Logan First Dam Breach and Life Loss Evaluation

 

GIS in Water Resources ¾Term Paper
CEE 6930

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Zhengang Wang

wang@cc.usu.edu

Utah State University

December 8, 2000

 

 

Table of Contents

 

 

Objectives and Information Sources

Objectives:


The aim of this project is to develop a method to make DAMBRK calculation result visualize in ArcView. Get familiar with the whole process from download DEM data from USGS, creating of cross section, generating input data file that is the visualized DAMBRK calculation result, and life loss evaluation.  

Information sources:

The  DAMBRK software packages;

The USGS Geographic Data Download Geographic Data Download web page.

The  USGS 1:24,000 DEM data for Logan DEM_Logan  web page.

 

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General Information about Dam Breach

 

Dam breach is very a serious safety issue. For example, only in Colorado, there have been at least 130 dam incidents and failure since 1890. In recent years the failure rate has remained significant while the resulting costs have escalated.

 

 

Two serious threats of dam failure

 

 

Dam failure usually brings out two serious results. One is property loss. The other is life loss.

 

n Property Damage

 

Dam Breach Flood can wash out the dikes below the dam, significantly erode the downstream face, wash out railroad and factories downstream from it. As a result, dam breach can cause this huge property loss, which included the cost of the factories, environmental cleanup, and repair of the rail line.

 

n Life Loss

 

Dam Breach Flood can also kill and injure the people downstream from it.

 

 

 

 

Failure Example — Iowa Beef Processors Waste Lagoon failure

Iowa Beef Processors Waste Lagoon was located at Wallula in Walla Walla County, Iowa, 12 miles SE of Pasco. The failure of this dam occurred sometime between 11:19 PM on the 24th and 3:40 am on the 25th, when a Union Pacific freight train derailed on a washed out section of track downstream from the dam. The breached section had a width of 60 feet and a depth of 19 feet below the dam crest.

 

 

 

Breached section of Iowa Beef Processors Waste Lagoon

 

 

The railway was damaged

 

 

 

n Property Loss

 

The dam breach flood passed down the natural drainage channel below the dam, washing out the dikes on two holding ponds owned by Boise Cascade located 1000 and 2000 feet below the IBP dam. The flood was then impounded behind the Union Pacific RR fill located about 1 mile downstream from the dam. The floodwater flowed over the south end of the fill, significantly eroding the downstream face. Sometime after the overtopping occurred, the railroad fill failed at the location of a culvert, about 700 feet north of the overtopped area. A northbound freight train derailed at the location of the overtopping where the fill had been washed from one side of the tracks. All 5 locomotives went off the tracks and into the flood water.

The estimated cost of this failure was $5,000,000, which included the cost of the locomotives, environmental cleanup, and repair of the rail line. The cost for IBP to construct a new waste facility was several million more dollars.

 

n Life Loss and Injury

 

Three crewmen were injured. No life loss.

 

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Data Collection on Logan First Dam

 

Logan First Dam

 

Logan First Dam is a favorite outing or hangout spot for all.  This large grass area perfect for a picnic or sunbathing is next to a body of water full of ducks and geese.  There is even a volleyball net for a fun game in the sunshine.  The water's edge is often lined with fishers who are hopeful to catch some of the trout that are stocked here each year.  With the addition of newly constructed viewing decks, fishing piers and restrooms, Logan First Dam is an enjoyable place for everyone.

 

However, the reservoir is a potential threat to the downstream Logan people, including the Water Lab (UWRL).

 

 

 

Area of Logan First Dam

 

 

Information about Logan First Dam

 

Longitude:  -111.7900

Latitude:     41.7417

Country:     Cache

River:          Logan River

City:            Logan

Distance:    1 mile

NID Height: 30 feet

Year Completed: 1914

Maximum Discharge: 471 cfs

Maximum Storage:     140 acre-feet

Downstream Stream Hazard Potential: High

 

 

 

Map of Logan City (1)

 

I download a map of Logan City from Yahoo.

 

 

Logan City Map 1

 

 

Map of Logan City (2)

 

I download another map of Logan City.

 

 

Logan City Map 2

 

 

DEM Data from USGS

 

 

 

It takes me much time to look up the needed dada files. Ultimately, I find the needed file and download 7.5 minute Digital Elevation Models for Utah, Logan. The data is in .tar.gz form: 30.1.1.1219751.tar.gz. The website is:

 

http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/doc/edchome/ndcdb/7_min_dem/states/UT.html.

 

The DEM files are named after the 1:24,000-scale quadrangles. I import the 7559cel0.ddf file into ArcView. I zoon in the map to Logan area which looks like the following figure.

