Little Para Dam, classified as "extremely hazardous", required major rehabilitation work for safe discharge of the revised design flood.

Several alternatives were assessed by the contractor : roller-compacted concrete protection; raising the dam crest; creating an auxiliary spillway controlled by a fixed sill; mechanical gates; inflatable dams; fusegates.

The fusegate solution was preferred since it offered the best compromise between costs (construction and maintenance) and reliability under extreme conditions.

With their precast base chamber and prefabricated duplex stainless steel composite walls, the structure offers a minimum 100 year service life.

This innovative design has made it possible to reduce significantly the environmental impact of the project and the worksite duration.