•DamOperationandMaintenance

•VegetationControl

•UseofGISandWebTechnologiesto ImproveIrrigationDistrictoperations

• JointsinConcreteConstruction

• Engineer’sShortCourse:RipRap DesignforHighVelocityFlows

Save the Date

MADCS 2010 Workshop - Billings, MT

October6th(afternoon)–FieldTriptoYellowtailDamandBigHornCanal

October7th(allday)-WorkshopHolidayInnBillings

5500MidlandRd.,Billings,MT59101

Come join us next October for our annual workshop! This is a great opportunity to meet other dam and canal owners with similar issues and concerns. Special this year will be the “Canal Classroom” and a Short Course for Engineers.

Topics for the 2010 Fall Workshop:

Montana Association of Dam and Canal Systems

MADCSMontana Association of Dam and Canal Systems

MADCSJune 2010

Issue 8Inside this issue

MADCS2010Workshop... 1

MilltownSuperfundRecap................................ 2

AConstructionSummaryforMilltownDam............. 2

WhyMostFolksinMontanaWillEndUpLoving2010SummerRainfall............... 3

StateWaterProjectsSummary-2010............... 3

• IntheHotSeat:RapidResponsesto DamEmergencies

• RecentRehabilitation–Lessons Learned

• IrrigationInfrastructureConstruction Projects

• CanalLining–Do’sandDon’ts

•WaterMeasurementTechniques

• CanalOperationTips

Yellowtail Dam

A variety of exhibitors will be on hand to tell you about the latest products and technologies.

MADCS OfficersPresident LarryDraperFredBurrWUA(406)961-1490madcs1@gmail.com

Vice PresidentLezlieKinneWillowCreekWUA(406)581-1787h2omt@hotmail.com

TreasurerVernonStokesPonderaCanal&ReservoirCompany(406)279-3315pccrc@tetonwireless.net

SecretaryVickiBakerTetonCooperativeReservoirCompany(406)469-2298mvbaker@3rivers.net

MADCS Board of Directors

ChuckThomasAckleyLakeWUARobertT.GoffenaDeadman’sBasinWUA

DanDoornobosRubyRiverWUA

AlfredBruleOrchardHomesIrrigationCo.

BillDabneyMTCorrectionalEnterpriseRanch

KevinBalesCrazyMountainRanch

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Milltown Superfund RecapBy the Clark Fork River Technical Assistance Committee www.CFRTAC.org

In1908amassivefloodwashedmillionsofcubicyardsoftoxicminewastesintotheClarkForkRiversystem.Generationslater,in1983,theMilltownReservoirwaslistedasaSuperfundsiteafterthediscoverythatseveralmillioncubicyardsofheavymetalcontaminatedsedimentshadpiledupbehindthedam,pollutingthegroundwaterbeneathwithhighconcentrationsofarsenic.WhiletheAnacondaCopperMiningCompanywasresponsiblefortheproblem,itssuccessors,theAtlanticRichfieldCompanyandBritishPetroleum,alongwiththedam’sownerNorthwesternEnergy,havelegalliabilityforthecleanuptoday.ThechiefprojectgoalistoreclaimtheMilltownaquiferbyremovingthecontaminatedsedimentsandreservoiraboveit.Todothat,theplanistoremovethedam,excavateandshiptheworstofthesedimentstoanexistingrepositoryattheAnacondaSuperfundSite,andthencreateanewriverchannelandfloodplainfortheClarkForkRiver.

A Construction Summary for Milltown DamBy Alfred Brule’ Project Director, Envirocon, Inc

TheMilltownprojectstartedwiththeinitialloweringofthereservoirlevelapproximately10feet.Dewateringwellswereinstalledalongthefootprintofthebypasschannel.Coupledwiththeinitialdrawdown,thedewateringwellssufficientlydrainedthesediments

whichallowedabypasschannelfortheClarkForkRivertobeexcavatedinrelativelydryconditions.Oncethebypasschannelwascompletedandtheriverdivertedintothetemporarychannel,thenextstepwastolowerthereservoirinasecondstagesothattheturbinesintheoldpowerhouse,couldberemoved.

Uponremovaloftheturbinesacofferdamwasconstructedupstreamofthedamisolatingthespillwaysection.Thespillwaysectionwasremovedindryconditionsandanewchannelconstructedinitsfootprint.Oncethenewchannelwasconstructed,thecofferdamwasremovedallowingtherivertoflowfreelythroughthedam.Thiswasthefinalstageofreservoirdrawdown.Atthisjuncture,theprocessofdewateringthesedimentsforremovalbegan.Withoutthereservoir’sartificialheadkeepinggroundwaterlevelshighinthesediments,theysufficientlydrained,allowingexcavationinrelativelydryconditions.Overatwo-yearperiodthe2.2millioncubicyardsofsedimentswereexcavated,loadedontorailcarsandtransported100milesupstreamwheretheywerespreadascappingmaterialonanexistingtailingsfacility.Becauseofthehighorganiccontentofthesedimentsandrelativelylowmetalslevels,thesedimentsmakegoodcappingmaterialthatshouldsustainvegetationwithlittlemaintenance.

