City of Leavenworth, Kansas

2010

The City of Leavenworth, Kansas, is experiencing severe erosion on a tributary to Five Mile Creek.  The existing creek has experienced severe incision and bank failures.  The erosion and bank failures impacted private property and threatened City infrastructure such as roadways and sanitary sewer crossings.

WRS also evaluated the runoff in the watershed and developed a runoff management plan for the watershed that included recommendations for retrofit and future development detention sites, along with watershed specific detention release rates to reduce flooding and improve stream stability throughout the watershed.

In addition, the City wanted to extend Muncie Road across the tributary.  If unchecked, the erosion would threaten the proposed road crossing.
In addition, WRS completed the hydraulic analysis of the proposed reinforced concrete box (RCB) road crossing to convey the runoff safely for the 50-year and 100-year storm event.  In addition, the RCB was sized and configured to maintain sediment transport competency through the crossing.  WRS also provided a recommendation on the size and composition of the energy dissipation structure at the end of the RCB.
Water Resources Solutions (WRS) completed a study to qualify and quantify the erosion that is occurring along the tributary and to develop alternatives with costs to address the channel erosion and restore the eroded property and infrastructure.  The analysis was completed using procedures and guidelines outlined by the U.S. Bureau of reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to determine the stable slope and other characteristics for the stream.  A prioritized project implementation plan was developed for future stream stability improvements.