As part of the ongoing maintenance of Parker Dam, the Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $2,283,310 contract to Abhe & Svoboda, Inc., of Prior Lake, Minnesota, to paint the dam's five massive regulating gates.

The regulating (or spillway gates) measure 50 feet by 50 feet and weigh 400,000 pounds each. Last painted in 1970, they are being re-painted because their existing coating has reached the end of its service life. The paint, a low volatile organic compound, protects the structural metal of the gates from corrosion, and helps ensure their structural integrity.

The contractor has 540 days to complete the painting.

This work will not affect dam operations, water operations, or Lake Havasu levels. The contractor will use a bulkhead gate to isolate one regulating gate at a time from the reservoir. The bulkhead gate is sufficiently large enough to accomodate the normal lake elevations. In the unlikely event flood releases are necessary, the remaining four regulating gates have the necessary capacity to accommodate the situation.