Duringthetwo-yearsedimentexcavationperiod,theremainingportionsofthedamwereremoved.Becausetheriverisfreelyflowingthroughthedam,theremainingportionsofthedamwerealsoexcavatedindryconditions.Mostthedemolitiondebriswasburiedonsite.Uponcompletionoftheremovalofthesedimentsanddam,anewriverchannelandfloodplainwillbeconstructedinthefootprintofthesediments.Afteraperiodoftimehaspassedtoallowthenewfloodplainvegetationtoestablish,theriverdiversionwillberemovedandtheriverplacedintoitsnewchannel.Thebypasschannelwillthenbere-gradedmarkingtheconclusionoftheproject.

Milltown Dam after restoration

Milltown Dam before restoration

TwoyearsaftertheremovingthepowerhouseandbypassingtheMilltownDam,streamchannelconstructionandsedimentremovalcontinuesalongtheClarkForkRivernearMissoula.AlfredBruele’ofEnviroconInc.hasprovidedabriefreviewforthisphaseoftheClarkForkRiverSuperfundrestorationproject:

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Why Most Folks In Montana Will End Up Loving 2010 Summer Rainfall Despite Unusually Cool PeriodsBy Simon Atkins, CEO, Senior Atmospheric Scientist, Advanced Forecasting Corporation [AFC] www.AdvancedForecasting.com.

Sign-up for your 24-hour access “no-chance” quantitative predictions and weather risks at www.AFCrisk.com.

Apredictionofincreasingrainfallisgoodnewsforaland-lockedstatelikeMontana.Butbeforewegettoogung-gohappy,rememberthatwhenyouprayforraintoalwayssayhowmuchyouwant.ManyofusMontananshaveheardquiteabitaboutElNiñoandevenitssister,LaNiña.Butforsummer2010,we’recertainlygoingtogettoknowanotherclimatephenomenoncalledtheCoolorNegativePhaseofPacificDecadalOscillation(PDO).It’srevving-upnicelyanditwillessentiallycauseasharpertemperaturegradienttooccurhighupinbetweenthetroposphereandstratospherecausingunusuallyhighvolatilityinsummertemperaturesatthesurfaceaswellashigherintensitylevelsinprecipitation.WhentheNegativePDOcombineswithatimeofverylowtominimalsunspotslikenow,andithappensatthesametimewhentheElNinoswitchesmorerapidlythanusualtoaLaNinapattern(ofwhichthelatterisduetostartinJuly),thistriadrelationshipandrespectiveSun-Earth‘communication’togetherenhancestheelectromagnetic‘pull’incertainkeyhotspotareasonourplanet,whichinturnwilllikelyproduceincreasedthunderstormactivityintheRockies.Phew,saythattentimesfast.Essentially,thismeansthatwhilemanyplacesinMontanawillseeabovenormalrainfallthissummer(particularlyinnorth-central,easternandnorthwestcounties),muchoftheprecipitationwillcomefromdoubleoreventripletheamountofconvectiveactioninthoseareas.OnlysouthwestMontanaislikelytoseebelownormalrainfall,whileotherareaswillseeanear-normalpattern.

AtAFC,wewereinitiallyworriedfromourresearchandmodelingthatwhilethisscenariomayincludealotmorelightning-inducedwildfires,thegroundthissummerwillfrequentlybemoremoistthanusual,andasteadyrainfallwillfallonmanyoccasionsafterstormsrollthrough,soineffect,MotherNaturewillputoutmany

