Constructed in 2005, Creekside Reservoir No. 1 is a 95-foot-high zoned, fullylined earthfill dam located near Canyonville, Oregon, on land owned by the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians. The high-hazard dam stores 371-acre-feet of raw water.
The Tribe wanted to identify the potential risks associated with the failure of Dam No. 1 to the surrounding community so that appropriate action could be taken in the event of an emergency. Study results indicated that within five minutes a dam breach would cover a hotel, truck stop, restaurant, recreation vehicle park, private residencies, and an interstate highway. To meet State of Oregon requirements, response instrumentation needed to be installed at the dam.
Based on the results of the study, Kleinfelder developed an inundation limits map, prepared emergency response flow charts, and identified conditions that could require an emergency response. Kleinfelder worked closely with the client and an independent instrumentation consultant to develop an early warning system and design an extensive instrumentation monitoring program that included vibrating wire piezometers, inclinometers, a reservoir level sensor, and weirs monitoring seepage and turbidity. Telemetry systems enabled remote and automated data collection.
Following the creation of the Emergency Action Plan, the client was able to fulfill the State of Oregon’s permitting requirement. In addition, the Tribe now has plans in place to respond to emergency situations that threaten the dam and surrounding tribal and public lands.
Location:
Canyonville, Oregon
Owner:
Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians
