Arruda, Sean D.

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ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst

University of Massachusetts AmherstScholarWorks@UMass AmherstInternational Conference on Engineering andEcohydrology for Fish PassageInternational Conference on Engineering andEcohydrology for Fish Passage 2016Jun 20th, 4:45 PM - 5:00 PMDam Removal II: No Longer Caught Up in thatOld Race: Successful Velocity Barrier Eliminationfor Anadromous FishSean D. ArrudaFuss & O'Neill, Inc.Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/fishpassage_conferenceThis Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Fish Passage Community at UMass Amherst at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in International Conference on Engineering and Ecohydrology for Fish Passage by an authorized administrator ofScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact scholarworks@library.umass.edu.Arruda, Sean D., "Dam Removal II: No Longer Caught Up in that Old Race: Successful Velocity Barrier Elimination for AnadromousFish" (2016). International Conference on Engineering and Ecohydrology for Fish Passage. 7.https://scholarworks.umass.edu/fishpassage_conference/2016/June20/7Presentation forFish Passage Conference 2016No Longer Caught Up In That Old RaceSuccessful Velocity Barrier Elimination For Anadromous FishSean D. Arruda, P.E., CFM, Fuss & O’Neill, Inc., Providence, RIJune 20, 2016AgendaNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• Project Introduction and Purpose (4 min.)• Project Location and Dam History• Project Purpose• Project Funding and Permit Agency Coordination• Project Highlights, Design Considerations, and Challenges (8 min.)• Questions and DiscussionProject Introduction and PurposeProject Location and Dam HistoryNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationKenyon Mill DamHorseshoe Falls DamLower Shannock Falls DamWhite Rock DamBradford DamPotter Hill DamBurdickville DamStillmanville DamSource: www.wpwa.org• Watershed is 317±Square Miles • Pawcatuck River is over 30 miles long • Originates at Worden’s Pond• Empties into Little Narragansett Bay / Long Island Sound• Prior to 2010, eight dams existed throughout the Pawcatuck River.  Project BackgroundNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationThe White Rock Dam was a low-head, run-of-river structure that was considered to be in poor condition.Project BackgroundNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationDam History:• 1770 : First Dam Constructed at this location.• 1849 : Dam was reconstructed as a stone crib dam used to divert flow through an adjacent mill race channel.  The flow in the channel was used to power a nearby cotton mill.• 1940 : In the wake of the Hurricane of 1938, the Dam was reinforced with a concrete spillway (to its Current Configuration)Project BackgroundNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationDam History (continued)INSTALLATION OF DAM RESULTED IN AN IMPACT TO THE NATURAL FLOW OF THE RIVER AND AQUATIC PASSAGE CONNECTIVITY!Project Design Considerations and ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationMillRace ChannelBreach in MillRaceWhite Rock DamSpillway Crest set 3.8 feet above invert of millrace channel.  Breach in millrace channel (approx. 1,300 feet downstream of the Dam) became location for attraction flow.Width of millrace (58 feet) approx. 1/2 of width of natural river channel (119 feet). Project BackgroundNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationThe Dam Under Varying Flow ConditionsProject BackgroundNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationFlow Diversion and Impact to Natural Flow of River• Although the increased flow velocities and relatively steep hydraulic gradient have made it an impediment to fish passage, these flow characteristics have made the millrace an attraction for avid paddlers.  This section of the millrace channel became known locally as the “White Rock Playpark.”Project BackgroundNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• In 2011, USACE published a “Pawcatuck River Flood Damage Reduction” Study noting that removal of White Rock Dam would reduce flood levels upstream.  • USFWS published an evaluation in July 2014 identifying the Dam as a barrier to fish passage.  Results indicated that flow velocities in the bypass channel did not facilitate passage of alewife and significantly limited passage by shad during upstream migration period.Project PurposeNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationThus, purpose of Project was to remove the Dam.  This would:• Reduce Upstream Flood Elevations• Improve River Connectivity for All Aquatic Species• Improve Flow Conditions for Migratory Fish at this location:• Target species included American shad (Alosasapidissima), alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), blueback herring, (Alosa aestivalis), and American eel (Anguilla rostrata). Project Funding & Permit Agency CoordinationNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• The Dam and River spans across two states.• The Project required coordination not only with the RI permitting agencies….but also CT.Project Funding & Permit Agency CoordinationNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationIt only took 13 months from Start to Substantial Completion!• Permitting Agencies involved included CTDEEP, USACE (Category II), RIDEM, RIHPHC/ACHP (Section 106). • Key to Success - Creating Team atmosphere with project partners from the start.oMultiple Partner Meetings were conducted throughout the design process.  RIDEM (Wetland and Fisheries), CTDEEP (Wetlands and Fisheries), USFWS, NOAA, WPWA, TNC (RI and CT Divisions) were in attendance and had input throughout the design process. o This resulted in mutually agreed upon design prior to actual submission to the permitting agencies.Project Design Considerations and ChallengesProject HighlightsNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationProject Highlights include: • Excavation of sediment from river channel in targeted  locations• Dam Removal• Construction of Millrace Earthen Barrier (Bankfull)Millrace Earthen BarrierStreambank StabilizationSediment Excavation in Key Locations (Typ.)