•DamOperationandMaintenance
•VegetationControl
•UseofGISandWebTechnologiesto ImproveIrrigationDistrictoperations
• JointsinConcreteConstruction
• Engineer’sShortCourse:RipRap DesignforHighVelocityFlows
Save the Date
MADCS 2010 Workshop - Billings, MT
October6th(afternoon)–FieldTriptoYellowtailDamandBigHornCanal
October7th(allday)-WorkshopHolidayInnBillings
5500MidlandRd.,Billings,MT59101
Come join us next October for our annual workshop! This is a great opportunity to meet other dam and canal owners with similar issues and concerns. Special this year will be the “Canal Classroom” and a Short Course for Engineers.
Topics for the 2010 Fall Workshop:
Montana Association of Dam and Canal Systems
MADCSMontana Association of Dam and Canal Systems
MADCSJune 2010
Issue 8Inside this issue
MADCS2010Workshop... 1
MilltownSuperfundRecap................................ 2
AConstructionSummaryforMilltownDam............. 2
WhyMostFolksinMontanaWillEndUpLoving2010SummerRainfall............... 3
StateWaterProjectsSummary-2010............... 3
• IntheHotSeat:RapidResponsesto DamEmergencies
• RecentRehabilitation–Lessons Learned
• IrrigationInfrastructureConstruction Projects
• CanalLining–Do’sandDon’ts
•WaterMeasurementTechniques
• CanalOperationTips
Yellowtail Dam
A variety of exhibitors will be on hand to tell you about the latest products and technologies.
MADCS OfficersPresident LarryDraperFredBurrWUA(406)[email protected]
Vice PresidentLezlieKinneWillowCreekWUA(406)[email protected]
TreasurerVernonStokesPonderaCanal&ReservoirCompany(406)[email protected]
SecretaryVickiBakerTetonCooperativeReservoirCompany(406)[email protected]
MADCS Board of Directors
ChuckThomasAckleyLakeWUARobertT.GoffenaDeadman’sBasinWUA
DanDoornobosRubyRiverWUA
AlfredBruleOrchardHomesIrrigationCo.
BillDabneyMTCorrectionalEnterpriseRanch
KevinBalesCrazyMountainRanch
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Milltown Superfund RecapBy the Clark Fork River Technical Assistance Committee www.CFRTAC.org
In1908amassivefloodwashedmillionsofcubicyardsoftoxicminewastesintotheClarkForkRiversystem.Generationslater,in1983,theMilltownReservoirwaslistedasaSuperfundsiteafterthediscoverythatseveralmillioncubicyardsofheavymetalcontaminatedsedimentshadpiledupbehindthedam,pollutingthegroundwaterbeneathwithhighconcentrationsofarsenic.WhiletheAnacondaCopperMiningCompanywasresponsiblefortheproblem,itssuccessors,theAtlanticRichfieldCompanyandBritishPetroleum,alongwiththedam’sownerNorthwesternEnergy,havelegalliabilityforthecleanuptoday.ThechiefprojectgoalistoreclaimtheMilltownaquiferbyremovingthecontaminatedsedimentsandreservoiraboveit.Todothat,theplanistoremovethedam,excavateandshiptheworstofthesedimentstoanexistingrepositoryattheAnacondaSuperfundSite,andthencreateanewriverchannelandfloodplainfortheClarkForkRiver.
A Construction Summary for Milltown DamBy Alfred Brule’ Project Director, Envirocon, Inc
TheMilltownprojectstartedwiththeinitialloweringofthereservoirlevelapproximately10feet.Dewateringwellswereinstalledalongthefootprintofthebypasschannel.Coupledwiththeinitialdrawdown,thedewateringwellssufficientlydrainedthesediments
whichallowedabypasschannelfortheClarkForkRivertobeexcavatedinrelativelydryconditions.Oncethebypasschannelwascompletedandtheriverdivertedintothetemporarychannel,thenextstepwastolowerthereservoirinasecondstagesothattheturbinesintheoldpowerhouse,couldberemoved.
Uponremovaloftheturbinesacofferdamwasconstructedupstreamofthedamisolatingthespillwaysection.Thespillwaysectionwasremovedindryconditionsandanewchannelconstructedinitsfootprint.Oncethenewchannelwasconstructed,thecofferdamwasremovedallowingtherivertoflowfreelythroughthedam.Thiswasthefinalstageofreservoirdrawdown.Atthisjuncture,theprocessofdewateringthesedimentsforremovalbegan.Withoutthereservoir’sartificialheadkeepinggroundwaterlevelshighinthesediments,theysufficientlydrained,allowingexcavationinrelativelydryconditions.Overatwo-yearperiodthe2.2millioncubicyardsofsedimentswereexcavated,loadedontorailcarsandtransported100milesupstreamwheretheywerespreadascappingmaterialonanexistingtailingsfacility.Becauseofthehighorganiccontentofthesedimentsandrelativelylowmetalslevels,thesedimentsmakegoodcappingmaterialthatshouldsustainvegetationwithlittlemaintenance.
