DOCSLIB.ORG

Hydraulic Modeling Analysis of the Middle Rio Grande River from Cochiti Dam to Galisteo Creek, New Mexico

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Hydraulic Modeling Analysis of the Middle Rio Grande River from Cochiti Dam to Galisteo Creek, New Mexico THESIS HYDRAULIC MODELING ANALYSIS OF THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE RIVER FROM COCHITI DAM TO GALISTEO CREEK, NEW MEXICO Submitted by Susan J. Novak Department of Civil Engineering In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Science Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado Spring 2006 COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY October 24, 2005 WE HEREBY RECOMMEND THAT THE THESIS PREPARED UNDER OUR SUPERVISION BY SUSAN JOY NOVAK ENTITLED HYDRAULIC MODELING ANALYSIS OF THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE RIVER FROM COCHITI DAM TO GALISTEO CREEK, NEW MEXICO BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING IN PART REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE. Committee on Graduate Work ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Adviser ______________________________________________ Department Head ii AB ST R A CT O F TH E SI S HYDRAULIC MODELING ANALYSIS OF THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE FROM COCHITI DAM TO GALISTEO CREEK, NEW MEXICO Sedimentation problems with the Middle Rio Grande have made it a subject of study for several decades for many government agencies involved in its management and maintenance. Since severe bed aggradation in the river began in the late 1800’s, causing severe flooding and destroying farmland, several programs have been developed to restore the river while maintaining water quantity and quality for use downstream. Channelization works, levees, and dams were built in the early 1900’s to reduce flooding, to control sediment concentrations in the river and to promote degradation of the bed. Cochiti Dam, which began operation in 1973, was constructed primarily for flood control and sediment detention. The implementation of these channel structures also had negative effects, including the deterioration of the critical habitats of some endangered species. The reach under analysis stretches 8.2 miles from Cochiti Dam to Galisteo Creek. This study quantifies spatial and temporal trends in channel geometry, discharge, and sediment in the reach, and estimates future potential conditions of the Cochiti Dam reach. This will help various management agencies identify areas of the Middle Rio Grande that are more conducive to restoration efforts for these endangered species. This study focuses on post-dam trends in the Cochiti Dam reach. The existing Middle Rio Grande database was updated and completed for facilitation of this analysis. The highly controlled dam reduced peak annual flow rates to less than 10,000 cfs. Decreasing trends in width, width/depth ratio, and cross-sectional area were noted. Thalweg degradation averaged 2 feet over the entire reach. Median bed sediment sizes increased from an average of 0.1 mm in 1962 to an average of 24 mm in 1998. This was due to the 98% decrease in suspended sediment iii after the dam construction. The clearwater discharge from the dam scoured the bed and has narrowed the channel slightly. The bed degradation and bed material coarsening seen in this reach is consistent with previous studies on the Middle Rio Grande River. The planform has changed from a braided to single thread meandering channel from 1918 to 2004. The sediment transport capacity of the river is very high at the outlet of Cochiti Dam due to the release of clear, sediment starved water. The capacity has decreased since 1972, however, because the bed has coarsened. The upstream bed has armored and the sediment-starved water may soon begin eroding the banks and increasing lateral motion. Susan J. Novak Department of Civil Engineering Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO 80523 Spring 2006 iv A CK NO W LE D GEM E N TS I would like to thank the USBR in Denver and Albuquerque for the opportunity to work on this project. I would like to especially thank Chris Holmquist-Johnson, Jan Oliver, and Suzanne DeVergie for sending me so much data and then taking the time to explain it to me. Thanks to Drew Baird and my advisor Dr. Pierre Julien for overseeing the project and keeping me on track. I am grateful to Mark Velleux for helping me with my project and with schoolwork and to the rest of the group, Forrest, Seema, Chad, James, Un, and Max. Thanks to my friends Erin, Tessa, Esther, and Paul for their support and to my parents for taking care of my dog when I had working marathons. Thanks to my dog Millie for never complaining and sleeping quietly in my office when I had to work late at night. Finally, thanks to my committee members, Dr. Bill Fairbank of the Physics Department and Dr. Jose Salas of the Civil Engineering Department. v T AB LE O F CO NT EN T S ABSTRACT OF THESIS........................................................................................................... III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... V TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................VI LIST OF FIGURES..................................................................................................................VIII LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................................ X CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW..................................................................................... 4 2.1 REACH DESCRIPTION...........................................................................................................4 2.2 MIDDLE RIO GRANDE HISTORY ...........................................................................................6 2.3 HYDROLOGY, GEOLOGY, AND CLIMATE OF THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE..............................9 2.4 PREVIOUS STUDIES OF THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE.............................................................11 CHAPTER 3: GEOMORPHIC CHARACTERIZATION...................................................... 