• Installation of boulder clusters and riverbank stabilization measuresFish Passage Resting Pools (Typ.)Boulder Clusters• Excavation of fish passage resting areasPr j t i lights/Summary: Project Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• First Challenge - Divert flow from millrace channel to natural river channel while avoiding increases in BFEso Designed an earthen barrier at upstream end of millrace to divert flow during the fish passage season through the natural river channel; but still allow flood flows through the mill race.  This was achieved using HEC-RAS.o Only selected areas of sediment build-up that had the greatest impact on flood elevations were removed.Project Design Considerations and ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• HEC-RAS was utilized to determine the elevation to set the crest of the raceway channel’s upstream earthen barrier to eliminate flow through the channel during the upstream migratory period.• The crest elevation also had to be set to an elevation that would still allow flood flows to pass in order to avoid increases in BFEs in Natural River Channel during flood events.  Sediment in selected locations in main channel also had to be removed to further avoid BFE increases. 5% Exceedance WSE-16.4Crest El.-16.550% Exceedance WSE-14.295% Exceedance WSE-13.0Project Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationPost-Dam Removal Flow Distribution – Elimination of Flow through Raceway/Bypass Channel during Upstream Migratory Fish Passage SeasonProject Design Considerations and ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• Earthen Barrier constructed of soil-filled stone underlain by an impermeable liner.  • A grouted stone cutoff was also provided.Project Design Considerations and ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationProject Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• Second Challenge – Design and incorporate fish passage improvements in locations where anticipated flow velocities exceeded the swimming speed of the target species.• HEC-RAS also used to determine locations  where resting pools were required.  • Locations where flow velocities exceeded the cruising speed of the target species were identified.  Quiescent pools were added on river left to provide areas for resting.  Excluding the American eel, the most restrictive burst speed of the target species is approximately 5.5 feet per second (for alewife).• Since it is expected that a burst speed can be maintained by a particular fish species for only up to 20 seconds (based on fatigue time), Fuss & O’Neill used 110 feet as a parameter for distance between resting pools/areas in locations where velocities exceeded 2.8 feet per second.Project Design Considerations and ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationProject Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationProject Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• Third Challenge – Assess streambank locations most susceptible to erosion and provide natural bank stabilization.Project Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• Log Jam Structures and Tree Revetment Protection.• Boulders and stone line upstream river right.  However, lower river right was determined to be susceptible.  Engineered log jams and tree revetments proposed to prevent erosion while simultaneously improving aquatic habitat.Project Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• Log Jam Structures and Tree Revetment Protection.• Boulders and stone line upstream river right.  However, lower river right was determined to be susceptible.  Engineered log jams and tree revetments proposed to prevent erosion while simultaneously improving aquatic habitat.Project Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• Log Jam Structures and Tree Revetment Protection.• Boulders and stone line upstream river right.  However, lower river right was determined to be susceptible.  Engineered log jams and tree revetments proposed to prevent erosion while simultaneously improving aquatic habitat.Project Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• Fourth Challenge - Develop a water control approach that would be sensitive to aquatic habitat (i.e. mussel relocation).Project Design Considerations and ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationProject Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• Approximately 2,300 to 2,400 mussels were collected (mostly from the upstream dewatered area) and transplanted to the lower ShunockRiver just downstream of Route 49. • Relocated mussels consisted of a five different species of mussel including the endangered eastern pearlshell.  Most, however, were of the Elliptiospecies. Project Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• Pre-Construction View of Dam and Millrace Channel Inlet(as viewed looking downstream )• Post-Construction View of Dam and Millrace Channel Inlet(as viewed looking downstream )Project Design Considerations and ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• Natural flow regime restored to River in this location after over 240 years of impact!Questionssarruda@fando.comProject Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationProject Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationProject Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier Elimination• HEC-RAS confirmed that flow velocities in by-pass channel exceeded cruising speed of target species over extended distances during the upstream fish passage migration period (March 15th through May 15th).• The Team agreed to use 2.8 fps as the cruising speed for the Target Species for design purposes. Project Design Considerations & ChallengesNo Longer Caught Up In That Old Race  –Velocity Barrier EliminationPre-Dam Removal Flow Distribution – Most flow through Raceway/Bypass Channel during Upstream Migratory Fish Passage Season

Dam Removal II: No Longer Caught Up in that Old Race: Successful Velocity Barrier Elimination for Anadromous Fish

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Dam Removal II: No Longer Caught Up in that Old Race: Successful Velocity Barrier Elimination for Anadromous Fish

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