Kankakee River Flood and Sediment Management Work Plan Interim Findings and Recommendations for Indiana Siavash Beik and Robert Barr January 2019 Kankakee River Erosion, Sediment, and Flood Risk Management Work Plan – Diagnose the Root Causes of Erosion, Sedimentation, and Flooding through Detailed Field and Desktop Assessment – Communicate the Extent of Existing Risks and Expected Trends (Changing Climate) – Identify Strategies for Addressing the Issues in a System-wide Approach – Develop a Work Plan for Implementing Various Strategies Specific to Each Area Within the Watershed (Main Stem Reaches, Laterals, Urban Areas, Ag Areas) A Joint Indiana – Illinois Effort to Address a Legacy Problem Facing Both States! Place Holder for describing the profile of Kankakee Sand Bed and travel of sand wedges? Hydrogeologic Atlas of Aquifers in Indiana, USGS, 1994 Kankakee River in St Joseph County -Walkerton Area Historical Society (Kankakee Valley Historical Society) Photo, Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society Collection ILLINOIS INDIANA Wildland Hydrology, after Lane, 1955 Platte River near Wood River, NE Sand waves translating downstream (Hickin) Kankakee River at Crumstown Highway, St Joseph County Kankakee River, St Joseph County Kankakee River at Kingsbury Fish and Wildlife Area, LaPorte County Kankakee River at Kankakee Fish and Wildlife Area, LaPorte and Starke Counties Yellow River at Kankakee Fish and Wildlife Area Kankakee River at Kankakee Fish and Wildlife Area Kankakee River at Yellow River, LaPorte and Starke Counties Kankakee River at confluence with Yellow River, Hanna Arm, and Kline Arm Measured Channel Dimensions Area = 669 ft2 Width = 177 ft Mean d = 3.78 ft Max d = 6.3 ft Predicted Bankfull Channel Dimensions = 575 ft2 =129 ft = 4.4 ft = 5.25 ft Kankakee River below confluence with Yellow River, Hanna Arm, and Kline Arm Measured Channel Dimensions Area = 485 ft2 Width = 105 ft Mean d = 4.62 ft Max d = 8.0 ft Predicted Bankfull Channel Dimensions = 577 ft2 =130 ft = 4.4 ft = 5.25 ft Kankakee River, LaPorte County Kankakee River, Starke County, Indiana Kankakee River, LaPorte and Starke Counties Measured Channel Dimensions Area = 538 ft2 Width = 116 ft Mean d = 4.64 ft Max d = 7.0 ft Predicted Bankfull Channel Dimensions = 596 ft2 =132 ft = 4.4 ft = 6.2 ft Oxbow, LaPorte County Oxbow, LaPorte County, IN Kankakee River, Jasper County, Indiana Kankakee River, Porter County, Indiana Kankakee River near Dunn’s Bridge Kankakee River downstream from Baum’s Bridge, Porter and Jasper Counties Kankakee River at I-65, Newton County Kankakee River, Lake County, Indiana Kankakee River, Lake County, Indiana Kankakee River between I65 and Shelby, Newton and Lake Counties Kankakee River, Newton County, LaSalle Fish and Wildlife Area • 2D Simulation of Flooding Behind Berms Frequently Flooded Areas Frequently Flooded Areas NASA Satellite Capture of 03-02-2018 Flood Frequently Flooded Areas NASA Satellite Capture of 03-02-2018 Flood FEMA Significant Flood Hazard Area Hydrograph Volume ≈ 555,000 ac-ft. Extra Volume to be Stored ≈ 220,000 ac-ft. (The size of the entire Starke County land area flooded by one foot! or about 28,000 acres, stacked 8 feet high with water) * Existing Flood Storage has