January 1, 1983
In 1983, the Army Corps of Engineers chose Cornell pumps to drain 2,500 acres of Spirit Lake at Mt. St. Helens. Volcanic debris blocked the lake’s natural drainage, and if not drained, it would have caused flooding and damage to the towns below. Cornell brought 20 pumps that could move over 100,000 gallons of water per minute. They started running just 37 days after the contract was awarded.