Valley Girl Views: The World's Largest Inflatable Dam

The Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam (formerly known as the Sunbury Fabridam) is the world's longest inflatable dam.

The dam is a controlled collapsible structure, consisting of a concrete base slab with piers spaced about 300 feet apart across the river. Rubber coated fabric sections are anchored to the base slab and he piers, forming large balloon like bags with can be inflated with water and air. When all are inflated, they close the river channel and create a pool 8 foot deep by the dam. During the winter, the seven bags are deflated.

The fabridam was designed by the Firestone Tire And Rubber Company, manufactured by DuPont, and constructed by Harrison and Burrowes Construction Company, of New Jersey.

The 2,100 foot long dam, when raised, created a 3,000 acre "lake" in the Susquehanna River, was named Lake Augusta at the dedication ceremony in July of 1969.

"One of the world's largest fabric dams burst under testing here Thursday, sending backed up water of the Susquehanna River whooshing into its cavity and a fisherman scurrying to the shore."

That ceremony was almost cancelled, when the dam burst during tests in June of 1969.

A series of "splash boards" were erected to retain the 3,000 acre water level late, temporarily, for the 3 day opening festivities.

There are 7 links, each about 100 feet long. Only one of the seven links had burst. Witnesses said the burst sent a column of water 40 feet into the air.

The Dam & new "Lake", was dedicated in a huge 3 day celebration held July 4-6, 1969.

The three day opening ceremony, held over the 4th of July week-end, included a parade of bangs, dedication ceremonies, a press conference and reception, race regattas, the crowning of Miss Regatta, a water ski show, a sky divers exhibition, and one reader messaged me to say her and her friends bounced on the dam bags that week-end.

A Snake Dance was performed at the dedication ceremony. (One was also advertised at Rolling Green around that same year) The Dedication platform was located at South Front Street, at the dam site.

Some of the mentions of things included in the parade were"

Smokey the Bear & a Dept of Forest Water Truck, three boat trailer displays by Robbins Marine and The East Shore Boat Club,

A 1903 Curve Dashboard Oldsmobile driven by Mr & Mrs Robert Dornsife, fire trucks, the city band, and more.

Dr Maurice Goddard was presented a plaque containing one of the spikes from the original Shamokin Dam

This original dam was built to raise the water on the canal, read more about it here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-original-dam-that-shamokin-dam-was.html That dam was destroyed by a flood in 1904.

The Sunbury Fabridam was renamed on July 17th 2001 for Sunbury native Adam T. Bower, Chief Clerk of the PA House Of Representatives from 1967-1968.

An article in the Daily item in November of 1974 stated that the "seven bag inflatable dam is up for the first time in four years" but that the dam supervisor, Oscar Francis believed someone was shooting at it with bb guns.

The dam had been under repair since 1972, when it was heavily damaged in the June flood. "Other delays in full inflation were caused by ice and debris damage, and abrasian damage to the two ply bags"