 

Figure of Logan City DEM data shape

 

 

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Create TIN Data for Logan First Dam

 

Input the DEM data

 

 

The download file is in tar.gz form, which is not a directly visual file. The following message is my step to import this file into ArcView.

 

Firstly, unzip the 30.1.1.1219751.tar.gz file to one folder — D:\temp\wang. Then open ArcView, and open a new view from the Views window.  From the File menu, choose Set Working Directory. Set the working directory to D:\temp\wang and click OK. From the File/Extension menu option, check the SDTS Grid Import, HECGeoRAS, 3D Analyst, and Spatial Analyst extensions from the Extensions window, and click OK so that the extensions will be loaded. Click the File/Import Data Sources menu option, in the pull down menu in the Import Data Source dialog box, select USGS SDTS DEM menu, and navigate to D:\temp\wang. Select 7559cel0.ddf and give a name LoganShape at D:\temp\wang Directory, then click OK. A theme name LoganShape will be loaded to current view. Changed the view’s name to Shape of Logan from View/Properties menu. Save the project to D:\temp\wang Directory with a name Logan.apr.

 

 

Change Map Units and Add Contour

 

 

The unit of my downloaded data file is in meter. Click View/Properties menu, set both Map Units and Distance Units to Meters in the pull down menu.

 

 

 

Highlight the LoganShape theme, double click on it and add several color inters from 1348 to 1499 period in the popped window. As a result, the downstream slope can be seen clearly instead of a plain. Highlight LoganShape theme. Click the Surface/Create Contours menu option, give 10 to the coming dialog box. Select the Contours of Loganshape theme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Create Grid Data for Logan

 

Open a new view and change the view’s name to Grid Data of Logan from View/Properties menu. Click View/Add Theme menu. Choose Grid Data Sources from the pull down menu in the Add Theme window. Select d:\temp\wang\loganshape and click OK. Highlight the LoganShape theme, double click on it and add several color inters from 1348 to 1499 period in the popped window so that the downstream slope can be seen clearly instead of a plain. Highlight LoganShape theme. Click the Surface/Create Contours menu option, give 10 to the coming dialog box. This contours will be used to create Logan TIN data. The figure is shown below. (After I create Logan TIN but not show it)

 

 

 

 

 

Create TIN Data for Logan

 

 

Highlight Contours of Loganshape theme. Click Surface/Create TIN from Features menu. In the Height Source pull down menu in the Create new TIN dialog box, select Contour menu, click OK.

 

 

Give a name LoganTIN and navigate it to D:\temp\wang.

 

Open a new view and change the view’s name to  TIN Data of Logan from View/Properties menu. Click View/Add Theme menu. Choose TIN Data Sources from the pull down menu in the Add Theme window. Select d:\temp\wang\LoganTIN and click OK. Double click on the TIN’s legend bar to open the TIN Legend Editor.  Click off the check box next to Lines and then click the Edit button in the Faces part of the window to open the regular Legend Editor.  Change the Color Ramp to Terrain Elevation #2.  Switch the color scheme by clicking on the  button.  Click on the Apply button and close both the Legend Editor and TIN Legend Editor. Change the ranges of each color so that each part can be seen clearly.

 

 

 

The TIN shape of Logan is listed in the following figure.

 

 

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Create the Shape and Geometry Data for Logan River

 

Create Logan River Central Line and Bank Lines

 

 

At the TIN Data of Logan theme, select the Create Stream Centerline command from the preRAS menu.  Name the new shape file as StreamCL.shp. Choose the Drawing Line bottom and Draw the Logan River Central Line using the mouse. After finishing, under the Theme menu, click on Stop Editing and save the edits.

 

Select the Create Banks command from the preRAS menu.  Name the new shape file as Banks.shp. Choose the Drawing Line bottom and Draw the Logan River Bank Lines using the mouse. After finishing, under the Theme menu, click on Stop Editing and save the edits.

 

After finishing these two steps, the shape of central line and bank lines is shown below.

 

 

 

 

Create Flowpath and Cross Sections

 

 

Select the Create Flowpaths command from the preRAS menu.  Name the new shape file as Flowpath.shp. Click on Yes to the coming window. Choose the Drawing Line bottom and Draw the flowpaths for the left and right overbanks. After finishing, under the Theme menu, click on Stop Editing and save the edits.

 

Select the Create XS Cut Lines command from the preRAS menu.  Specify the name of the theme as xscutlines.shp. Choose the Drawing Line bottom and Choose approximately 20 cross section locations. When accomplishing this in the Edit mode, click on the starting location and double-click where each line ends, then move to the next location. After finishing, under the Theme menu, click on Stop Editing and save the edits.

