Engineers, Science, and the Public Interest: Water Resources Planning in the Atchafalaya Basin

1991 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 282-308
Author(s):  
Martin Reuss
Keyword(s):  
Flood Control ◽  
Economic Resources ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Mississippi Valley ◽  
Army Corps Of Engineers ◽  
Resource Exploitation ◽  
Lower Mississippi Valley ◽  
The Public ◽  
Oil Gas ◽  
Resources Planning

The work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Atchafalaya (Uh-CHAFF-a-LIE-uh) Basin in southern Louisiana is an especially revealing example of the problems facing government agencies trying to balance conflicting economic and environmental demands. The basin contains precious wetlands and wildlife and major economic resources such as oil, gas, timber, and fish. It is also the center of one of the most hydrologically dynamic areas in the world. For the Corps, the basin serves as a vital part of the flood-control system for the entire lower Mississippi Valley. The problem was to reconcile this purpose with the continuing need for resource exploitation and increased concern for protecting the environment. In the Atchafalaya Basin, science proved its limitations and the art of politics its worth. This was a natural laboratory that taught engineers and environmentalists alike.

scholarly journals Vertical and horizontal datums used in the Lower Mississippi Valley for US Army Corps of Engineers projects

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Dunbar
Keyword(s):  
Mississippi River ◽  
Technical Note ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Mississippi Valley ◽  
Army Corps Of Engineers ◽  
Lower Mississippi Valley ◽  
Us Army ◽  
Vertical Datum ◽  
The Mean

Six geodetic datums have been used by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Mississippi River Commission (MRC), for river surveys in the Lower Mississippi Valley (LMV). These legacy elevation datums are the Cairo datum, the Memphis datum, the Mean Gulf Level (MGL), the Mean Sea Level (MSL), the National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) 1929, and the North American Vertical Datum 1988 (NAVD88). The official geodetic datum currently prescribed by the USACE is NAVD88 (USACE 2010). In addition to these different geodetic datums, hydraulic datums are in use by the USACE for rivers, lakes, and reservoir systems. Hydrographic surveys from the Mississippi River are typically based on a low water pool or discharge reference, such as a low water reference plane (LWRP), an average low water plane (ALWP), or a low water (LW) plane. The following technical note is intended to provide background information about legacy datums used in the LMV to permit comparison of historic maps, charts, and surveys pertaining to the Mississippi River in the LMV. The purpose of this report is to provide background information and history of different published horizontal and vertical datums used for presentation of hydrographic survey data from the Mississippi River. The goal is to facilitate understanding of differences with comparison to other historic surveys for change-detection studies along the river. Conversion values are identified herein for the earlier surveys where appropriate, and methods are presented here to evaluate the differences between earlier and later charts and maps. This report is solely intended to address the LMV area and historic surveys made there. This note is not applicable to areas outside of the LMV. Throughout this technical note, historic hydrographic surveys and data from the Memphis, TN, to Rosedale, MS, reach will be used as examples of features of interest for discussion purposes. Selected historic hydrographic survey sheets at Helena, AR, are included as Plates 1 to 3 (Appendix C) of this document and will be used as examples for discussion purposes.

Discovering the Polaris Fault, Martis Creek Dam, Truckee, California

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-120
Author(s):  
Lewis E. Hunter ◽  
Ronn S. Rose ◽  
Bruce Hilton ◽  
William McCormick ◽  
Todd Crampton
Keyword(s):  
Flood Control ◽  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Lake Tahoe ◽  
The United States ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Army Corps Of Engineers ◽  
Vegetation Canopy ◽  
History Of ◽  
Control Purpose

Abstract Martis Creek Dam, located in the Truckee Basin north of Lake Tahoe, CA, was initially rated as one of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ highest risk dams in the United States. While the dam has performed its flood control purpose, a history of excessive seepage during even moderate reservoir levels has prevented it from also fulfilling its potential water storage function. During seepage and seismic studies to assess and mitigate deficiencies, high-resolution light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data were obtained. This imagery provides an unprecedented representation of the ground surface that allows evaluation of geomorphology even in areas with a dense vegetation canopy. At Martis Creek Dam, this geomorphic analysis resulted in the recognition of a previously unknown and through-going lineament between the spillway and dam embankment. This feature extends to the southeast, where several lineament splays are exposed on the East Martis Creek Fan. These lineaments were subsequently explored by paleo-seismic trenching at two locations and confirmed as faults with Late Quaternary to Holocene displacement. Faulting was confirmed in both trenches as unique splays of a fault zone with several feet of apparent normal (vertical) slip and an unknown magnitude, but a potentially significant, strike-slip component. Faulting was observed near the ground surface in both cases, and multiple fault events (a minimum of two) are interpreted as at least latest Pleistocene in age, and probably active in the Holocene.

scholarly journals Finite element analysis of quoin block deterioration and load transfer mechanisms in miter gates : pintle and pintle connections

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dixon DeAnna ◽  
Hodo Wayne
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element Analysis ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Flood Control ◽  
Load Transfer ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Army Corps Of Engineers ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Design Life ◽  
Transfer Mechanisms

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) currently operates and maintains approximately 193 commercially active lock sites with 239 locks and dams spanning nearly 12,000 miles. These networks of water channels are used to transport 600 million tons of domestic cargo, generating $405 billion in revenue annually. Nearly 60% of these structures in operation are over 50 years old and have reached design life. A failure of the miter gates could result in a major negative impact on the economy and on the ability to maintain flood control. Administrators need recommendations to better prioritize maintenance and repair of the USACE miter gates. This work investigated the influence of miter gate’s quoin block degradation on load transfer to the pintle and/or pintle connections. Results of finite element analysis are reported for the quoin block degradation simulated levels of 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75%. The parametric study shows the overstressed regions are the pintle neck and bolt-hole regions. To improve pintle designs so they may better mitigate detrimental environmental based deterioration effects, this work recommends (1) increasing the thickness of the bolt-hole connection region and (2) adding ribbing reinforcement around the neck area of the pintle.