Duringthetwo-yearsedimentexcavationperiod,theremainingportionsofthedamwereremoved.Becausetheriverisfreelyflowingthroughthedam,theremainingportionsofthedamwerealsoexcavatedindryconditions.Mostthedemolitiondebriswasburiedonsite.Uponcompletionoftheremovalofthesedimentsanddam,anewriverchannelandfloodplainwillbeconstructedinthefootprintofthesediments.Afteraperiodoftimehaspassedtoallowthenewfloodplainvegetationtoestablish,theriverdiversionwillberemovedandtheriverplacedintoitsnewchannel.Thebypasschannelwillthenbere-gradedmarkingtheconclusionoftheproject.
Milltown Dam after restoration
Milltown Dam before restoration
TwoyearsaftertheremovingthepowerhouseandbypassingtheMilltownDam,streamchannelconstructionandsedimentremovalcontinuesalongtheClarkForkRivernearMissoula.AlfredBruele’ofEnviroconInc.hasprovidedabriefreviewforthisphaseoftheClarkForkRiverSuperfundrestorationproject:
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Why Most Folks In Montana Will End Up Loving 2010 Summer Rainfall Despite Unusually Cool PeriodsBy Simon Atkins, CEO, Senior Atmospheric Scientist, Advanced Forecasting Corporation [AFC] www.AdvancedForecasting.com.
Sign-up for your 24-hour access “no-chance” quantitative predictions and weather risks at www.AFCrisk.com.
Apredictionofincreasingrainfallisgoodnewsforaland-lockedstatelikeMontana.Butbeforewegettoogung-gohappy,rememberthatwhenyouprayforraintoalwayssayhowmuchyouwant.ManyofusMontananshaveheardquiteabitaboutElNiñoandevenitssister,LaNiña.Butforsummer2010,we’recertainlygoingtogettoknowanotherclimatephenomenoncalledtheCoolorNegativePhaseofPacificDecadalOscillation(PDO).It’srevving-upnicelyanditwillessentiallycauseasharpertemperaturegradienttooccurhighupinbetweenthetroposphereandstratospherecausingunusuallyhighvolatilityinsummertemperaturesatthesurfaceaswellashigherintensitylevelsinprecipitation.WhentheNegativePDOcombineswithatimeofverylowtominimalsunspotslikenow,andithappensatthesametimewhentheElNinoswitchesmorerapidlythanusualtoaLaNinapattern(ofwhichthelatterisduetostartinJuly),thistriadrelationshipandrespectiveSun-Earth‘communication’togetherenhancestheelectromagnetic‘pull’incertainkeyhotspotareasonourplanet,whichinturnwilllikelyproduceincreasedthunderstormactivityintheRockies.Phew,saythattentimesfast.Essentially,thismeansthatwhilemanyplacesinMontanawillseeabovenormalrainfallthissummer(particularlyinnorth-central,easternandnorthwestcounties),muchoftheprecipitationwillcomefromdoubleoreventripletheamountofconvectiveactioninthoseareas.OnlysouthwestMontanaislikelytoseebelownormalrainfall,whileotherareaswillseeanear-normalpattern.
AtAFC,wewereinitiallyworriedfromourresearchandmodelingthatwhilethisscenariomayincludealotmorelightning-inducedwildfires,thegroundthissummerwillfrequentlybemoremoistthanusual,andasteadyrainfallwillfallonmanyoccasionsafterstormsrollthrough,soineffect,MotherNaturewillputoutmany
ofherownfireswithhighprobability.Inordertocomeupwiththis70%confidenceforecastforMontana,welookcarefullyatwhatisgoingoninallotherpartsoftheworldbecausewebelieveinmanypartsoftheGaiaTheorythatallweathersystemsare“alive”continuousenergysystemsthatcircletheglobecontinuouslymorphing,dying-off,reforming,rebirthing,andchangingtheircharacteristics.Forexample,alowpressuresystemoutofthePhilippinesorPeruhassomeeffectontheweatherintheRockies,justliketheChaosTheorysaysthatabutterflyflappingitswingsinBrazilwillminutelyaffecttheformationofatornadicthunderstormoverTexas.Wealsoincorporatesolaractivityintoourproprietaryequationsbecauseelectromagneticactivity(EM)isveryimportantinstormintensityfluxaswellasalteringearthquake/volcanicactivity.NotetoothatwhileEMisincreasingontheupswingoftheSolarCycleoverthenextfewyears,wecanexpectmorevolcanicactivityworldwideaswellasacontinuedincreaseinthenotablelargerearthquakesthatarebothhittingtheplanetatthistime.Lastly,welookforhighcorrelative“teleconnections”–climateanomaliesthatarerelatedtoeachotheratlargedistances;forexample,wheneasternChinaseesexcessiverainsinApril&May(likewhathashappenedthisyear),thereisastrongpossibilitythatourNorthernRockiesJulywillbeverythunderywithfrequentwetspellsfilledwithboutsofunusualcoolness.
