Chaney Creek Watershed Assessment

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

McFadden Engineering managed the field data collection portion of a watershed assessment to determine the effects of erosion and sedimentation from the Multiple Purpose Range Complex – Heavy tank range, which was under construction.

McFadden Engineering installed and maintained field water quality sampling and monitoring equipment during the study and was also responsible for obtaining stream flow measurements and performing dye tracer studies on streams in the watershed around the construction site.

To adequately assess the water quality impacts, it was necessary to have an understanding of the hydrology of the study area watersheds and the stream hydraulics at the sampling sites.  McFadden Engineering obtained hydrology and hydraulic information by:

• Determining the flow characteristics of the study area streams before, during and after rainfall events;
• Determination of cross-sectional velocities;
• Analysis of time-of-travel for key stream segments;
• Development of stage and discharge relationships;
• Correlating the measured parameters to rainfall amounts.

McFadden also worked to evaluate data and develop recommendations from the data.