17 3.1 SITE DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND ...............................................................................17 3.1.1 Subreach Definition......................................................................................................22 3.1.2 Available Data .............................................................................................................22 3.1.3 Channel Forming Discharge........................................................................................24 3.2 METHODS ............................................................................................................................26 3.2.1 Channel Classification ................................................................................................26 3.2.2 Sinuosity .......................................................................................................................32 3.2.3 Valley Slope..................................................................................................................33 3.2.4 Longitudinal Profile.....................................................................................................33 Thalweg Elevation ............................................................................................................33 Mean Bed Elevation..........................................................................................................33 Friction and Water Slopes.................................................................................................34 3.2.5 Channel Geometry.......................................................................................................34 Hydraulic Geometry .........................................................................................................34 Overbank Flow/Channel Capacity....................................................................................35 3.2.6 Sediment ......................................................................................................................35 Bed Material .....................................................................................................................35 3.3 RESULTS..............................................................................................................................36 3.3.1 Channel Classification ................................................................................................36 3.3.2 Sinuosity ......................................................................................................................41 3.3.3 Longitudinal Profile ....................................................................................................41 Thalweg Elevation ............................................................................................................41 Mean Bed Elevation..........................................................................................................44 Friction Slope....................................................................................................................48 Water Surface Slope .........................................................................................................49 3.3.4 Channel Geometry........................................................................................................50 Hydraulic Geometry .........................................................................................................50 Overbank Flow/Channel Capacity....................................................................................56
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Chapter 4: the Hydrologic System of the Middle Rio Grande Basin
    Chapter 4: The hydrologic system of the Middle Rio Grande Basin In discussions of the water resources of an area, the hydrologic system is commonly split into two components for convenience: surface water and ground water. However, in the Middle Rio Grande Basin, as in most other locales, the surface- and ground-water systems are intimately linked through a series of complex interactions. These interactions often make it difficult to recognize the boundary between the two systems. In The Rio Grande is the only river I ever this report, the surface- and ground-water systems are described separately, saw that needed irrigation. –attributed to though one of the goals of the report is to show that they are both parts of Will Rogers the hydrologic system of the Middle Rio Grande Basin and that changes in one often affect the other. As defined earlier, in this report “Middle Rio Grande Basin” refers to the geologic basin defined by the extent of deposits of Cenozoic age along the Rio Grande from about Cochiti Dam to about San Acacia. This definition includes nearly the entire ground-water basin; however, the extent of the surface-water basin is delimited topographically by drainage divides and is consequently somewhat larger than the ground-water basin. Surface-water system The most prominent hydrologic feature in the Middle Rio Grande Basin is the Rio Grande, which flows through the entire length of the basin, generally from north to south. The fifth longest river in the United States, its headwaters are in the mountains of southern Colorado. The Rio Grande is the largest river in New Mexico, with a drainage area of 14,900 square miles where it enters the Middle Rio Grande Basin.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Resources of the Middle Rio Grande 38 Chapter Two
    THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE TODAY 37 Infrastructure and Management of the Middle Rio Grande Leann Towne, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation any entities are involved in water management lands within the Middle Rio Grande valley from M in the Middle Rio Grande valley from Cochiti to Cochiti Dam to the Bosque del Apache National Elephant Butte Reservoir. These entities own and Wildlife Refuge. The four divisions are served by operate various infrastructure in the Middle Rio Middle Rio Grande Project facilities, which consist of Grande valley that are highly interconnected and ulti- the floodway and three diversion dams, more than mately affect water management of the Rio Grande. 780 miles of canals and laterals, and almost 400 miles This paper describes major hydrologic aspects of the of drains. Users are served by direct diversions from Middle Rio Grande valley, including water manage- the Rio Grande and from internal project flows such ment activities of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, as drain returns. These irrigation facilities are operated major infrastructure of the Middle Rio Grande Project and maintained by MRGCD. (including the Low Flow Conveyance Channel), and focusing on issues downstream of San Acacia COCHITI DIVISION Diversion Dam. Although other entities such as municipalities have significant water management Project diversions from the Rio Grande begin at responsibilities in the Middle Rio Grande valley, they Cochiti Dam, through two canal headings that serve will not be addressed in this paper. the Cochiti Division. The Cochiti East Side Main and The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, a Sile Main canals deliver water to irrigators on both political subdivision of the state of New Mexico, was sides of the Rio Grande.
