Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group: Celebrating 70 Years of Service

Written by: Emily Quinn

1950's photograph of people collecting suspended sediment samples from the Rio Grande in New Mexico.This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group – a group whose outstanding research and implementation efforts improve river restoration efforts, reservoir reoperations and sustainability, and continues to strengthen Reclamation’s compliance with the Endangered Species Act by improving wildlife habitats.

“Over the years, the work of the Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group has increased our understanding of sedimentation and has helped improve the way we plan and manage sedimentation and sustainability issues within our dams and reservoirs,” Reclamation Commissioner Estevan López said. “Reclamation appreciates this group of dedicated employees and their efforts toward sustaining our rivers, reservoirs and dams.”

The Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group was founded in 1946 to address the erosion, transportation and deposition of sediment in water systems. Over the years, the group has worked to understand how rivers and reservoirs respond to changes in river flow, along with the impacts of sediment supply and channel modification. Additionally, they conduct research and prepare studies for stream habitat restoration, protection of streamside infrastructure, and reservoir sediment management and sustainability. Together, the team works to understand how stream flow and sediment supply affect the processes that control the shape of river channels, alignment, lateral migration and bank erosion.

Through the years, Section Heads and Group Managers have included Thomas Maddock (1946-1950), Whitney Borland (1950-1970), Ernest Pemberton (1970-1982), Robert Strand (1982-1994), Dr. C. Ted Yang (1994-2004), and Dr. Timothy Randle (2004-present). Currently, the group consists of 19 engineers and scientists, and maintains bragging rights for winning six Reclamation Engineer of the Year awards. One of those awardees went on to be named Federal Engineer of the Year in 2010, and two others received Department of the Interior’s Distinguished Service Awards.

The group’s team of engineers and scientists spend much of their time conducting research that is focused primarily on numerical model development, measurement of sediment, and habitat quality. Over the years, technological advancements have simplified computational efforts which allow staff to develop one, two, and three-dimensional numerical models that simulate river hydraulics, sediment transport, river channel migration, the growth and mortality rates of riparian vegetation, and linkages to habitat. These models have received national and international recognition, and have been adopted by many other agencies.

As a result of the Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group’s 70 years of service, many important advancements have been made to ensure the protection and sustainability of the Reclamation’s facilities as well as the ecosystems that reside within and around them.

1969 photograph of Chuck Long (MP-Region) standing front of the exposed Friant - Kern Canal siphon pipe that crosses under the White River in California, a tributary of the San Joaquin River. When first constructed, the rectangular siphon pipe was only buried two feet under the streambed, but subsequent erosion uncovered the pipe.

1940's photograph of E. W. Lane standing in front of Fort Sumner Dam (now just Sumner Dam) on the Pecos River in New Mexico. Clearwater releases from the dam caused the streambed to vertically eroded about 10 feet.

Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group engineers and scientists at the Federal Interagency Sedimentation Conference in April 2015.

1970's photograph of a rock groin on the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana. This groin was constructed with riverbed material and then faced with riprap to stop riverbank erosion that was endangering a pumping plant.

Published on September 14, 2016