GEOTECHNICAL EVALUATION OF CALIFORNIA’S CENTRAL VALLEY LEVEES
Steven Mahnke (California Department of Water Resources)
Sujan Punyamurthula (URS Corporation)
Mark Connelly (Kleinfelder)
ABSTRACT
To improve California flood safety, reduce the risk of catastrophic flooding, loss oflife, and comply with the state legislature mandate that urban (10,000 people) communities achieve a 200-year flood level of protection by 2025, the CaliforniaDepartment of Water Resources (DWR) undertook an unprecedented effort to evaluate geotechnical conditions oflevees in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River valleys and Delta. The Levee Evaluation Project (LEP) consists of Urban Levee Evaluations Project (ULE) and Non-urban Levee Evaluations Project (NULE).The purpose of the LEPis to determine whether state and federal urban project and appurtenant non-project levees meet defined geotechnical criteria.
Under the LEP, managed by DWR’s Division of Flood Management together with a team of consultants led by URS andKleinfelder, an extensive field exploration, testing, and analysis programwas completed. More than1,700 miles of state and federal levees protecting highly-populated urban areas and non-urban areas,from Gerber in the north to Fresno County in the south, were evaluated. ULE/NULE also identifiedconceptual remedial measuresto assist Reclamation Districts, local maintaining agencies and communities to achieve the desired level of protection. The LEP used cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions to facilitate expedited levee evaluations.
ULE/NULE provides California with a comprehensive legacy of data, history, analyses and reports that will be referenced for years to come. The results of ongoing evaluations provide DWR with crucial decision-making information for planning of system-wide levee repairs and improvements, as well as a solid foundation for subsequent design and construction projects, which will be undertaken by DWR with federal and local partners during a decades-long improvement effort.
This presentation will provide an overview of the LEP, including the goals of the project, locations of the levees investigated, status and preliminary results of the investigation and analysis, and remaining work to be accomplished.
Presenters:
Steven Mahnke (California DWR)
SujanPunyamurthula (URS Corporation)
Mark Connelly (Kleinfelder)
Authors:
Mark Connelly, Kleinfelder
3077 Fite Circle, Sacramento, CA 95827
O: (916) 366-1701
C: (916) 912-6536
SujanPunyamurthula, URS Corporation
2870 Gateway Oaks Dr #150, Sacramento, CA 95833
O: 916 679-2000
M: 510 910-4695
Steven Mahnke, California DWR
3464 El Camino Ave #200, Sacramento, CA 95821
O: 916.574.1460
M: 916.698.8678