Worthington | Waterway Barriers

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TUFFBOOM floating barrier in a tributary of Don Pedro Reservoir, California, capturing post-wildfire debris before it enters the main reservoir, reducing safety and operational hazards.

Dam Safety & Debris Management

Debris Costs You Time, Money, & Power – We Can Help.

Floating debris reduces flow, clogs trashracks, and forces costly maintenance at hydropower plants and dams. For more than 25 years, we’ve specialized in floating debris control systems that maximize flow and reduce maintenance. With proven experience helping hydropower plants, dam operators, and water agencies, we provide real solutions that minimize downtime, lower costs, and improve safety.

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Rapidan Dam Exposed a Major Flaw in Spillway Protection

Aerial view of the Rapidan Dam failure during the July 2024 flood event, showing extreme water overflow and structural erosion. The spillway was blocked by debris, preventing proper water passage, which led to the collapse of the dam's side berm. This event underscores the importance of debris control solutions in dam safety and hydropower infrastructure.

Rapidan Dam experienced a similar flow event in 1965. What was different in 2024?

“This is the result of the debris that came down the river overnight, coupled with the extremely high flows”.
Blue Earth County Public Works Director 

Rapidan exposed the troubling reality facing dam safety professionals: traditional debris management methods are failing against extreme weather events. Properly engineered debris control systems are needed to prevent blockages to maintain clear spillway passages, reducing flood risk, and ensuring safe dam operations.

Tighter Trashrack Spacing, Bigger Headaches

Hydropower operators are being asked to reduce bar spacing on trashracks, but this “solution” creates a costly new problem—large floating debris mats. As trash and organic material clog the trashracks, flow to the turbines is restricted, reducing generation capacity, increasing head loss, and creating costly wear on intake trash rakers. With unmanned plants requiring expensive crew deployments for cleanup, this not only drives up operational costs but also steers critical resources away from higher-priority work.

A high-strength floating debris boom intercepts logs, plastic waste, and organic debris along a riverbank, reducing environmental impact and preventing hydropower turbine damage.

“This [TUFFBOOM] changed our lives. It cut our debris buildup by 95%. The results were so good
that we fast tracked the installation of a Worthington barrier line at another of our plants”

Hydropower Plant Owner, KY (USA)
Debris Boom TypeODINBoom®TUFFBoom®DebrisMaster®
FeatureUltra-Durable Boom (50-Year Design Life)Economical Log Boom (20-Year Design Life)Custom Barrier (Extreme Debris & High Flow)
MaterialHigh-density polyethylene (HDPE) with co-extrusion technologyLinear Low Density (LLDPE) polyethylene with foam coreRigid Steel frame design with floatation system.
Design OptionsPontoon style up to 40-feet lengths. Pipe through with center chain. Connect to form unlimited length spans.Standard 10-foot lengths. Connect together to form unlimited length spans.Standard 20-foot lengths customized to 40-foot lengths. Connect together to form unlimited length spans.
Best ForLong-term durability, low maintenance, ice, extreme conditions.General debris control, budget-friendly, easy install.Heavy debris loads, fast-moving water. Engineered for extreme impact & high flow
CostMid-RangeLowMid to High Range
Durability50+ years15-20 years20-30 year designs.
Ideal LocationsHydropower intakes, Headpond above spillwaysGeneral dam safety, lake and river barriersSpillways, high-flow rivers, log-heavy water bodies
Maintenance NeedsLowLowModerate, site-specific
Load CapacityExtremely HighHighExtremely High
ColorYellow, BlackYellow, Orange (standard)
Can be customized to site requirements.		Yellow, Orange, Black (standard)
Can be customized to client specific needs.
Other FeaturesFully CustomizableFully CustomizableFully Customizable
Engineering / DesignFull boom and anchor designFull boom and anchor designFull boom and anchor design
Installation SupportInstalled by WorthingtonInstalled by WorthingtonInstalled by Worthington

All Worthington boom systems can be provided with anchor designs, debris skirts, deflection screens, boat gates, fuse (weak) links, shoreline anchor plates, anchor chain and hardware, mooring buoys, solar lights, fusion graphics, delivery, and installation.

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Installed at the world’s top dam owners and hydropower utilities