Movable Bed Physical Model of Howard Creek

Abstract

St. Anthony Falls Hydraulic Laboratory was contracted by the West Virginia office of the U. S. Soil Conservation Service to construct and evaluate a physical scale hydraulic model of Howard Creek as it flows through White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The reach in question extends from the Garden Street bridge on the upstream end to just past the Greenbrier Avenue bridge on the downstream end. This reach is subject to periodic flooding and has several complicating features. The complications include the confluence of Dry Creek just upstream of Big Draft Road near midreach, a substantial change in slope from approximately 0.00405 to 0.00151 near this confluence, and a corresponding change in sediment size distribution progressing downstream. In addition, the entire reach is closely surrounded by private residences as well as some commercial and public buildings. The Soil Conservation Service is proposing channel modifications designed to reduce flooding in this reach. This study primarily evaluates performance of the proposed design with regard to sediment scour and deposition, and bank protection performance under conditions of both sediment deficient and sediment surplus, for each of 2-year, 10-year, and 100-year floods. (Please note that throughout the report the words starved or deficient are used interchangeably.) This report covers the model design, model construction, the choice and sizing of suitable model sediment and riprap, calibration of the model, testing, modifications, and conclusions.