People passing by the Iowa River’s Burlington Street dam will likely see lots of unusual activity next week, starting Monday, Nov. 11, as a barge and divers make appearances for two separate projects.

Terracon Consultants Inc. of Cedar Rapids—under contract with University of Iowa Facilities Management—will perform geotechnical testing of the Iowa River bed. The work is preparation for completion of an IT conduit and potable water line under-river crossing near the Iowa Advanced Technical Laboratories.

As part of the prep work, a barge will be brought in north of the Iowa River to take soil-boring tests to help crews locate the best route for extending the conduit and water line, work that is scheduled for spring 2014.

At the same time, divers from J.F. Brennan Co. of Wisconsin, also under contract with Facilities Management and as part of scheduled maintenance, will replace wooden “flashboards” that top the dam. The boards help raise the water level on the north side of the dam and allow for more efficient water intake into the UI's Water Plant on the east side of the river.

The work is expected to take one to three days.