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South Prairie Creek Activity Geomonpr¡c EvtlumoN aND Gx¡trer Mrcnmor Zo¡¡e Annlvsls Sourr Pnrun¡¡ CRETK H¡RcE CouNw, WASHINGToN Apnlzg,2005 Fon PtERcE Cou¡¡w W¡reR PRooRAilE DIvIsIoN GroEne rn ÊEasJ/ FileNo. 2998-M7-00 Geomorphic Evaluation and Channel Migration Zone Analysis FilE No. 2998-002-00 Aprll 29, 200ö Prepared for: Pierce Co¡rnty Water Programs Divlsíon 9850 - 64¡n Street West University Place, Washlngton 9g467 Altentlon: Dennis Dixon Prepared by: GeoÊngineers, lnc. 600 Dupont Street Bellingham, Washlngton 98225 (360) 647-1510 Mclnelly, LG, LEG, LHG Clvfi{:MÂ&D!ijr RcdndslllrFn¡ l¡\29911007ff)R.rlr x Dirchrmrr chelrunir fonn. f¡c¡iailu rr '{ny h¡ld rtpy uf tlu orígíæl rlonrileil ($Ì¡i[ lÉrt. tdrlc. ent/or tlgun[ jf uü anv !¡R onl¡ acqryoftlrc origíml ,lrrunrcrt"nruoritdn¡lrbc;;cnr ¡mrilstl ¡r¡¡(hnrcnts bsroili iy tìætinginccrs. hc. urd wilt*r- o" r¡*oni"¡rl d.w,-l of rôsilnl C'u¡r¡rl¡gr!È IIt5 h,v (ìcot:ntiils. lns ,lll rlghu rÉscnsL lìk No. J918.007.0t) Tnele or Corure¡¡rs Paqe No. PROJECT OBJECTIVE ........ 1 PROJECT APPROACH AND SCOPE ............... 1 REPORT ORGAN|ZAT|ON.............. ..................2 GEOMORPHTC EVALUATTON ............. .......................2 |NTRODUCT|ON.............. ...............2 REGTONAL SETTTNG ....................3 Location ............3 Basin Topography .......... ...........................3 Climate........ ........................... 3 Basin Hydrology............. ...........................3 GEOLOGTC HTSTORY ...................5 lntroduction. ...........................5 Cascades Mountain Range and the Puget Sound Basin.......... ........5 Continental Glaciation ...........5 South Prairie Valley Formation.... .............5 Osceola Mudflow...... ............6 Recent South Prairie Creek Activity .................. ............6 GEOLOGTCAND SO|LS UN|TS......... ................6 Bedrock....... ........................... 6 Orting Formation (Pre-Vashon Stade, Glacial Drift)............ ..............7 GlacialOutwash (Vashon Stade) .............7 Ancestral White River Alluvium ................7 Osceola Mudflow ..................7 South Prairie Creek Riverwash (Alluvium)... ... .. ......................7 South Prairie Creek Silty Loam (Overbank Alluvium) ............. .. .........................7 Distribution of the Geologic Units .............8 BASIN DEVELOPMENTAND LAND USE PRACTICES ........8 lntroduction ........I Pre-development Condition............... ........ I Coal Mining. ...........................8 Logging (Timber Harvesting) ....................9 Transportation lnfrastructure................. ........................9 Riparian Habitat........ .............9 REACH-SCALE GEOMORPHIC PROCESSES ...................10 lntroduction ......10 Composition of Bank and Bed Material ....................... 10 Supply of Sediment and Woody Debris.......... ............ 10 Transport Capacity ............. 1l Regionaland LocalTopography .............11 CHANNEL M|GRATION ...............12 Meander Bend Mi9ration............... ..........12 Avulsion ..........12 Braided Channel Migration .....................12 Vertical Migration..... ............13 File No. 2998-007-00 Page i GeolxenelnslQ April 29,2005 Trele or Gorurerurs (Cottrlruueo) Paqe No. REACH SCALE GEOMORPHTC EVALUAT|ON.............. .........................13 UPPER BASIN ..........13 REACH 6 (RAVTNE MOUTH TO STA-323) ....... ........14 REACH 5 (STA 323-215) ..............14 REACH 4 (STA 215-195) .............. 15 REACH 3 (STA 195-135) ..............15 REACH 2 (STA 135-20) ................16 REACH I (STA 20-0)........... .........17 CHANNEL MTGRATION ZONE (CMZ) ANALYSIS AND RESU1TS............... .......................17 |NTRODUCT|ON.............. ............17 CALCULATION OF UNCONFINED MIGRATION RATES .......................18 cMz DEL|NEAT|ON....... ...............18 Define the HCOT... ..............18 Create CMZ Base Width........... ...............19 RESULTS... ..............19 M|GRATTON POTENTIAL AREA (MPA) DELINEATION ................. ..................20 |NTRODUCT|ON.............. .............20 Severe MP4............ .............20 Moderate MP4............ .........21 Low MPA .........21 MPA ADJUSTMENTS..... ..............21 Modify CM2 Base Width.......... ................ 19 RESULTS... ...............21 GLOSSARY OF TERMS. ........................23 List of Tables Table 1. Flood History of South Prairie Creek Table 2. Summary of Peak-flows on South Prairie Creek (USGS, 1998) List of Figures Figure 1. Channel Migration Zone Study - South Prairie Creek, Pierce County Figure 2. Sketch of Greater South Prairie Creek Watershed and Major Adjacent Drainages Figure 3. Generalized Geologic Cross-section of South Prairie Valley, Pierce County Figure 4. Extent of the Osceola Mudflow within the South Prairie Valley, Pierce County Figure 5. 