Location
UMass Amherst
Event Website
http://fishpassage.ecs.umass.edu/Conference2012/
Start Date
6-6-2012 2:30 PM
End Date
6-6-2012 2:50 PM
Description
Dam removal is becoming more common in the United States as dams age and environmental concerns increase. Sediment management is an important part of many dam removal projects, but there are no commonly accepted methods to assess the level of risk associated with sediment stored behind dams. Therefore, the interagency Subcommittee on Sedimentation (SOS) is sponsoring the development of a decision framework for assessing sediment-related effects from dam removals. The decision framework provides guidance on the level of sediment data collection, analysis, and modeling needed for reservoir sediment management. The framework is based on criteria which scale the characteristics of the reservoir sediment to sediment characteristics of the river on which the reservoir is located. To assist with the framework development, workshops of invited technical experts from around the United States were convened October 2008 in Portland, Oregon and October 2009 in State College, Pennsylvania. The decision framework developed at these workshops is currently being validated with actual dam-removal case studies from across the United States including small, medium, and large reservoir sediment volumes. This paper provides the latest thinking on key components of the guidelines. The paper represents contributions from over 26 entities who have participated in the development of the guidelines. After completion of the case study application, the framework will be finalized and published.
Session C5 - Guidelines For Assessing Sediment-Related Effects of Dam Removal
UMass Amherst
Dam removal is becoming more common in the United States as dams age and environmental concerns increase. Sediment management is an important part of many dam removal projects, but there are no commonly accepted methods to assess the level of risk associated with sediment stored behind dams. Therefore, the interagency Subcommittee on Sedimentation (SOS) is sponsoring the development of a decision framework for assessing sediment-related effects from dam removals. The decision framework provides guidance on the level of sediment data collection, analysis, and modeling needed for reservoir sediment management. The framework is based on criteria which scale the characteristics of the reservoir sediment to sediment characteristics of the river on which the reservoir is located. To assist with the framework development, workshops of invited technical experts from around the United States were convened October 2008 in Portland, Oregon and October 2009 in State College, Pennsylvania. The decision framework developed at these workshops is currently being validated with actual dam-removal case studies from across the United States including small, medium, and large reservoir sediment volumes. This paper provides the latest thinking on key components of the guidelines. The paper represents contributions from over 26 entities who have participated in the development of the guidelines. After completion of the case study application, the framework will be finalized and published.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/fishpassage_conference/2012/June6/28
Comments
Tim Randle is a Supervisory Hydraulic Engineer and Manager of the Bureau of Reclamation's Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Utah in 1981 and his M.S. in Civil Engineer from the University of Colorado in 2004. He is a registered professional engineer. Also, he is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, U.S. Society on Dams, and a Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer with the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers. Mr. Randle has been with Reclamation for 31 years--nearly all of that time with the Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group. He has developed several computer models and conducted geomorphic and hydraulic studies of many rivers throughout the western United States. Mr. Randle was named Engineer of the Year for 1997 by the Bureau of Reclamation and honored as one of the top ten Federal Engineers by the National Society of Professional Engineers. He managed the interagency team that prepared the environmental impact statement (EIS) for operations of Glen Canyon Dam. Mr. Randle worked on Elwha River Restoration Project, in Washington, which involves the removal of two hydroelectric dams. Mr. Randle also organized and led data collection efforts of the Platte River in Nebraska in 1989.