Thatsaid,astheclimatepatternswitchestooppositeextremes(ElNiñotoLaNiña)aftertheFourthofJuly,theabrupttransitionbetweenthetwowillresultinmanysharpweatherchangesandunusualpatternsthisupcomingsummer.Sositback,lookforcontinuingabovenormalmoistureloadsthroughmuchofthesummer;however,watchforstrongerthanusualthunderstormsandalwaysremembertoputsafetyfirstduringboutsofsevereweather.
The2009/2010wintersnow-packfellshortofnormalformostofMontana.Thoughthishasleadtoanearlypredictionofcontinueddrought,arecentforecastbytheAdvancedForecastingCorporation[AFC],predictsaverydifferentweatherscenariofortheupcomingsummermonths.
State Water Projects Bureau On-Going Project Summary - 2010
1.TheDeadman’sBasinDamTerminalOutletStructure ReplacementandToeBermProjecthasbeen completed.Anewgatehouseisalsoplannedfor constructioninthefallof2010.
2.TheRubyRiverDamRehabilitationProjectPhaseOne isabouttocommence.Phaseoneoftheproject involvesthedevelopmentofnewmaintenanceaccess routes,replacementofthespillwayandconstruction ofanewoutlet.
3.NewfallprotectionequipmentwasinstalledatBair andMartinsdaleDams.
continued...
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2M CompanyMikeMading1215CordovaBillingsMT59101
ASI Constructors IncDonaldBroyles1850E.PlattevilleBlvdPuebloWestCO81007
BAFSCOLarryFischer2178CenturionPlaceBoiseID83709
Ben Taylor IncJoeStokesPOBox482ValierMT59486
Dowl HKM Engineering IncJayThomPOBox31318BillingsMT59107
DYNOTEKJimButler13931West54thAveArvadaCO80002
EDC Canal Linings LLCJackHaynes7154WStateStreet#381BoiseID83714
Geo-Spatial Solutions IncRustyMerrittPOBox335BendOR97709
Godwin PumpsAndyFitzhugh3860HelbergDrHelenaMT59602
Huesker Geocompsites LLCCameronGallamorePOBox411529CharlotteNC28241
Hydrometrics GaryFischer3020BozemanAveHelenaMT59604
Morrison Maierle IncKenSaloPOBox6147HelenaMT59604-6147
RG SalesRonHarnden18690142ndAveNEWoodinvilleWA98072
Sutron CorpJohnHumphreys22400DavisDrSterlingVA20164
Thomas Dean & Hoskins IncMelissaWidseth120025thStreetSouthGreatFallsMT59405
WatermanBillMurphyPOBox323CaldwellID83606
Western States InsuranceDaleHansonPOBox1800HamiltonMT59840
WWC EngineeringScottAspenlieder1275MapleStreetSuiteFHelenaMT59601
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Montana Association of Dam and Canal OwnersPOBox958VictorMT598754. Automatedinstrumentationwas installedatMiddleCreekDam.
5. Arehabilitationfeasibilityanalysis wascompletedforCataractDam. Thevariousalternativesare beingevaluated.
6. TheAckleyLakeDamRehabilitation Projectwascompleted.
7. ATimberManagementproject wascompletedatPaintedRocks ReservoirtohelpcontrolaPine BarkBeatleinfestation.
8. ADropStructureReplacement Projectison-goingattheNevada CreekNorthCanal.
9. Consultantsarebeinginterviewed andevaluatedfortheupcoming EastForkMainCanalDiversion andFishScreenInstallation Project.
10.On-goingmaintenanceisbeing performedattheBroadwater PowerProject(TostonDam).
For more information, contact Kevin Smith, Bureau Chief, State Water Projects 406-444-2932.
continued from State Water Projects Bureau On-Going Projects Summary - 2010