The flood-damage reduction project by the Corps and the Sacramento Flood Control Agency (SAFCA) for Magpie Creek in Sacramento, CA, reduced flooding due to channel capacity exceedence, levee outflanking, and levee failure. However, environmental mitigation associated with its original design caused the project cost to rise to three times the original estimate. In 2001, SAFCA asked us to re-evaluate the proposed project to find a more cost-effective solution. At that time, we completed a hydrologic and hydraulic analysis of the Magpie Creek watershed, focusing primarily on the hydraulic conditions near the intersection of Magpie Creek and Raley Blvd. We modified the hydrologic watershed and riverine hydraulic channel models as necessary, and worked with a geotechnical engineer to re-evaluate the levee stability and resistance to failure. We then worked closely with an environmental consultant to develop 6 environmentally sound floodplain-damage reduction alternatives. The features of the preferred alternative included construction of an earthen embankment to eliminate outflanking of the levee, raising the existing levee using a floodwall, and preserving the floodplain. Since our 2001 analysis, watershed conditions in the project area have changed due to new construction and other activities in the area.
|
For this analysis, we used the p=0.01 event runoff hydrograph computed using HEC-1 as input to our unsteady flow hydraulic model of Magpie Creek. We developed the hydraulic model using HEC-RAS. We evaluated the impacts of different levee configurations and evaluated the effects of 3 alternative development configurations.
As a result of our work on this project, the Corps and SAFCA have updated analyses of the effects of alternative levee configurations and the effects of hypothetical development configurations to support their future planning efforts.
|