Technical Report

Initial Island and Bar Geomorphic Surveys for the Riverine Habitat Restoration Project in the Albuquerque Reach, Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico

URL: https://webapps.usgs.gov/mrgescp/documents/Fluder%20and%20Harvey_2006_Initial%20Island%20and%20Bar%20Geomorphic%20Surveys%20for%20the%20Riverine%20Habitat%20Restoration%20Project%20in%20the%20Albuquerque%20Reach%2C%20MRG%2C%20NM.pdf

Date: 2006/03/23

Author(s): Fluder J.J., McAlpine B., Harvey M.

Publication: Report prepared by SWCA Environmental Consultants and Mussetter Engineering, Inc. Report prepared for the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, 35 p.

Abstract:

This report provides the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC) with a summary of Mussetter Engineering, Inc.'s (MEI) work on the Middle Rio Grande Riverine Habitat Restoration project that is being conducted on the Middle Rio Grande in the Albuquerque Reach by SWCA for the NMISC. In summary, MEI has completed all of the survey tasks, which included: (1) topographic surveys of five bank-attached bars and four mid-channel bars/islands in the South Diversion Channel (SDC) subreach; (2) topographic surveys of three bank-attached bars and four mid-channel bars/islands in the Central Avenue outfall subreach; and (3) topographic surveys of five mid-channel bars/islands in the North Diversion Channel (NDC) outfall subreach. Six mid-channel bars/islands and one bank-attached bar that were originally surveyed in the SDC and NDC subreaches in March 2005 were resurveyed in September 2005, and we have prepared maps identifying the changes that occurred as a result of the relatively high, long-duration flows that were experienced this year. Reduction of all of the survey data and preparation of 0.5-foot contour interval maps of the surveyed bank-attached and midchannel bars/islands have been completed. An HEC-RAS hydraulic model of the Rio Grande that has been calibrated by MEI to the 2005 peak flow of 6,300 cfs has been used to identify water-surface elevations for a range of flows between 500 and 6,300 cfs at each of the surveyed sites. Classification of the bars/islands based on the bar classification scheme developed by MEI for the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Collaborative Program has been completed.