New projects

Project Summaries: Las Vegas Wash

Featured below are summaries for each new Las Vegas Wash project. Click on the title text link to view individual project details.

Geomorphic Analysis of Alluvial Fans: Assessing Spatial Variation in Surface Hydrology and its Effects on Past Flood Events

PI: Ken Adams, DRI; Co-PI: Tom Bullard, DRI; COE Collaborator: Maureen Corcoran, ERDC

Estimates of flood hazard will be improved by this multidisciplinary study of alluvial fan surfaces and soils, as variation in alluvial fan age and structure affect infiltration and runoff. Hydraulic characteristics of study area fans will be integrated in a GIS to generate a map of estimated runoff potential.

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Methods Assessment and Improvement of Infiltration Analyses to Support Estimates of Recharge and Initial Abstraction

PIs: Michael Young and Steve Mizell, DRI; COE Collaborators: Brian Skahill and Steven Grant, USACE ERDC

Land use and soil type in the Las Vegas valley affect infiltration rate, and thus both recharge rates and potential surface runoff. A combination of field-based tension infiltrometer readings and laboratory analyses will be correlated to soil surface texture and geomorphic feature using covariance and regression analysis. The results will be used in USACE simulation codes, and will be available to local stakeholders.

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Review Supercritical Flood Channel Design Guidance

PIs: Jennifer Duan and Li Chen, DRI; COE Collaborator: Richard Stockstill, USACE; Point of Contact: Gale Fraser, CCRFCD

Clark County Regional Flood Control District (CCRFCD) has identified a need for supercritical flood channel cross-sectional and confluence structure design. This study will determine the range of variability for supercritical flow channel parameters, identify test sites for their analysis and conduct computational simulations.

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Investigate Sediment Transport Mechanisms in the Las Vegas Wash

PI: Jennifer Duan, DRI; Co-PIs: Li Chen and Dong Chen, DRI; COE Collaborator: Steve Scott, USACE; Point of Contact: Gerry Hester, SNWA

Existing data for sediment transport will be integrated with new field data for suspended and bed load transport rate collected at representative cross sections of the Las Vegas Wash downstream of the Clark County Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant outfall. The EnSed2D model will be used to simulate sediment transport processes under unsteady flow events, to enable recommendations of the most appropriate function for the Wash to be made.

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Assessing Impact of Flood and Sediment Control Activities on Nutrients in Arid and Semi-arid Regions: Phosphorous and Grade Control Structures

PI: Shawn Benner, DRI; COE Collaborator: David Biedenharn, USACE-ERDC; Local Stakeholder Collaborator: Kim Zukman, SNWA

Management strategies such as grade control structures in watersheds of the Southwestern US may have negative impacts on nutrient contamination levels in urban waterways. Thalwag survey data and SAM modeling will be used to determine channel profiles and associated sediment immobilization. Recently developed USACE methods will be used to quantify the phosphorous in the immobilized sediment and its impact on nutrient cycling. Samples will be analyzed for total dissolved P by ICP-OES.

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Development of Design Guidance for Streambank Stabilization and Grade Control Structures in the Arid and Semi-arid Stream Systems of the Southwest U.S.

PI: Jennifer Duan, DRI; COE Collaborator: David Biedenharn, USACE ERDC

The feasibility of applying the EnSed2D model for assisting the design of channel stabilization structures, such as dikes, will be tested on an experimental dataset derived from a literature search and consultation with CSU engineers.