Luxuries We Like
To Have
• The “Luxury of Space”
• The “Luxury of Time” (nature
strengthens the project over time)
• The “Luxury of Monitoring”
• The “Luxury of Adaptive Management”
UPSTREAM ANGLED ROCK VANES
Looking downstream
Phil Balch design,
Little Blue River
Elva Hynek property
near Marysville, KS
July 2003
Site # 8 – E. Hynek
Rock Vanes
Rising Limb 40,000 cfs flood
ROCK VANES WITH STONE TOE
PROTECTION ON THE SALMON
RIVER, PULASKI, NY.
2 YEARS OLD
DESIGNED BY CARL
SCHWARTZ, U.S. FISH &
WILDLIFE SERVICE
Photos by Dave Derrick
APRIL 13, 2010
Looking DS @ a properly functioning Rock Vane. Thalweg leaves the bank
US of the US end of the RV. Note calm water in “elbow” of Rock Vane.
Mini case study: 1 of 2
2 YEARS OLD - SALMON RIVER, PULASKI, NY - PIX BY DERRICK 4-13-2010
Looking US @ calm water in “elbow” of Rock Vane. Note thalweg location.
Mini case study: 2 of 2
2 YEARS OLD - SALMON RIVER, PULASKI, NY - PIX BY DERRICK 4-13-2010
From:
Deposition
is brown,
scour is blue
Typical upstream angled
rock vane
www.E-senss.com
from John
McCullah’s
Salix Applied
Earthcare
Differences between Rock Vanes &
Bendway Weirs: here are Rock Vanes
Mini case study: 1 of 4
Here are some Bendway weirs, now let’s
look at those rock vanes again
Mini case study: 2 of 4
Differences between:
BENDWAY WEIRS
ROCK VANES
• LEVEL-CRESTED (flat)
• SLOPED- Best at 10 to 1
• ANGLED-upstream 20
degrees from perpendicular
(70 degrees from the bank)
• LENGTH-determined by how
much river flow needs to be
controlled & by future
thalweg location
• HEIGHT- lower than any flow
that can erode the bank,
usually +/- 1 ft of the base
flow (typical low-flow) water
surface elevation
• ANGLED- 30 degrees from a line
tangent to the bank
• LENGTH-determined by height at
bank end, vane slope angle, and
bathymetry at river end
• HEIGHT- varies by designer,
anywhere from 1/3 bank full stage
to bank full stage
Mini case study: 3 of 4
Rock Vanes (again)
Mini case study: 4 of 4
A system of Bendway Weirs, seen
here in a physical movable-bed
model, flow is left to right
Looking DS at a
partially
drained
movable-bed
coal model of
the Middle
Mississippi
River (Dogtooth
Bend)
1. 2.
UNREVETTED BEND
Newly installed Bendway Weir
REVETTED BEND
Effects of Bendway Weirs
3 . 4.
From Rob Davinroy, St. Louis Corps
Movable-bed Model
Movable Bed Model
How Do Bendway Weirs Work?
• Water flowing over the weir is redirected at an angle
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the weir.
• With weirs angled upstream the erosive flow (energy) is directed
away from the outer bank and toward the inner part of the
bend.
• Strong secondary currents (helical flow) in bend are broken up.
• A set of weirs are designed to act as a system to capture, control,
and redirect current directions and velocities through the bend
and into the downstream crossing.
• Last weir in system can aim flow (and channel thalweg) where
you need it.
BENDWAY WEIRS
ON THE LITTLE
BLUE RIVER,
MARYSVILLE, KS
Mini case study: 1 of 3
The next 2 slides show the
same Bendway Weirs
Bendway Weirs on the Little Blue River, working during flood,
from Phil Balch of Wildhorse
Riverworks, Inc
Mini case study: 2 of 3
Deposition between Weirs from one bankfull flow 6/2002
on the Little Blue River, from Phil Balch of Wildhorse
Riverworks, Inc
Mini case study: 3 of 3
Site # 5 Martin - Jueneman
Natural Vegetation established on deposition 9/02
FISH COMMUNITY
RESPONSE TO
BENDWAY WEIR
INSTALLATION ON
THE LITTLE BLUE
RIVER, KS.
