Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project (FISP)

Project ID: 1293
Principal Investigator: Robert Hilldale
Research Topic: Sediment Management and River Restoration
Funded Fiscal Years: 2004, 2005 and 2006
Keywords: None

Research Question

* How can the efficiency and accuracy of sediment sampling and analysis equipment and techniques be improved to provide more cost-effective and continuous data for Reclamation managers to use in project management decisions?

Need and Benefit

Sediment transport and water quality data from streams entering and leaving our facilities are essential to perform many of the analyses needed to effectively operate, maintain, and sustain our facilities. Every year, Reclamation funds data collection efforts in streams and at existing gauging stations to obtain sediment data for a variety of analyses. Sediment data are used throughout Reclamation to:

* Quantify and predict sediment volumes flowing into and out of our reservoirs and diversion facilities

* Estimate bridge scour and channel degradation

* Monitor construction impacts

* Design sediment detention structures, channel and habitat restoration features, and channel bank and bed stabilization works.

This research will produce increasingly more accurate and economical equipment and methodologies to ultimately increase the amount of sediment data available and potentially reduce the cost of data collection and management solutions. Many studies are now being conducted with little or no actual sediment data because data are unavailable or too costly to obtain. Often for safety reasons, samples are not collected during peak flow events; on average, especially in the Western United States, it is these peak flow events that transport the majority of the sediment load. The development of new technologies that can automatically and continuously collect accurate sediment data is a goal of the project that would benefit resource managers in all Federal agencies. The availability of accurate sediment and water quality data is essential for the effective and defensible analysis of sediment transport and its impacts on our project features.

Contributing Partners

Contact the Principal Investigator for information about partners.

Research Products

Not Reviewed

The following documents were not reviewed. Statements made in these documents are those of the authors. The findings have not been verified.

Research Report: Federal Interagency Sedimetnation Project (final, PDF, 35KB)
By Robert Hilldale
Report completed on June 09, 2011

The Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project has existed since 1939 to research, develop, fabricate, and test sediment sampling equipment and methods. FISP equipment and methods are the standard among US agencies and private contractors for sediment data collection. The FISP is funded by partner agencies and a technical committee is formed by members of the contributing agencies. FISP currently funds research and development of surrogate sediment measurement techniques and methodologies.

Return to Research Projects

Last Updated: 6/22/20