    [Show full text]
  • January 17, 2020 Christopher M
    FILED United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit PUBLISH January 17, 2020 Christopher M. Wolpert UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS Clerk of Court TENTH CIRCUIT WILDEARTH GUARDIANS, Plaintiff - Appellant, v. No. 18-2153 UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, Defendant - Appellee, and MIDDLE RIO GRANDE CONSERVANCY DISTRICT, Intervenor Defendant - Appellee. APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO (D.C. NO. 1:14-CV-00666-RB-SCY) Samantha Ruscavage-Barz (Steven Sugarman, Cerillos, New Mexico, with her on the briefs), WildEarth Guardians, Santa Fe, New Mexico, for Appellant. Michael T. Gray, Attorney (Jeffrey Bossert Clark, Assistant Attorney General, Eric Grant, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Robert J. Lundman and Andrew A Smith, Attorneys, Environment and Natural Resources Division, and Melanie Casner, M. Leeann Summer and Elizabeth Pitrolo, Attorneys, United States Army Corps of Engineers, with him on the brief), Environment and Natural Resources Division, United States Department of Justice, Jacksonville, Florida, for Appellee. Before TYMKOVICH, Chief Judge, PHILLIPS, and McHUGH, Circuit Judges. TYMKOVICH, Chief Judge. This is yet another episode in the story over the Rio Grande. In the arid southwest, the Rio Grande is one of only a handful of rivers that create crucial habitat for plants, animals, and humans. And it is a fact of life that not enough water exists to meet the competing needs. Recognizing these multiple uses, Congress has authorized the Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers to maintain a balance between the personal, commercial, and agricultural needs of the people in New Mexico’s Middle Rio Grande Valley and the competing needs of the plants and animals.
    [Show full text]
  • Rio Grande Compact Commission Report of 2015
    REPORT of the RIO GRANDE COMPACT COMMISSION 20042015 TO THE GOVERNORS OF Colorado, New Mexico and Texas CONTENTS Seventy-Seventh Annual Report to the Governors ...................................................................................... 1 Report of the Engineer Advisers ................................................................................................................... 2 Colorado Addendum to the Engineer Advisers’ Report .............................................................................. 23 New Mexico Addendum to the Engineer Advisers’ Report ........................................................................ 25 Texas Addendum to the Engineer Advisers’ Report ................................................................................... 37 Accounting Tables ....................................................................................................................................... 39 Method-1 ................................................................................................................................................ 39 Method-2 ................................................................................................................................................ 42 Cost of Operations and Budget ................................................................................................................... 45 July 1, 2016 Cooperative Agreement for Investigation of Water Resources .............................................. 46 Schedule for Review and
    [Show full text]
  • Third Report Water and Natural Resources Committee Mid-Rio
    Third Report to the Water and Natural Resources Committee from the Mid-Rio Grande Levee Task Force October 11, 2011 This report was prepared by the Mid-Rio Grande Levee Task Force, under the direction of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District in cooperation with the Mid-Region Council of Governments of New Mexico and the Albuquerque District Office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This is the third report submitted in response to Senate Memorial 18, passed and signed at the 2009 Regular Session of the New Mexico Legislature. THIRD REPORT TO THE WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE from the MID-RIO GRANDE LEVEE TASK FORCE OCTOBER 2011 This report provides information to update the members of the Water and Natural Resources Committee concerning the activities of the Mid-Rio Grande Levee Task Force and the various projects to bring the levees into compliance with federal regulations and design standards. Preceding reports have evaluated the condition of the existing levee system, reviewed ongoing design and construction projects, and presented general findings and recommendations of the Levee Task Force. This report provides the members of the Committee with information regarding the costs and cost sharing requirements for the construction of the San Acacia to Bosque del Apache Levee System, which is scheduled to begin construction in September 2012. Other significant projects consist of levee reconstruction in Bernalillo and Valencia Counties including the Albuquerque levees, the Corrales reach, the Montano Bridge gap, and the levees protecting the riverside communities of Valencia County. Background In response to N.M. Senate Memorial 18 (SM18), passed by a unanimous vote of the New Mexico State Senate on March 3rd during the 2009 Regular Session of the State Legislature, a Mid-Rio Grande Levee Task Force (LTF) was established with representation from all the governmental jurisdictions and agencies within the middle Rio Grande valley from Cochiti Dam to Bosque del Apache in Socorro County.
