With the combined expertise and knowledge, stemming from working on over 6,000 water-controlling projects in over 45 U.S. States and nearly every Canadian Province, it’s our joint experience that ultimately enables us to provide world-class custom services, tailored to meet your unique needs while driving innovation in the industry.
Water Diversion and Water Storage
Since 1993
Operations Manager , Water Diversion and Water Storage Since 1993
Portadam helped bring the story of a true American tragedy to the big screen at the Deep Water Horizon movie set. Portadam worked with film production crews to replicate the Gulf of Mexico. We built an 8- million-gallon impoundment around a life-size oil rig in a parking lot in New Orleans.
Portadam has been providing custom solutions and expert services for over four decades. Whether it’s diversion cofferdams, flood protection, or impoundment storage. Portadam has the answer to your problem.
Water is the most complex compound in the world. Water presents many variables from location to location. Water has a forever unpredictable changing environment.
Since 2005
Controller , Since 2005
Our team has a wealth of knowledge, consistency & experience that we employs; the Sales Staff has an average of 24+ years of experience, and our Field Supervisors have 17+ years of experience – outperforming most industry standards.
Water Diversion & Water Storage
Since 1990
General Manager , Water Diversion & Water Storage Since 1990
I remember working on a project in Puyallup, WA – Outfall Diffuser installation into the Puyallup River, a river formed by glaciers on the west side of Mt. Rainier. The high flow conditions of the river required precise coordination of the Portadam installation between our in-water team members and the customer’s support crew. It was a very gratifying experience to be part of.
I’m proud to be a part of the Portadam team: we are committed to identifying project-specific challenges, developing cost-effective solutions, and implementing them in a timely manner.
Although “water seeks its own level” is a very straightforward concept -that’s where the simplicity ends. In the real world, this basic notion can present very complex challenges that are dictated by varying and diverse site conditions. We strive to meet those challenges head-on!
Water Diversion
Since 2019
Water Diversion
Since 2005
Supervisor , Water Diversion Since 2005
My favorite project was one in Dubai. I had the opportunity to work with people from all over the world to complete our project. That’s one of the beauties of working here- we will literally go anywhere in the world and work in some of the hardest conditions to complete our mission.
The complexity of water and its ability to change form makes it difficult to predict, it will find the smallest of spaces to fill. It has the strength to crush steel. You need an experienced professional to handle your water problems.
Water Diversion & Water Storage
Since 1998
National Sales Director , Water Diversion & Water Storage Since 1998
We think outside the box and come up with unique solutions for complex or unusual projects. One remarkable project was the IDEX 2013 in Abu Dhabi – we installed a 860 long above-ground impoundment to run gunboats in for a live demonstration.
Water brings a very complex set of potential problems. Most people think of water as a simple, straightforward issue to deal with. Water has weight, and coupled with a flow, you are going to have difficulties: scenarios we are familiar with and have more than likely encountered on past projects.
Water Diversion
Since 2009
Water Diversion
Since 2018
Since 1980
Operations Manager , Since 1980
One of my favorite projects was in Green River, Wyoming. We installed several dams to facilitate pipeline crossings; one that stood out was Installing a diversion dam in 2 feet of water across the entire 150-foot-wide Green River using two excavators, and a one-inch steel cable stretched across the river between the machines. The chain edge was tied to the cables, and we used the machines to pull the fabric out and drop it. We nervously watched the water almost overtop the 7-foot frames before it flowed down a man-made diversion channel. After the completion of the project, we removed the entire fabric in one piece with 5 feet of head pressure using an excavator & steel cable: A very difficult operation!
With over 40 years of experience working in and around water, we can provide a dedicated workforce to solve all your problems related to marine construction and flooding and any other water-related needs.
Water can find its way anywhere, no matter how much you try to stop it, unless you come to us!
Since 2015
President , Since 2015
Water is extremely hard to control as it goes where it wants to – taking the path of least resistance.
We have an incredible knowledge base of how water works and how to control it – the knowledge is easily understated because of the sheer amount of work we’ve done over the years in controlling water. It’s not book knowledge: It’s knowledge based on real-life experience – hundreds of years of aggregated experience.
Since 2000
Commercial Operations Manager , Since 2000
The most unique project that I worked on was in Abu Dhabi, UAE, for the IDEX 2013 Weapons Expo. We installed an above-ground tank that was part of a twice a day in water show for five day period (in which I was part of the show!)
Water Does what it wants when it wants, and with the equipment at our disposal, we’re able to tame it. There is a lot of experience from the core of this company that I believe can tackle any obstacle put in front of us.