ofherownfireswithhighprobability.Inordertocomeupwiththis70%confidenceforecastforMontana,welookcarefullyatwhatisgoingoninallotherpartsoftheworldbecausewebelieveinmanypartsoftheGaiaTheorythatallweathersystemsare“alive”continuousenergysystemsthatcircletheglobecontinuouslymorphing,dying-off,reforming,rebirthing,andchangingtheircharacteristics.Forexample,alowpressuresystemoutofthePhilippinesorPeruhassomeeffectontheweatherintheRockies,justliketheChaosTheorysaysthatabutterflyflappingitswingsinBrazilwillminutelyaffecttheformationofatornadicthunderstormoverTexas.Wealsoincorporatesolaractivityintoourproprietaryequationsbecauseelectromagneticactivity(EM)isveryimportantinstormintensityfluxaswellasalteringearthquake/volcanicactivity.NotetoothatwhileEMisincreasingontheupswingoftheSolarCycleoverthenextfewyears,wecanexpectmorevolcanicactivityworldwideaswellasacontinuedincreaseinthenotablelargerearthquakesthatarebothhittingtheplanetatthistime.Lastly,welookforhighcorrelative“teleconnections”–climateanomaliesthatarerelatedtoeachotheratlargedistances;forexample,wheneasternChinaseesexcessiverainsinApril&May(likewhathashappenedthisyear),thereisastrongpossibilitythatourNorthernRockiesJulywillbeverythunderywithfrequentwetspellsfilledwithboutsofunusualcoolness.

Thatsaid,astheclimatepatternswitchestooppositeextremes(ElNiñotoLaNiña)aftertheFourthofJuly,theabrupttransitionbetweenthetwowillresultinmanysharpweatherchangesandunusualpatternsthisupcomingsummer.Sositback,lookforcontinuingabovenormalmoistureloadsthroughmuchofthesummer;however,watchforstrongerthanusualthunderstormsandalwaysremembertoputsafetyfirstduringboutsofsevereweather.

The2009/2010wintersnow-packfellshortofnormalformostofMontana.Thoughthishasleadtoanearlypredictionofcontinueddrought,arecentforecastbytheAdvancedForecastingCorporation[AFC],predictsaverydifferentweatherscenariofortheupcomingsummermonths.

State Water Projects Bureau On-Going Project Summary - 2010

1.TheDeadman’sBasinDamTerminalOutletStructure ReplacementandToeBermProjecthasbeen completed.Anewgatehouseisalsoplannedfor constructioninthefallof2010.

2.TheRubyRiverDamRehabilitationProjectPhaseOne isabouttocommence.Phaseoneoftheproject involvesthedevelopmentofnewmaintenanceaccess routes,replacementofthespillwayandconstruction ofanewoutlet.

3.NewfallprotectionequipmentwasinstalledatBair andMartinsdaleDams.

continued...

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2M CompanyMikeMading1215CordovaBillingsMT59101

ASI Constructors IncDonaldBroyles1850E.PlattevilleBlvdPuebloWestCO81007

BAFSCOLarryFischer2178CenturionPlaceBoiseID83709

Ben Taylor IncJoeStokesPOBox482ValierMT59486

Dowl HKM Engineering IncJayThomPOBox31318BillingsMT59107

DYNOTEKJimButler13931West54thAveArvadaCO80002

EDC Canal Linings LLCJackHaynes7154WStateStreet#381BoiseID83714

Geo-Spatial Solutions IncRustyMerrittPOBox335BendOR97709

Godwin PumpsAndyFitzhugh3860HelbergDrHelenaMT59602

Huesker Geocompsites LLCCameronGallamorePOBox411529CharlotteNC28241

Hydrometrics GaryFischer3020BozemanAveHelenaMT59604

Morrison Maierle IncKenSaloPOBox6147HelenaMT59604-6147

RG SalesRonHarnden18690142ndAveNEWoodinvilleWA98072

Sutron CorpJohnHumphreys22400DavisDrSterlingVA20164

Thomas Dean & Hoskins IncMelissaWidseth120025thStreetSouthGreatFallsMT59405

WatermanBillMurphyPOBox323CaldwellID83606

Western States InsuranceDaleHansonPOBox1800HamiltonMT59840

WWC EngineeringScottAspenlieder1275MapleStreetSuiteFHelenaMT59601

Thanks to our sustaining affiliates! Your Support helps keep Membership Fees Low!

Montana Association of Dam and Canal OwnersPOBox958VictorMT598754. Automatedinstrumentationwas installedatMiddleCreekDam.

5. Arehabilitationfeasibilityanalysis wascompletedforCataractDam. Thevariousalternativesare beingevaluated.

6. TheAckleyLakeDamRehabilitation Projectwascompleted.

7. ATimberManagementproject wascompletedatPaintedRocks ReservoirtohelpcontrolaPine BarkBeatleinfestation.

8. ADropStructureReplacement Projectison-goingattheNevada CreekNorthCanal.

9. Consultantsarebeinginterviewed andevaluatedfortheupcoming EastForkMainCanalDiversion andFishScreenInstallation Project.

10.On-goingmaintenanceisbeing performedattheBroadwater PowerProject(TostonDam).

For more information, contact Kevin Smith, Bureau Chief, State Water Projects 406-444-2932.

continued from State Water Projects Bureau On-Going Projects Summary - 2010