Concurrent Sessions C: Integrating Recreation and River Safety with Fish Passage - Operational Success of Highly Innovative Diversion with Fish and Recreational Passage on the American River
Location
Agriculture Leaders Theater, Oregon State University
Start Date
26-6-2013 11:20 AM
End Date
26-6-2013 11:40 AM
Description
Construction of the Auburn Dam was halted in 1975 when a seismic fault was discovered. The site languished for the next several decades and the site was even overtopped by a major flood. The flood partially destroyed the 300 foot-high coffer dam, sending hundreds of thousands of tons of debris and earth into the river below. Over the following decades, the Placer County Water Agency continued to use a temporary replacement diversion to perform the function of a permanent diversion that was destroyed by the construction of the dam. To facilitate implementation of a new permanent diversion, whitewater boating and fish passage elements were included in the design. The new diversion was the first to implement a new (and patented) “Chute Screen” which provides a self-cleaning fish screen located in the invert of a man-made “rapid”. Since start-up in 2008, the diversion and intake screen have worked very well. The screen and structures have survived flood events, high sediment loadings, and have not required cleaning of the screens. Furthermore no damage to the screens has occurred. The project won the 2010 ASCE-CA Project of the Year. An overview of the design objectives, design, and operation history are the focus of this paper.
Concurrent Sessions C: Integrating Recreation and River Safety with Fish Passage - Operational Success of Highly Innovative Diversion with Fish and Recreational Passage on the American River
Agriculture Leaders Theater, Oregon State University
Construction of the Auburn Dam was halted in 1975 when a seismic fault was discovered. The site languished for the next several decades and the site was even overtopped by a major flood. The flood partially destroyed the 300 foot-high coffer dam, sending hundreds of thousands of tons of debris and earth into the river below. Over the following decades, the Placer County Water Agency continued to use a temporary replacement diversion to perform the function of a permanent diversion that was destroyed by the construction of the dam. To facilitate implementation of a new permanent diversion, whitewater boating and fish passage elements were included in the design. The new diversion was the first to implement a new (and patented) “Chute Screen” which provides a self-cleaning fish screen located in the invert of a man-made “rapid”. Since start-up in 2008, the diversion and intake screen have worked very well. The screen and structures have survived flood events, high sediment loadings, and have not required cleaning of the screens. Furthermore no damage to the screens has occurred. The project won the 2010 ASCE-CA Project of the Year. An overview of the design objectives, design, and operation history are the focus of this paper.
Comments
Rick McLaughlin has spent nearly thirty years practicing civil engineering as a part of a third generation family tradition. He learned whitewater fundamentals and worked on some of the earliest projects with the firm and the engineer who started the field of whitewater design in this country. Rick specializes in hydraulics, hydrology, design, and construction combining his passion for paddling and pursuit of engineering excellence. He has made his mark on the design of whitewater parks and multi-use recreational civil projects by applying technical rigor to the challenging dynamic environment of whitewater design, fish passage, physical modeling, river stabilization design and environmental protection. He holds patents on the Wave Shaper and the McLaughlin Chute Screen used to divert water almost undetectably by fish and whitewater recreationists. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University, an MS in Civil Engineering from Stanford University, and is a registered professional engineer in over ten states. He has published numerous technical articles including five on whitewater design, and has completed eight physical model studies for river and multi-use recreational projects.