FISH COMMUNITY CHANGES AT TWO BENDWAY WEIR
STREAMBANK STABILIZATION PROJECTS ON THE LITTLE
BLUE RIVER, KS.
Phil Balch
Wildhorse Riverworks, Inc.
11821 NW 13th Street
Topeka, Kansas 66615
785-213-3778 Mobile
26
785-478-4886 Office
Pre-Bendway Weir 2001
John Hynek's site
1,150 feet long
SPECIES
Number
CPUE
Longnose gar
4
5.71
River carpsucker
1
1.43
Channel catfish
6
8.57
Common carp
4
5.71
Red shiner
22
31.43
Gizzard shad
1
1.43
Freshwater drum
1
1.43
7 Species, 39 Individuals
20’ vertical banks
Soil loss 1977 – 2000 = 12.7 acres
(491,744 tons)
Nitrates = 2,046 lbs
Phosphorus = 18,686 lbs
Potassium = 54,800 lbs
27
SPECIES
Number
CPUE
Longnose gar
1
1.1
SITE
1:carpsucker
Post-weir 2006
River
54
Post-Bendway Weir 2006
John Hynek's site
60.0
Channel catfish
39
43.3
Common carp
14
15.6
Red shiner
533
592.2
Gizzard shad
342
380.0
Flathead catfish
7
7.8
Smallmouth buffalo
1
1.1
Suckermouth minnow
33
36.7
Bluntnose minnow
10
11.1
Emerald shiner
22
24.4
Sand shiner
208
231.1
Bullhead minnow
149
165.6
Mosquitofish
6
6.7
Orangespotted sunfish
4
4.4
Green sunfish
3
3.3
Freshwater drum
7
7.8
17 Species, 1,433 Individuals
28
Phil Balch builds Bendway Weirs a little taller & gets great wetlands between
weirs. Little Blue River, Marysville, KS, high suspended-sediment sand bed river
Pix by Derrick
Here a combination of Rock Vanes & Bendway
Weirs were used to change the radius of the
thalweg around a bend
Bendway WEIRS
Rock vane
Original bankline
The way I like to build Bendway
Weirs, note water surface disturbance
BW - CHAPTER 14:
CASE STUDY- NEOSHO RIVER,
ALLEN COUNTY, (MIKE
GEFFERT’S PROPERTY)
SOUTHEAST KANSAS
Constructed May-July 2000
Using Bendway Weirs for thalweg realignment
& bank erosion reduction
Neosho River Project Specifications
• River is 260 ft wide
• Gravel-sand bed
• Project is 2,200 ft long, Outer bank is 25 ft tall, it
eroded 178 ft laterally in 6 years time
• 11 Bendway Weirs, are all 70 ft long, spaced 210 ft
apart & constructed of “shot rock”, 400 lb max.
• First set of velocities (March 15, 2001) water was 6 ft
over the weirs, second set of velocities (Mar 16, 2001)
water was a measured 12 ft over the top of the weirs!!
• Velocities were measured with floating oranges
Pre-Project. Looking upstream at the near vertical eroded bank
PRE-PROJECT-NEOSHO RIVER @ GEFFERT’S-PIX BY PHIL BALCH 8/25/99
Dozier pushing stone to form Bendway Weir #3. Note the thalweg is already
being moved toward the center of the channel by the upstream weirs.
CONSTRUCTION-NEOSHO RIVER @ GEFFERT’S- PIX BY PHIL BALCH 5/30/00
HIGH WATER –
LET’S GET SOME
VELOCITIES
(We have a sack of oranges
& time on our hands)
Neosho River, Allen County, Kansas
12 ft of water over weirs (measured)
Top water velocities within the weir
field never exceeded 3.00 ft/second
BW #7
BW #11
BW #3
Data collected
March 15, 2001
Mini case study: 3 of 3
CATTARAUGUS
CREEK @ SAVAGE
ROAD –
CONSTRUCTED
OCT 2004
Looking DS in project
bend, high water on Catt
Creek, 11/4/2004
Slow water
on the
outside of
the bend??
