Category: Water Resources

Five Dam Engineering Terms That Hold Water

Most of us are familiar with dams and their basic function, but what about everything else that falls under the water resources umbrella? We can’t cover them all here, but let’s look at some not so weir-d words engineers use to describe some pretty practical structures. What’s a Weir? A weir is generally part of… Read More »

Webinar Examines Streambank Stabilization

As part of the NCHRP research project, small willow cuttings were harvested and then grown for about seven months in a Colorado State University (CSU) greenhouse in Fort Collins. Then cranes were used to place 20-foot-long, 15-ton “planter trays” of willows in CSU’s research flume. In August and September 2014, water was run through the… Read More »

Oroville Dam Emergency Illustrates Challenges for U.S. Dam Infrastructure

This aerial view from a California Department of Water Resources drone shows water flowing from the Lake Oroville flood control spillway at 55,000 cubic feet per second on February 11, 2017. Photo by California Department of Water Resources. By Ellen Faulkner, PE The drought emergency is over for most of California, thanks to winter rains… Read More »