    [Show full text]
  • Surface Water Management: Working Within the Legal Framework
    University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository Law of the Rio Chama The Utton Transboundary Resources Center 2007 Surface Water Management: Working Within the Legal Framework Kevin G. Flanigan Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/uc_rio_chama Recommended Citation Flanigan, Kevin G.. "Surface Water Management: Working Within the Legal Framework." (2007). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/uc_rio_chama/39 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Utton Transboundary Resources Center at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Law of the Rio Chama by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. KEVIN G. FLANIGAN* Surface Water Management: Working ** Within the Legal Framework There are six major reservoirs in New Mexico upstream of the Middle Rio Grande. This article provides some background on how those reservoirs are operated within the current legal framework and how those operations meet various purposes and needs within the Middle Rio Grande. Between the Colorado-New Mexico state line on the north and Elephant Butte Reservoir on the south, four major tributaries join the Rio Grande, including the Rio Chama, the Jemez River, the Rio Salado, and the Rio Puerco. The Rio Chama is the primary tributary, heading in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado and joining the Rio Grande just north of Espaftola. Other significant tributaries include the Red River, Rio Pueblo de Taos, Embudo Creek, and Galisteo Creek flowing out of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains; the Jemez River flowing out of the Jemez Mountains; and the Rio Salado and Rio Puerco, which join the Rio Grande just above San Acacia.
    [Show full text]
  • Final Report
    A DYNAMIC STATEWIDE WATER BUDGET FOR NEW MEXICO: Phase I - MAJOR RIVER BASINS Ken Peterson, Water Resources Research Institute Jesse Roach, Tetra Tech Inc. Bruce Thompson, University of New Mexico DRAFT TECHNICAL COMPLETION REPORT INDEX NUMBER 124273 June 2015 New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute In cooperation with Tetra Tech Inc. and University of New Mexico Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................ 6 List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................. 8 List of Acronyms .......................................................................................................................................... 10 Disclaimer.................................................................................................................................................... 11 1 Dynamic Statewide Water Budget Framework .................................................................................. 12 2 Stocks (Stored Water) ......................................................................................................................... 16 2.1 Land Surface ................................................................................................................................ 16 2.2 Surface Water ............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Climate Impact Assessment - Appendix - a Upper Rio Grande System and Operations
    University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository Law of the Rio Chama The Utton Transboundary Resources Center 12-2013 Climate Impact Assessment - Appendix - A Upper Rio Grande System and Operations U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/uc_rio_chama Recommended Citation U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. "Climate Impact Assessment - Appendix - A Upper Rio Grande System and Operations." (2013). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/uc_rio_chama/84 This Other is brought to you for free and open access by the The Utton Transboundary Resources Center at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Law of the Rio Chama by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Appendix A Upper Rio Grande System and Operations U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Upper Colorado Region Albuquerque Area Office December 2013 Mission Statements The U.S. Department of the Interior protects America’s natural resources and heritage, honors our cultures and tribal communities, and supplies the energy to power our future. The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mission is to deliver vital public and military engineering services; partnering in peace and war to strengthen our Nation’s security, energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters. Sandia Laboratory Climate Security program works to understand and prepare the nation for the national security implications of climate change.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Requirements for Endangered Species
    Water Requirements for Endangered Species - Rio Grande Silvery Minnow (Hybognathus amarus) THERES NO DOUBT, WERE IN A DROUGHT! OCTOBER NEW MEXICO WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2002 David Cowley is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fishery and Wildlife Sciences at New Mexico State University where he teaches ecology of inland waters and wildlife law, policy, and administration. His research integrates a broad perspective in fishery biology with extensive training in population genetics to develop pragmatic conservation strategies for rare species of aquatic organisms. Dave received the Young Investigator Prize from the American Society of Naturalists in 1988, and in 2001, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish recognized him for his contributions to Rio Grande cutthroat trout management. He is a member of the American Fisheries Society, the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists, the Society for Conservation Biology, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. A graduate of Hot Springs High School in Truth or Consequences, Dave completed B.S. and M.S. degrees from Eastern New Mexico University, received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and conducted postdoctoral research in genetics at North Carolina State University. He worked nine years as a self-employed consultant before joining the faculty at NMSU in 2001. WATER REQUIREMENTS FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES - RIO GRANDE SILVERY MINNOW (HYBOGNATHUS AMARUS) David E. Cowley Department of Fishery and Wildlife Sciences New Mexico State University - MSC 4109 Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003-8003 ABSTRACT in one phase of the life history must be offset by The biology of many endangered species is poorly upstream passage, otherwise extinction is inevitable.