Mini case study: 8 of 12
SAME FLOW AS PREVIOUS BENDWAY WEIR PIX.
Looking US at Rock Vane #2, high water, Catt Creek at Savage
Rd. 11/4/2004, Rock Vane backs up water in the bend.
Rock Vane #2 dissipating energy, but consider the superelevation of water upstream of the vane. 3/28/2006-Pix by Mayer
CHAUTAUQUA CREEK ICE DAMAGE
REDUCTION PROJECT –Near its mouth
@ Lake Erie
• Severe scour from ice and high flow velocities on
the right descending bank had resulted in an
overwidened section of stream.
• Mid-channel sediment bars, mouth of creek @
Lake Erie clogged
• No holding areas or habitat for steelhead
• A heavily used public fishing section of the
stream
Single Stone Bendway Weirs
Trench Stone & Stacked Stone Wall
Sloped Stone using “Big Flats”
NEED PLANS &
SPECS
Key
DRILLING & PEGGING
TOE STONES & SINGLE
STONE BENDWAY WEIRS
WITH METAL RODS TO
BEDROCK
Pix by Joe Galati
Dave Spann of
Chautauqua County Soil
& Water Conservation
District with a 7.5 ft
long, 2.5 inch diameter
bar. Dave did
everything from writing
the grant to providing
extraordinary project
management. On time
and under budget!!!!
Construction
June 2006.
Drilling solid
stone
Pix by Joe Galati
Construction June
2006. Looking US.
Metal pinning rods
not cut off yet.
Pix by derrick
Looking upstream
at the
SINGLE-STONE
BENDWAY WEIRS
Aug 31, 2006, looking US at two pegged to bedrock
Single-Stone Bendway Weirs in the stacked stone
wall section.
Pix by derrick
A high water
flow event.
Mar 14, 2007
Mar 14, 2006. Looking
DS. Note slow water
near right bank due to
Single Stone Bendway
Weirs
Pix by Joe Galati
Mar 14, 2006. Looking DS. Three
submerged Bendway Weirs can be
located due to surface disturbance
Pix by Joe Galati
Mar 14, 2006. Looking DS. Close-up of two
submerged Bendway Weirs
Pix by Joe Galati
16 MONTHS AFTER
CONSTRUCTION
NOV 2007
Nov 8, 2007.
Looking DS.
Thalweg off the
ends of the
Bendway Weirs
Pix by Joe Galati
COMBINATIONS
OF REDIRECTIVE
& RESISTIVE
TECHNIQUES
Sulphur Creek @
Dunnigan Burn Dump
Yolo County, CA
THE PLAN !!
Thalweg Management
Pre & Post-Project Conditions
THALWEG-Pre-Project
THALWEG-Post Project
LPSTP
BENDWAY WEIR
KEY
Footprint of the Dunnigan burn dump
The Bendway Weirs are
designed to reduce velocities
near the LPSTP, & move the
thalweg to a location off the
ends of the Bendway Weirs.
Weirs also provide protection
redundancy.
Mini case study: 2 of 10
DURING CONSTRUCTION-Looking DS @ LPSTP & 1 Bendway Weir
Mini case study: 3 of 10
Pix by John McCullah - October 1998
3 months later-Looking DS @ tall cliff area. The weirs were
not overtopped the first winter.
Mini case study: 4 of 10
Pix by John McCullah-Jan 1999
2+ Years-Looking DS @ the project bend, deposition in weir field.
Mini case study: 6 of 10
Pix by John McCullah - Jan 17, 2001
9+ Years Later-Looking DS @ completely filled in Bendway Weir
field results in a wide buffer of protection for the burn dump.
Mini case study: 10 of 10
Sulphur Creek @ Dunnigan Burn Dump-Pix by McCullah-Feb 14, 2008
Does your mind look like
this? GOOD, my work is
done. QUESTIONS???