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Open Channel Design

Listed below are many of the projects we’ve completed for our clients over the years. We’ve chosen to focus and expand on several key examples which are highlighted in blue. Clicking on those projects allows you to view in-depth what services NCI provided as well as details on the project itself.

Upper Llagas Creek Flood Control Project

Santa Clara Counties, CA

NCI performed a supplemental design study for Llagas Creek under the Upper Llagas Creek Flood Control Project. The scope included a field reconnaissance investigation and bed material sampling; stable low-flow channel design; sediment budget analysis; evaluation of the diversion channel initial conditions; and floodplain mapping. The effective discharge approach was applied to the low-flow channel design for various reaches. The effective discharge was determined using the bed material load histogram method, with the flow duration curves and the sediment transport rating curves being computed with SAM. The stable channel design module in SAM was used to size the stable low-flow channel for the sub-reaches where stable channel may potentially exist. Other sub-reaches either remained unchanged due to project constraints or environmental considerations, or were re-designed to be more consistent with adjacent low-flow channels. The sediment budget was computed using SAM based on the updated channel design. The floodplains were determined using HEC-RAS, and were mapped using GIS and HEC-GeoRAS for different flood events.


A potential sedimentation concern was identified for the preliminary diversion channel design. Several mitigation options were proposed, including re-aligning the diversion channel, and/or re-grading the diversion channel and adjacent reaches. These mitigation measures were investigated and the optimal option was recommended.



Upper Llagas Creek Flood Control Project

Hansen Dam 15-Acre Recreational Lake

Los Angeles, CA

The Corps of Engineers was directed to plan, design and construct a recreational lake and associated recreational facilities at Hansen Dam. To initiate the planning and design process, NCI prepared the Feature Design Memorandum that presented all engineering design criteria for final design and construction of a 2-acre swimming area for swimming, sunbathing and child’s wading activities; a 13-acre recreational water area for non-powered boating, sailing and fishing uses; and associated recreational facilities for parking, turf/picnic areas, restrooms, lifeguard buildings and stands, launching ramp, footpath and service road. This included engineering criteria for all civil design, hydraulic design, landscape design, and design of associated recreational facilities. Design elements consisted of the lake’s physical layout; lake liner and shoreline treatments; drainage features; and water quality control for the swimming area, filtration pond and recreational area. Water quality control consisted of chlorination, circulation/filtration, aeration and ozonation systems. A comprehensive construction cost estimate and operations/maintenance cost estimates were developed for this project using the Corps’ M-CACES program.



Hansen Dam 15-Acre Recreational Lake Hansen Dam 15-Acre Recreational Lake
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