The Art of the Rebuild
Gearbox Modifications Protect 1.2 Million Acres of Arkansas Farmland
Matthew Jaster, Senior Editor
2020 — in short — was complicated. The world was essentially closing down, companies were scrambling to create remote offices, and work travel was limited. Unfortunately, even during a pandemic — critical components need to be upgraded and/or replaced in many applications.
Case in point — the Memphis District’s W.G. Huxtable Pumping Station, located near Marianna, Arkansas. The station is one of the largest stormwater pumping plants in the world. According to the Memphis District website, the station was completed in 1977and serves two purposes:
First, it prevents backwater from the Mississippi River from entering the lower St.Francis Basin when the Mississippi River is at the bank full stage. This is accomplished by four 27’ × 28′ gravity flow gates, thereby becoming a dam. Second, its 10 enormous pumps remove excess surface water impounded by the Mississippi River and St. FrancisBasin levees in the most efficient manner possible. The watershed served by the plant is more than 2,000 square miles, equal to the size of the state of Delaware.