 

 

 

 

 

Create Logan River Geometry Data

 

 

 

Select the Theme Setup… command from the preRas menu and fill in each window with the identification of the created themes as shown in the graphic left. Name the RAS GIS Import File RasInput.geo. Click OK to confirm the data. Click OK to the error message. Click on the Centerline Completion command under the preRAS menu.  Specify the name of the theme as streamcl3D.shp and press OK.

 

 

 

 

 

Create XS Attributing and Generate RAS GIS import file

 

 

Click on the Stream/Reach Names command under the preRAS menu. Press OK to the following window. Do the same thing with the Stationing, Bank Stations, and Reach Lengths commands. Highlight the xscutlines.shp theme. Click on the XS Elevations command under the preRAS menu. Specify the name of the 3-D cross section file as xscutlines3D.shp.  Click OK to the following window. Click the RAS GIS Input Generation button and ignore the warning message by clicking OK. Select METRIC units when asked and click OK to confirm your selection. A file called rasinput.geo has been created in D:\Temp\wang directory.

 

 

 

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Create the Readable File RASInput.gis in GeoRAS by Hand

 

 

General Methods

 

To make the DAMBRK calculation result visualized in ArcView, a readable file RASInput.gis must be created, which is exported from HEC-RAS in our GIS ex5. Obviously, I cannot exported the DAMBRK calculation result into RASInput.gis from HEC-RAS. So, how to generate the RASInput.gis file that includes the DAMBRK calculation result is a critical part of my term project. I redo the ex5 and get the RASInput.gis for ex5. Then I add the necessary information, such as coordinates of the central line and cut line that I get from RASInput.geo, into the RASInput.gis for ex5. Then I add the DAMBRK calculation result into RASInput.gis. This is my main idea to solve this problem.

 

 

 

Data structure of RASInput.geo

In order to add the geometry data into RASInput.gis, we should understand the data structure of the geometry file, RASInput.geo.

RASInput.geo file includes four main information:

     (1) The header includes the general information about the Logan River.

     (2) Endpoint information.

     (3) The central line of the river reach.

     (4) The cross section information.

This information is very important in the RASInput.gis file.

 

The RASInput.geo file

 

Part of the RASInput.geo file is listed below.

 

 

 

Data structure of RASInput.gis

RASInput.gis file includes four main information:

     (1) The header includes the general information, such as map projection methods, the units, the number of breach, cross sections and profiles, etc.

     (2) Endpoint information.

     (3) The information of central lines of the river reach, such as the start and end points, coordinates.

     (4) The cross section information, such as stream and reach ID, the station name, the water elevation for each profile, the water surface extents for each profile, cut line coordinates.

     (5) The bounds for each profile.

 

The RASInput.gis file

 

Part of the RASInput.gis file is listed below.

 

 

 

How to Generate RASInput.gis file by Hand

I use the following methods to generate the RASInput.gis file:

     (1) Redo the ex5 and get its RASInput.gis file.

     (2) Change the header file. Change the reach number from 3 to 1, change the profiles number from 10 to 5, change the cross section number to 19, change other relative data.

     (3) Copy the Endpoint information from RASInput.geo file.

     (4) Copy the cut line information and the cross section station name from RASInput.geo file.

     (5) Input each profile’s bounds by hand.

     (6) Add the water elevation and water surface extents for each profile at every cross section.

 

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DAMBRK Visual Result

 

Generate RAS GIS import file

 

 

Select Theme Setup… command from the postRAS menu. Fill in the necessary data as below and click OK.

 

 

Click on the Read RAS GIS Export File command under the postRAS menu.  Click OK to a window that informs that the themes have been extracted successfully. Double-click on the LoganTIN theme legend and turn off the Lines application.  Click on the Edit button under the Faces section and change the Color Ramp to “Terrain Elevation #2”.  And some colors to make the map look better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flood Plain Delineation

 

 

Click on the WS TIN Generation command under the postRAS menu. Select the “PF_1” profile in the coming window.

 

 

Click OK to the “Water Surface TIN completed successfully” window.  Under the postRAS menu, click on the Floodplain delineation command. After several themes are added into this view, double click on the Gdpf_1 theme in the legend, set the Legend Type to “Graduated Color” and change the Color Ramps to “Blue Monochromatic”.  Change the “No Data” value color to transparent.

 

Do the same job on PF_2, Pf_3, PF_4.

