Northeastern Section - 54th Annual Meeting - 2019

Paper No. 51-7
Presentation Time: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM

USING RESERVOIR SIZE, WATERSHED CHARACTERISTICS, AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT PROXIES TO ESTIMATE IMPOUNDED SEDIMENT VOLUME AND DOMINANT GRAIN SIZE AT DAMS IN NEW ENGLAND


OLSEN, Christian, Earth Science, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, LIGHTBODY, Anne, Department of Earth Sciences, University of New Hampshire, James Hall, 56 College Road, Durham, NH 03824, SMITH, Sean M., University of Maine, School of Earth and Climate Sciences, 5790 Bryand Global Sciences Center, Orono, ME 04469-5790 and GOLD, Arthur J., Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881

Large volumes of impounded sediment, especially fine-grained sediment, decrease dam storage capacity and increase the cost and logistical complexity of dam removal. Regression analysis was used to identify relationships between reservoir size, sediment supply proxies, sediment transport proxies, and impounded sediment volume and grain size at numerous previous dam removal sites in New England. Relationships from regression analysis were used to estimate sediment characteristics at additional New England dams informing a region-wide tradeoff analysis between impounded sediment characteristics, improvements to fish passage, and dam safety.
Handouts
  • Olsen_GSA_NorthEastSection_Poster.pdf (1.4 MB)