Mexico – Engineering, Sedimentation Project

Team Advisor: Dr. Rollin Hotchkiss

Team members: Chud Lundgreen, Cari Walker, Matt Evans, Tamara Rabadi, Warren Casbeer

Tasks:

Overall Objectives:

1. Remediation of current dams and reservoirs

                a. Find out options for remediation for existing dams

                b. Distinguish characteristics of each method

i. Understand factors: soil type, economics/feasibility, environmental impact, public perception/opinion, environmental location

                                ii. Understand negative aspects

                c. Experiment on a dam with known factors (ie: Deer Creek, Echo Reservoir, etc.)

2. Future dam construction

                a. Land management and planning to prevent erosion

                b. Dam design options to avoid sedimentation issues and minimize environmental impact

3. Education

a. Teach the principles of sedimentation and the difficulties of remediation vs. prevention (Teach with PowerPoint presentation)

                b. Prepare brochure/pamphlet about the types of remediation

                c. Prepare a resource list for future use

1)      Prepare presentation on problems with reservoir sedimentation (English and Spanish)

-          Literature review

-          Send it to colleagues in Mexico before going or present it there (or both?)

-          How problems manifested in Mexican dams/reservoirs

-          Improve knowledge of dam designers in Mexico, avoiding sedimentation issues in new dams         

2)      Work on issues in Deer Creek Reservoir prior to travel

-          Find out basic information about Deer Creek Reservoir

-          Contact BOR and set up meeting for group to meet with BOR officials

-          What types of information about the reservoir does BOR have?

-          Set up models of the area in WMS and GIS

-          Practice sedimentation sampling within the reservoir

3)      Develop plan for remediation of sediment within the reservoirs

 

Information Needed (for both Provo and Mexico dams/reservoirs):

 

-          Date of construction completion (design information as well perhaps)

-          Authority over dam operation

-          Any topography/bathymetry data of the area (from prior to dam construction to now)

-          Amount of sediment deposited upstream (reservoir sediment surveys completed?)

-          Particle size distribution (sampling of sediments)

-          Aerial photos or other information about the area over time

-          Location of reservoir in context of the watershed and other surrounding water bodies

-          Accessibility to dam/reservoir

-          Purposes/uses of dams/reservoirs (including any loss of benefits over time)

-          Coastal erosion (specifically for Mexico)

-          Pictures of delta

 

Contacts:

 

Bruce Barrett & Dale Hamilton

BOR 

Provo Area Office

302 E 1860 S

Provo, UT 84606

(801)-379-1000

Dale Hamilton

dhamilton@uc.usbr.gov

(801)-379-1186

               

                Mexican colleagues

-          Karla Barajas, Alba Medel, Javier Clausen

-          karlabarajas@gmail.com, alba.medel@gmail.com, jclausen@iteso.mx

 

Provo River Water Users Association

285 W 1100 N

Pleasant Grove, UT 84062

(801)-796-8770

 

Inventory of Tools and Resources:

-          Computational tools (WMS, GIS)

-          What kind of data are available for the areas under question? (topography, land use, etc.)

-          Sampling tools available?

-          Cameras?

 

References:

 

1)      http://www.usbr.gov/uc/provo/index.html  (BOR Provo area office homepage)

2)      http://www.usbr.gov/dataweb/html/provoriver.html (information on Provo River Project, under direction of BOR, this project includes the Deer Creek Reservoir)

3)      http://www.usbr.gov/dataweb/dams/ut10117.htm (information on the Deer Creek Dam)

4)      http://www.prwua.org/ (website of Provo River Water Users Association)

5)      Annandale, G. 1987. Reservoir Sedimentation. Developments in water science, 29. Elsevier. New York.

6)      Batuca, D.  & Jordaan, J. 2000. Silting and desilting of reservoirs. A.A. Balkema. Brookfield, VT, USA.

7)      Hotchkiss, R. ‘Reservoir Sedimentation and Dam Removal’ (Power Point presentation).

8)      Mahmood, K. 1987. Reservoir sedimentation: impact, extent, and mitigation.  World Bank technical paper, no. 71. Washington, D.C.

9)      Morris, G & Jiahua, F. 1998. Reservoir Sedimentation Handbook: design and management of dams, reservoirs, and watersheds for sustainable use. McGraw-Hill. New York.

10)   White, W. R. 2001. Evacuation of sediments from reservoirs. Thomas Telford. London