Amistad Dam, also known as Presa La Amistad (“Friendship Dam”), is a major international structure on the Rio Grande River, located approximately 12 miles northwest of Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila. Completed in 1969 as a joint project between the United States and Mexico under the 1944 Water Treaty, the dam is operated and maintained by the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC).
As a major subcontractor on the Amistad Tainter Gate rehabilitation project, Paragon faced a highly complex and demanding scope of work involving four Tainter gates in an active dam environment:
• Installation of a SSPC Class 1A containment and ventilation system
• Application of the IBWC-specified coating system over the entire gate surfaces.
• Installation of temporary gate supports during the rehabilitation process.
• Strict environmental controls required for the safe removal of the existing coating system.
• Working in a confined, high-risk dam setting where gates must remain ready for immediate operation.
Paragon self-performed the critical containment, abrasive blasting, and painting scopes with precision and reliability.
To address the challenges of lead paint mitigation and work in an active Tainter gate environment, Paragon designed and erected an SSPC Class 1A containment system that fully captured all spent abrasive and paint debris while maintaining strict environmental compliance.
Paragon’s innovative containment and rapid demobilization methods further lowered project risk in this complex, marine environment.
