Sediment Transport Modeling For The Colorado River Aqueduct Conduit Erosion Control Improvement Project

The Colorado River Aqueduct (CRA) is experiencing erosion and loss of adequate cover at various locations along its alignment through the San Gorgonio Pass in Riverside County, California. Consequently, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California desired analyses to inform erosion protection design recommendations at these areas of concern. The CRA’s location within alluvial fan morphology presents sediment transport challenges that needed to be addressed to analyze the scour conditions and develop appropriate mitigation measures. This presentation will focus on the sediment transport modeling approaches, methodologies, and software (e.g., HEC-RAS) implemented to design erosion protection for this critical piece of infrastructure.