1897 USGS Tacoma, Washington Land Classification Map Figure 6. Channel Migration Reaches - South Prairie Valley, Pierce County Figure 7. Abandoned Channels and PotentialAvulsion Routes: Reach 5 Figure 8. Abandoned Channels and PotentialAvulsion Routes: Reaches 3 and 4 Figure 9. Abandoned Channels and PotentialAvulsion Routes: Reaches 1and2 File No. 2998-007-00 Page ii Geo1xetnzeas-1/ April 29, 2005 Tnele or Go¡¡reus (Gotrrruueo) List of Plates Plate 1. Channel Migration Zone Boundary and Migration - Potential Areas Channel Migration Zone Study for South Prairie Creek, Pierce County, Washington Plate 2. Reasoning for Migration - Potential area Delineation Channel Migration Zone Study for South Prairie Creek, Pierce County, Washington APPENDICES Appendix A - Methods Appendix B - Characteristics of SPC Reaches Appendix B Tables Table B-1. South Prairie Creek CMZ Analysis - Geomorphic Reach Descriptions Appendix C - Criteria lor CMZ and MPA Delineation Appendix C Tables Table C-1. South Prairie Creek CMZ Analysis - Criteria for CMZ and MPA Delineation Appendix D - Report Limitations and Guidelines for Use File No. 2998-007-00 Page iii April 29, 2005 GeoEnetsnenslQ Geouonpnlc EvtluenoN AND Cxlt¡¡¡el Mlcntlot Zone Arualvsls Sourn Pnelnte Cneex Plence GoutttY, Msnl¡¡crou FOR Prence Counrv Wlren Pnoentus Dlvlslot'¡ INTRODUCTION This report summarizes the results of the Channel Migration Zone (CMZ) Analysis for South Prairie Creek (SPC) prepared for Pierce County Public Works and Utilities, Water Programs Division. It is the fourth in a series of CMZ analyses conducted by GeoEngineers for Pierce County. The purpose of this project is two-fold: l) map the extent of the channel migration zone (CMZ) for a portion of the South Prairie Creek, and 2) identify severe, moderate and low Migration Potential Areas (MPAs) within the CMZ. The study area, shown in Figure 1, encompasses South Prairie Creek and the surrounding floodplain from just upstream of the town of South Prairie to the confluence of SPC with the Carbon River, a distance of approximately 6 river miles (see Plate l). PROJEGT OBJECTIVE Based on observed historic (historic aerial photographs) and present conditions, several sections of South Prairie Creek have been, and are presently, subject to migration. Channel migration is the gradual or abrupt movement of a channel within its floodplain. The CMZ represents the swath of land adjacent to the channel within which the migrating channel could move over a 50-year period of time. One of the County's principal objectives in delineating channel migration zones with all these projects has been to use the resulting CMZ andMPAs as a decision making tool in the following applications: o Maintenance of existing infrastructure (levees, revetments, roads, bridges) ¡ Floodplainmanagement . Revision of floodplain ordinances o Identification ofpotential future levee setback projects Because the South Prairie Creek (SPC) study is just one of several CMZ studies to be conducted, the County also wanted to employ an approach and technology that would be consistent with previous CMZ analyses. In order to meet these criteria, as well as the above objectives, the South Prairie Creek (SOUTH PRAIRIE CREEK (SPC) CMZ analysis was conducted for the general condition of an unconfined channel, that is, in the absence of levees, revetments, roads, and other channel confining structures. This approach is consistent with previously completed CMZ analysis, and is needed to meet the intent and long-term goals set by the County, as stated above. PRo¡ecr AppRoncn Aruo Scops Our approach to identifying the CMZ boundaries and three (low, moderate, severe) MPAs within the CMZ involved four major elements: 1) Data Collection, Review, and Selection; 2) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Data Preparation; 3) Geomorphic Evaluation; and 4) CMZ and MPA Delineation. Detailed descriptions of methods and technology used in completing overall project goals are provided in Appendix A. Activities comprising the major scope elements are summarized below. File No.2998-007-00 Page I GeolxetneznslQ April 29,2005 Collect and review literature and other materials provided in the References section to gain a historical perspective ofthe basin, including channel changes that have occurred in the past, land use history, and the construction of channel constraints. a Research, collect and evaluate available aerial photographs for the study area. a Collect and assess existing Geographic Information System (GIS) data and compile a comprehensive, linked GIS data base. Select 8 sets of aerial photos dating back to l93l to be added to the GIS. A total of 45 aerial photos were selected based on both the quality and extent ofthe photo coverage, and the channel conditions represented
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