    [Show full text]
  • Surface Water Management: Working Within the Legal Framework
    Volume 47 Issue 3 Symposium on New Mexico's Rio Grande Reservoirs Summer 2007 Surface Water Management: Working within the Legal Framework Kevin G. Flanigan Recommended Citation Kevin G. Flanigan, Surface Water Management: Working within the Legal Framework, 47 Nat. Resources J. 515 (2007). Available at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/nrj/vol47/iss3/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Natural Resources Journal by an authorized editor of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. KEVIN G. FLANIGAN* Surface Water Management: Working ** Within the Legal Framework There are six major reservoirs in New Mexico upstream of the Middle Rio Grande. This article provides some background on how those reservoirs are operated within the current legal framework and how those operations meet various purposes and needs within the Middle Rio Grande. Between the Colorado-New Mexico state line on the north and Elephant Butte Reservoir on the south, four major tributaries join the Rio Grande, including the Rio Chama, the Jemez River, the Rio Salado, and the Rio Puerco. The Rio Chama is the primary tributary, heading in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado and joining the Rio Grande just north of Espaftola. Other significant tributaries include the Red River, Rio Pueblo de Taos, Embudo Creek, and Galisteo Creek flowing out of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains; the Jemez River flowing out of the Jemez Mountains; and the Rio Salado and Rio Puerco, which join the Rio Grande just above San Acacia.
    [Show full text]
  • The Political Water Web of the United States
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Dissertations and Theses City College of New York 2017 The Political Water Web of the United States Omar Hammad CUNY City College How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/711 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] The Political Water Web of the United States Thesis Submitted in Partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree Master of Engineering, Civil at The City College of the City University of New York by Omar Hammad December 2017 Approved: _____________________________________________________ Prof. Naresh Devineni, Thesis Advisor _____________________________________________________ Prof. Julio F. Davalos, Chair Dept. of Civil Engineering Acknowledgement This document is prepared as a Master's thesis. It is in fulfillment of the graduate degree requirements for Civil Engineering at the City College of New York (CUNY). This report, beyond fulfilling the requirements of a degree, was the product of a desire to research the topic of water compacts within the United States. Working closely with Dr. Naresh Devineni over the last few years on the subject has been a joy, I have learned an extremely fair bit from the professor and will forever be thankful to him and The Grove School of Engineering for the opportunity afforded to me. I would like to express my gratitude towards my parents and family, for helping me through this process and standing by me throughout my entire education process.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Albuquerque District, Undertook a Wide Range of Activities in the Rio Grande Basin
    Albuquerque District Arkansas San Juan Canadian nisaB ednarG oiR ednarG nisaB Rio Grande Platoro COLORADO Pecos Heron El Vado Abiquiu Jemez Canyon Cochiti Galisteo 40 25 Elephant Butte Caballo 10 NEW MEXICO TEXAS 2020 Water Management and Civil Works Report This page intentionally left blank. Table of Contents 1. General ...................................................................................................................... 1 2. Water Management Operations.................................................................................. 1 A. Snow Melt and River Flows .................................................................................... 1 B. Flood Risk Management Operations ...................................................................... 2 C. Non-Flood Risk Management Operations .............................................................. 5 D. Other Activities at Dams and Reservoirs ................................................................ 5 E. Power Generation ................................................................................................... 7 3. Civil Works Authorities and Programs ........................................................................ 8 A. New Mexico Investigation Studies .......................................................................... 8 B. New Mexico Construction Activities ........................................................................ 9 C. Texas Investigation Studies .................................................................................
    [Show full text]