 

 

 

 

DAMBRK Calculation Result

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distance from dam

(miles)

Time from the beginning of

inflow hydrograph

(hrs)

Water surface depth

(m)

0

20

3.5

0

32

5.4

0

35

4.9

0

45

3.6

4.6

20

2.04

4.6

32

2.3

4.6

35

2.25

4.6

45

2.08

5.2

20

1.9

                 5.2

32

2.7

5.2

35

2.5

                 5.2

45

1.95

 

 

 

Floodplain Delineation Result 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floodplain Delineation Result 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floodplain Delineation Result 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floodplain Delineation Result 4

 

 

 

 

 

3D Figure

 

 

 

 

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Life Loss Evaluation

 

Parameters That Affect the Life Loss

 

Three Parameters affect the life loss:

 

(1) The population size at risk

(2) The amount of warning time

(3) Landscape conditions

 

The warning time is the amount of time before the dam fails that the people at risk realize the dam is going to fail, usually in hours.

Landscape conditions include canyon terrain and plain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Formula for Life Loss

 

 

Curtiss A. Brown and Wayne J. Graham developed a formula in 1988 that would calculate the potential risk at hand for each dam:

 

L = P / [(1+5.207)*(5.838T – X)]

 

L = estimated loss of life;

P = population at risk;

T= warning time;

X is a parameter as for Landscape conditions. X is equal to 4.012 for canyon terrain and 0 for flatlands.

 

 

 

National Inventory of Dams' downstream hazard potential estimate table

 

 

 

 

Hazard Potential Classification

Loss of Human Life

 

Economic, Environmental, Lifeline Losses

 

Low

None expected

 

Low and generally limited to owner of dam

 

Significant

None expected

 

Yes

High

Probable. One or more expected.

Yes. But not necessary for this classification.

 

 

Life Loss Evaluation

 

 

 

Curtiss A. Brown and Wayne J. Graham developed a formula in 1988 that would calculate the potential risk at hand for each dam:

 

L = P / [(1+5.207)*(5.838T – X)]

 

National Inventory of Dams' downstream hazard potential estimate table

 

 

 

 

 

Life Loss Evaluation

 

According Curtiss A. Brown and Wayne J. Graham’s formula, the Life Loss Evaluation can be made as the following table:

 

 

 

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According Curtiss A. Brown and Wayne J. Graham’s formula, the Life Loss Evaluation can be made as the following table:

 

 

Population at risk

T (warning time)

(hrs)

X

Life Loss

1000

10

2

2.858

1000

20

2

1.404

1000

30

2

0.931

2000

30

2

1.861

1000

30

4

0.941

2000

30

4

1.883

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

 

Supposed the population in risk is about 1000, the life loss is near 1 person.

 

 

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Conclusion

 

 

(1)   The floodplain delineation results can be seen in front figures.

 

From the visual flood delineation layout at different time, we can see the different water depth at different points and different time. This will help us to figure out the flood distribution in space and time axes. And we can evaluate the property and life loss according different water depth, even though this work was not done in this term paper.

 

 

(2) From the DAMBRK calculation result, the warning time is about 30 hours. Supposed the population in risk is about 1000, the life loss is near 1 person.

 

I choose the time from the beginning of the very big inflow hydrograph to the breach of the dam, which is about 30 hours, as the warning time of Logan First Dam.

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

 

Supposed the population in risk is about 1000, the life loss is near 1 person.

 

 

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Discussion

 

 

 

Reason for this dam breach

 

The reason for this dam breach is very big inflow hydrograph, which may be induced by the breach of Logan Third Dam or other reasons.

 

 

I want to mention some potential mistakes in my work at the end.

 

One is the position of the Logan First Dam. I cannot make sure where is the precise position of the dam. Maybe my position is too near the downstream. The other is the downstream cross sections. Maybe I should enlarge the downstream to the right bank of Logan River.

 

I try to move the dam position to the upstream. The flood delineation result at 32 hours is showed below. 

 

Because there are not enough cross sections upstream from my supposed dam position, the floodplain delineation result is not good. But if I add & change the cross sections, I have to repeat all my work from the very beginning. It will be very time consuming. More important, I cannot make sure that the next dam position and cross sections are right because I don’t know them according the current materials. So I just mention these shortcomings at the end.

 

 

 

Curtiss A. Brown and Wayne J. Graham developed a formula in 1988 that would calculate the potential risk at hand for each dam:

 

L = P / [(1+5.207)*(5.838T – X)]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

 

Supposed the population in risk is about 1000, the life loss is near 1 person.

 

 

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Future Work

 

 

The method to generate RASinput.gis file, which is the readable DAMBRK calculation result by ArcView GIS, is very time consuming and very easy to make wrong. If needed, some C++ program can be designed to do this tedious and repeated work.

 

 

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Special Thanks

 

 

Dr. Tarboton and Dr. Bowles gave me much help in this GIS term project. Thank them very much.

 

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