Bowman Dam construction work consists of installing a 6-foot high concrete parapet wall on top of the dam and raising a portion of the spillway walls by 2 feet for flood control.

Kirby Nagelhout Construction Co., Bend, Oregon, was awarded the $938,742 construction contract on September 27, 2010.

Signs warning drivers of the roadway closure and detours will be posted at the following locations: Highway 27; Alfalfa Highway; Millican Road at Four Corners; Highway 20; Powell Butte Highway; and the Highway 20 and Highway 27 intersection.

Big Bend Campground located near the dam will remain partially open, leaving nine of the 15 campsites accessible to recreationists. The six closed campsites will be used as a staging area for construction crews.

People are advised to exercise caution around the construction zone and to comply with all road closure and safety signs.

For more information about the construction contact Larry Wolf, Safety of Dams program manager at 208-378-5220; concerns about the campground can be directed to Lynette Ripley at Reclamation's Bend Field Office at (541) 389-6541