Reclamation’s Science and Technology Program Hosts Canal Research Workshop

Written by: Fred Brown

Justin Rittgers presenting on rapid canal and levee seepage.The Bureau of Reclamation’s Science and Technology Program hosted a Canal Research Workshop on June 6 in Denver, Colorado. The canal research workshop was organized to improve coordination and research outcomes in this area.

Thirty people from Reclamation’s canals research principal investigators, partners and team members participated. Researchers provided project briefings on canal research projects and prize competitions and identified coordination opportunities for canal research activities.

“The research projects showed great progress since last year's meeting. Presentations titled "Rapid Canal and Levee Seepage Detection: Geophysical Profiling and Remote Sensing” and “Synthetic Sheet Piles for Canal Safety Improvements” completed several demonstrations on Reclamation canals,” Bobbi Jo Merten, Ph.D., who coordinated the event said. “In each case, the demonstrations helped validate the approach. For the synthetic sheet pile research, soil conditions that are appropriate for the use of these materials were identified.”

Merten also says the workshop resulted in new coordination opportunities to improve research and research proposals. For example, Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Region, Pacific Northwest Region and many water districts will now be working together on research proposals to determine new or improved methods to combat aquatic vegetation in canals.

To learn more about Reclamation's Science and Technology Program please visit https://www.usbr.gov/research/st/index.html.

Published on June 18, 2018