Open Collections

Hazard assessment of debris flows initiated by breaching of small earth dams

University of British Columbia

There are many small earth dams perched high above the floor of the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. These dams pose a potential risk for destructive debris flow generation if they become breached. A relatively small outburst can trigger a much larger volume debris flow downstream of the dam. The failure of the Testalinden dam in the southern Okanagan region in June 2010 clearly demonstrated the destructive power of a debris flow triggered by the water released by a breach through a poorly maintained dam. Homes were destroyed and property was damaged. This thesis presents a methodology for preliminary assessment of potential debris flow initiation hazards caused by the breaching of small earth dams using digital elevation models, available maps, and limited monitoring records of dams. Research can assist dam safety officers in better ranking the consequences of dam failure. Empirical equations are used to predict the peak outflow if a breach occurs in a small earth dam. The creek gradient and the estimated height of water or outflow per unit width in the creek channel resulting from the outflow are used in debris flow initiation criteria to delineate possible locations along a creek where a debris flow may initiate. If debris flow initiation were possible, this would trigger the need for more detailed assessment of dam failure consequences and will likely result in a higher dam failure consequence classification compared to consideration of flooding only.

Text

2013-03-16

Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/44033

Civil Engineering

University of British Columbia

UBCO

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/