Water Diversion
Since 2019
Water Diversion
Since 2000
Sales Manager , Water Diversion Since 2000
One of the most remarkable projects, which I still cherish, was the Central Park Lake’s Sediment Removal in New York, NY, back in 2007. It required a large amount of Portadam equipment to dewater a large portion of the lake to dredge the material build-up in multiple phases. The pics shared by our dive crew alone were amazing. But to visit the site with my father brought back memories of when I would visit him as a child, and Central Park was always an enjoyable place to visit, especially around the lake. We took our own pics that day reflecting on the past, the present, and the continued work/foreseeable future envisioned by Central Park Conservancy.
One thing about our company that potential customers should know is that we’re not salesmen who will sell you anything, but that we want you to feel confident knowing you have a team with hundreds of years of knowledge & experience when it comes to water. We want you to come back knowing we saved you time and money.
Since 1995
Operations Manager , Since 1995
I remember a project in the Mississippi River flood of 2011, a casino in Tunica, Ms. There was a flooding of the Mississippi River valley in the central United States from late April to May 2011 on a scale that was not seen since the floods of 1927. With over 37 years of water expertise, we were brought in to evaluate, protect and resolve the anticipated historical flood possibilities around the premises. Some of the challenges brought forth required our team onsite to provide the customer with quick, effective resolutions and implement them at a moment’s notice, utilizing what materials were available being surrounded by rising flood waters. After the historical river crest, the river receded, and the premises had
been completely protected with minimal damage.
As a company, our combined experience, in-depth analysis of moving water and response time provides top-notch results. Our customers’ needs come first. Working with water is very complex, it requires skilled training, hydrology knowledge, and construction experience to provide safe, first-rate results. After years of being dedicated to the water industry, putting water and its natural environment is always a top priority.
At Portadam, we aim to always exceed expectations and provide our exceptional high-quality Platinum Portadam Service to all customers. We combine knowledge with innovation, using our technical expertise, problem-solving mindset, and decades of experience. We will find the best environmentally sensitive and safety-oriented solutions for our customers’ water management needs.
Since 1997
Operations Manager , Since 1997
A remarkable project I recall working on was a power station intake relocation – Roi-Namur, an island in the north part of the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The setting was very unique, and the work was very challenging. Even though the conditions pushed the Portadam system beyond its limits, the job was completed via a tremendous joint effort of all involved. Resources were limited to personnel and equipment which was on the island so that everyone -and everything- had to work together toward the same goal. It was very rewarding that my skillset was utilized well beyond the installation of the Portadam system.
Experience. Controlling water is a craft that must be mastered over years of experience. Like a Wayne Gretzky, Salvador Dali or Jimmy Hendrix -it’s that extra ability on top of fundamental knowledge and training that sets us apart from the rest. Portadam has a long history of succeeding where others have failed; our superior craft utilizing a proven system sets us apart from others who have attempted to work in this field. Nowhere else will you find a team more dedicated to the art of controlling water.
Water is one of the most powerful and erosive forces on earth, capable of destroying any attempt to control it at any moment. For best and consistent results, it is necessary to work with the water and not against it; use the physical attributes of the body of water and its setting to aid in the diversion. It is important to consider all variables of the project, put together the most robust plan available and get in and out as quickly as possible. Any alteration to its natural disposition is only temporary, and given enough time, water will always triumph.
Water Diversion
Since 2011
Shop Supervisor , Water Diversion Since 2011
I greatly recall the installation of a dam in the Colorado River at the north end of the Grand Canyon. The job was in a very desolate Navajo area, but the river and scenery were breathtaking. There were so many fish that I couldn’t move an inch without bumping into a few at a single time. Our systems are designed to work in an array of locations and are eco-friendly, allowing us to work in sensitive areas. Once removed, the location of the dam is almost unnoticeable.
In my experience, water can be very unpredictable and unforgiving. Underground streams have been the most surprising in my experiences. Once the water is pumped out from behind the dam structure, these streams seem to protrude up from the ground like large anthills.
Since 2019
Accounting Manager , Since 2019
With over 35 years in the industry of controlling water, Clients have relied on and trusted Portadam with their most challenging projects from inception to completion. Our highly trained Staff at each level carry a history of knowledge that enables Portadam to look at each project and provide a system reflecting our expertise in Flood Protection, Cofferdams, and Water Diversion. The Staff at Portadam has been the reason that our company has been successful over the past three decades.
Since 2015
Director of Marketing , Since 2015
I recall when a fire occurred at a fertilizer plant in southeastern PA. The fire suppression efforts caused a nearby creek to be contaminated. Our team mobilized quickly to erect a temporary above-ground water storage basin to collect the contaminated water and minimize the damage to aquatic life in the creek.
Moving water through a pipe causes friction; the faster the flow, the more friction, and pressure are created.