EXPANDING ENVIRONMENTAL EMPHASES IN WATER RESOURCES PLANNING

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (04) ◽  
pp. 1350023 ◽  
Author(s):  
LARRY CANTER ◽  
MANROOP CHAWLA ◽  
TOM SWOR
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Water Resources Planning ◽  
Hydroelectric Power ◽  
Army Corps Of Engineers ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Planning Processes ◽  
Project Monitoring ◽  
Resources Planning

Numerous water resources planning agencies exist within countries and their states or provinces, or within river basin commissions and local areas. Such planning includes projects involving waterway navigation, hydroelectric power generation, flood risk management, water supply, and ecosystem restoration. Although planning has existed for many decades, new environmental challenges are being identified and responsive methods are being developed. This review cites more than 75 journal articles and reports which are related to emerging frameworks and methods. The most frequently cited information source is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The reader is encouraged to explore these general and topical references and to utilise them in the context of their water resources planning efforts. It is important to note that not all references will be relevant to local unique conditions and challenges. Addressing these expanding emphases requires flexibility within existing planning processes and collaboration with multiple stakeholder groups. Examples of newer methods summarized herein include cumulative effects assessment and management, conceptual models, use of indicators and indices, managing downstream flows, addressing climate change, evaluation of ecosystem services, and post-EIS project monitoring and adaptive management to expand the knowledge base of planners and to adjust project operational patterns to minimise undesirable consequences.

scholarly journals River Activism, “Levees-Only” and the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ned Randolph
Keyword(s):  
Mississippi River ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Flood Control ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Army Corps Of Engineers ◽  
Media Campaigns ◽  
Public Pressure ◽  
Organized Media ◽  
The U.S

This article investigates media coverage of 19th and early 20th century river activism and its effect on federal policy to control the Mississippi River. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ “levees-only” policy—which joined disparate navigation and flood control interests—is largely blamed for the Great Flood of 1927, called the largest peacetime disaster in American history. River activists organized annual conventions, and later, professional lobbies organized media campaigns up and down the Mississippi River to sway public opinion and pressure Congress to fund flood control and river navigation projects. Annual river conventions drew thousands of delegates such as plantation owners, shippers, bankers, chambers of commerce, governors, congressmen, mayors and cabinet members with interests on the Mississippi River. Public pressure on Congress successfully captured millions of federal dollars to protect property, drain swamps for development, subsidize local levee districts and influence river policy.

scholarly journals Proposed Horsepen Bayou Conveyance Improvements City of Houston, Harris County, Texas

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Jalbert ◽  
Jennifer Kimbell
Keyword(s):  
Flood Control ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Cultural Resources ◽  
Army Corps Of Engineers ◽  
Harris County ◽  
Regulatory Oversight ◽  
Neutral Buoyancy ◽  
Project Area ◽  
Pedestrian Survey ◽  
National Historic Preservation Act

Terracon Consultants, Inc. (Terracon) was retained by IDS Engineering Group (Client) to conduct an intensive pedestrian survey for the proposed Horsepen Bayou Conveyance Improvements project in Houston, Harris County, Texas. Terracon previously conducted a cultural resources desktop assessment for the Client, which was coordinated with the Texas Historical Commission (THC) on March 4, 2019. Since the proposed undertaking will occur on land owned or controlled by a political subdivision of the State of Texas (Harris County Flood Control District), this project was subject to the Antiquities Code of Texas (Texas Natural Resources Code, Title 9, Chapter 191). Additionally, since future phases of this project will trigger regulatory oversight through coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, it will be subject to provisions of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 USC § 306101). This project was conducted under Antiquities Permit #8974. The project area comprises an approximate six-mile reach along Horsepen Bayou, and associated tributaries, and an approximate 73-acre undeveloped tract. Fieldwork, consisting of pedestrian survey and shovel testing, was conducted from July 22 to July 26, 2019 by Catherine Jalbert (Project Archeologist), Edgar Vazquez (Staff Archeologist), and Michael Hogan (Staff Archeologist), under the oversight of Jennifer Hatchett Kimbell, who served as the Principal Investigator. The report was authored by Catherine Jalbert and Jennifer Hatchett Kimbell. The proposed project area was investigated in compliance with Texas Historical Commission (THC) and Council of Texas Archeologists (CTA) guidelines for archeological survey. No cultural resources were observed within the project area. One property, NASA’s Sonny Carter Training Facility/Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (Building 920) is adjacent to the project area and has been determined eligible for listing to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). However, the THC has determined that the project will have no adverse effect on this property. Considering the absence of other observed cultural resources eligible for inclusion on the NRHP within the project area, Terracon recommended that the proposed project be allowed to proceed as currently designed. The THC concurred with this recommendation on October 4, 2019, and consequently no additional work is required at this time. In the event that human remains or cultural features are discovered during construction, those activities should cease in the vicinity of the remains and Terracon, the THC’s Archeology Division, or other proper authorities should be contacted.

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