Corey Johnson

Date of Award

2009

Document Type

Senior Project

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Department

Geological Engineering

Abstract

For this project an embankment will be built in Sioux County, North Dakota, T129N, R85W, and Section 7. The purpose of this embankment is to develop wetlands areas for duck habitat and nesting in south-central North Dakota. The embankment will be constructed from compacted soils taken from two locations that are within a half mile from the proposed embankment location to create a lower transport cost. The embankment will contain a weir that will be approximately 115 feet in length with five feet on each side embedded into the embankment for stability. The weir will be constructed from steel sheet piles and be driven into the ground at a depth of twice the weir’s height. The embankment will inhibit the flow of a small creek located about 1.6 miles west of ND Highway 31, and create up to a 22 acre wetlands area. The size of the wetlands area is dependent on the water level at any given time. This data was calculated in the stage capacity section of this project.

The purpose of this report is to construct a final design for the embankment. The environmental/biological, geological, and economical aspects of the site has been assessed. This project will document the hydrological characteristics of the area by discussing about soil and flow rates affected by each soil type. ArcGIS 9 was used for visualizing and creating the site data and area contours used in this report. An inflow hydrograph was calculated using data from the Hydrology Manual for North Dakota to calculate the maximum inflow.

The soil and hydrological characteristics of the proposed area where the embankment will be constructed will be collected from the Natural Resources Conservation Service county soil survey website. These data will help in deciding if the area can support a wetlands area successfully. The main concern for the project design is to increase the nesting and habitat areas for ducks. The wetlands area will be constructed to create a habitat for ducks to build nests and live successfully. The wetlands area will include three or four bays located mainly in the corners of the wetland that will create sufficient cover for the ducks. The number and size of the bays will be depended on by the water level. An economic analysis was also conducted to estimate a final cost of the embankment. The embankment is projected to cost approximately $522,000.

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