October 14, 2009 Horacio Toniolo, Hydraulic studies on the Anaktuvuk and Tanana Rivers – Preliminary results, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Hydraulic studies on the Anaktuvuk and Tanana Rivers –
Preliminary results

Horacio Toniolo
Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks

The talk encompasses current hydraulic studies in two rivers in Alaska. The first study focuses on the Anaktuvuk River; the second investigation takes place on the Tanana River.

An extensive field campaign was conducted on the Anaktuvuk River during Spring 2009. The main goal of field activities was to gather basic hydro-sedimentological information on the Anaktuvuk River, a pristine stream located in the Colville River basin. The study reach was located at N 69o 27.785’, W 151o 09.858’, longitude and latitude respectively. During the field campaign, we measured discharge and water-surface slope, collected water samples, and characterized bed sediment. As a result of fieldwork and laboratory work, we present an initial rating curve for the Anaktuvuk River, as well as the calculated roughness coefficient and suspended sediment concentrations.

Velocity measurements conducted at a high frequency rate on fixed points on the Tanana River near Nenana were conducted in late August. The measurements were performed with an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). Preliminary results on basic turbulence parameters indicate that the thalweg, the deepest point in a given cross-section, could change its position in the future.