have been taken to help the ailing river, which is a hydrological crisis — especially for lower basin states. The bureau has ordered cuts to those states and pushed conservation measures.
In total, the bureau said, 24 conservation agreements across California and Arizona are expected to conserve up to 1.58 million acre-feet of water through 2026, with an investment of up to $670.2 million from the Inflation Reduction Act, which is part of a larger spending package of $4.6 billion to address the historic drought across the West.
Additionally it facilitated releases of water from Flaming Gorge and Blue Mesa to send to Lake Powell.
Lake Powell is 31.69% full, or 141.13 feet below full pool.
To learn more about the Seal Team Fix Challenge and help safeguard water and power for millions, visit the website at www.herox.com/SealTeamFix