Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2002GA7B

RESERVOIR SHORELINE EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION ANALYSIS:

Institute: Georgia
Year Established: 2002 Start Date: 2002-03-01 End Date: 2003-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $14,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $28,232

Principal Investigators: Paul Work

Project Summary: The project addresses three important problems in water resources: 1) reservoir sedimentation, which affects reservoir efficiency (from both economic and flood control perspectives), 2) the presence and transport of contaminated sediments, in this case contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 3) reservoir shoreline erosion, which can affect water quality, aquatic habitat, reservoir efficiency, and even real estate values. The reservoir to be studied through this research (Hartwell Lake, GA/SC) is nearly 40 years old, yet the main pool has not been surveyed for sedimentation in nearly 30 years (since 1973), despite the known presence of sediments contaminated with PCBs (and an EPA Superfund site on Twelve-Mile Creek, a major tributary), due primarily to a lack of funding (Joseph Hoke, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, pers. comm.). The study will reveal the degree of sedimentation via a field survey, the presence or absence of PCBs at selected locations, and provide data for validation of a numerical model that has been applied for prediction of circulation, sedimentation, and shoreline erosion within the reservoir.