Repair update:
That pesky mud fan had dumped a layer of silt and blocked the main channel. Darrell and I drove to Santiago Estates, hiked down and cut a shallow 30 yard trench and started the natural flow back up. Maybe 5% of the water is diverted back, maybe 10% by morning as the silt erodes away. A group of Hang Fours arrived and tossed some boulders cutting the breach in half working from one side. Big Mike threw the largest of boulder. No one had to wade or get wet either. Because the breach is narrower, the velocity has increased. That mud fan needs a serious trimming but aside from that it might be possible to plug and restore the airfield and have it operational in short order.
LZ Washed Out!
Moderator: Chip
I shot some video of the erosion and flowing water yesterday.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qxhVflfgMI[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qxhVflfgMI[/youtube]
I was thinking of a design that has a "weak link" spillway(purple dot) made of large rocks a bit lower than the regular levee(black line). That way if the water level rises it will flow over some large rocks that won't erode away and flow down the fall back channel(yellow line). Only under the largest flow would it make it to the far channel(red line). Since it didn't erode the spillway, the water will go back into the main channel(green line) in its entirety when the level drops back down, except for maybe a small backyard waterfall over the spillway. There are a few flat slabs in the current channel(redline) that could be used to reinforce where water hits perpendicular to the dirt near the spillway.
Just an idea.
Doug
Great Progress today w/ helpers including Rob Burgis, Darryl Weaver, Mike Knapp, Greg Jones, Janyce Collins, Lloyd Albright, Greg Kendall, and a few others.
It took 6.5 hours with the skip loader to completely stop the flow of water. It took another hour and a half in the dark do beef it up a bit more. Let's hope it holds.
Plans are to get a big ass caterpillar or an excavator in there as soon as possible to dig all the debris out of the original river bed and build a stronger berm.
Problem is getting it done during the holidays. Perhaps we should have waited until after the holidays to stop the flow, but we're trying to get this place safer and usable for Novice and Intermediate pilots.
It took 6.5 hours with the skip loader to completely stop the flow of water. It took another hour and a half in the dark do beef it up a bit more. Let's hope it holds.
Plans are to get a big ass caterpillar or an excavator in there as soon as possible to dig all the debris out of the original river bed and build a stronger berm.
Problem is getting it done during the holidays. Perhaps we should have waited until after the holidays to stop the flow, but we're trying to get this place safer and usable for Novice and Intermediate pilots.
Safety is a book, not a word
Michael Robertson
Michael Robertson
Tomorrow we'll bring in a large excavator to remove the debris from the flood control channel. This should keep the river flowing efficiently where it was before the fires and rains filled it with boulders.
With luck, we'll be flying the site just as soon as the winds turn around.
With luck, we'll be flying the site just as soon as the winds turn around.
Safety is a book, not a word
Michael Robertson
Michael Robertson
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Rome Dodson
- Posts: 385
- Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2005 9:42 am
4kagel road
dispite 14 in. of rain the road held up suprisingly well! the 1st trip up we had to clear 4 sml. rockslides, and i had to rebuild the first drain ,(where we had a 15 ft long and 4ft. deep trench) the rr ties are exposed now.. we need about 10 sandbags for the road, just for starters. rome