Kept Flood Heights Lower! Recorded Peak Annual Discharges at Kankakee River at Shelby USGS Gage 9000 8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 Discharge (cfs) Linear (Discharge (cfs)) 10 per. Mov. Avg. (Discharge (cfs)) Annual Maximum Gage Heights at Kankakee River at Shelby USGS Gage 14 12 10 GAGE HEIGHT (FT) 8 6 4 2 0 WATER YEAR Gage Height Increasing Trends at the Kankakee at Shelby USGS Gage ACTION STAGE MINOR FLOOD STAGE MODERATE FLOOD STAGE MAJOR FLOOD STAGE STATION: 05518000 KANKAKEE RIVER AT SHELBY, IN Pre1950s Gage Height Increasing Trends at Kankakee at the Shelby USGS Gage (cont’d.) ACTION STAGE MINOR FLOOD STAGE MODERATE FLOOD STAGE MAJOR FLOOD STAGE STATION: 05518000 KANKAKEE RIVER AT SHELBY, IN Adding Data for 1950s Gage Height Increasing Trends at Kankakee at the Shelby USGS Gage (cont’d.) ACTION STAGE MINOR FLOOD STAGE MODERATE FLOOD STAGE MAJOR FLOOD STAGE STATION: 05518000 KANKAKEE RIVER AT SHELBY, IN Adding Data for 1960s Gage Height Increasing Trends at Kankakee at the Shelby USGS Gage (cont’d.) ACTION STAGE MINOR FLOOD STAGE MODERATE FLOOD STAGE MAJOR FLOOD STAGE STATION: 05518000 KANKAKEE RIVER AT SHELBY, IN Adding Data for 1970s Gage Height Increasing Trends at Kankakee at the Shelby USGS Gage (cont’d.) ACTION STAGE MINOR FLOOD STAGE MODERATE FLOOD STAGE MAJOR FLOOD STAGE STATION: 05518000 KANKAKEE RIVER AT SHELBY, IN Adding Data for 1980s Gage Height Increasing Trends at Kankakee at the Shelby USGS Gage (cont’d.) ACTION STAGE MINOR FLOOD STAGE MODERATE FLOOD STAGE MAJOR FLOOD STAGE STATION: 05518000 KANKAKEE RIVER AT SHELBY, IN Adding Data for 1990s Gage Height Increasing Trends at Kankakee at the Shelby USGS Gage (cont’d.) ACTION STAGE MINOR FLOOD STAGE MODERATE FLOOD STAGE MAJOR FLOOD STAGE STATION: 05518000 KANKAKEE RIVER AT SHELBY, IN Adding Data for 2000s Gage Height Increasing Trends at Kankakee at the Shelby USGS Gage (cont’d.) MINOR FLOOD STAGE MODERATE FLOOD STAGE MAJOR FLOOD STAGE STATION: 05518000 KANKAKEE RIVER AT SHELBY, IN ACTION STAGE 2010s 2000s Adding Data for 2010s Implications of Gage Height Increasing Trends ACTION STAGE MINOR FLOOD STAGE MODERATE FLOOD STAGE MAJOR FLOOD STAGE STATION: 05518000 KANKAKEE RIVER AT SHELBY, IN 2010s 2000s 2.4’ Higher Gage Height Comparing pre 1950’s to 2018 Why Are Gage Heights Increasing for the Same Flow Value During Large Floods ?! 1. Loss of Floodplain Storage Due to Berms on Main Stem and Laterals Shelby USGS Gage 2. Accumulation of Sediment and Logs/trash Behind Railroad Bridge During Floods 3. Moving Sediment Wedges During Flood Events  This observation is location-specific. Similar analysis at Dunns Bridge and Davis Gages did not show the same trend Temporary Sediment Wedge During Flood Sediment Wedge Leveled After Flood MINOR FLOOD STAGE 2010 - 2017 2000 - 2009 Near Future 100 yr Discharge Gage Analysis 100 yr Discharge In 2010s, FIS 100-year elevation produced by 15-year discharge ACTION STAGE MODERATE FLOOD STAGE MAJOR FLOOD STAGE Implications of Gage Height Increasing Trends (cont’d.) STATION: 05518000 KANKAKEE RIVER AT SHELBY, IN Current FIS 100-yr Stage Implications of Gage Height Increasing Trends (cont’d.) MODERATE FLOOD STAGE MAJOR FLOOD STAGE STATION: 05518000 KANKAKEE RIVER AT SHELBY, IN Current FIS 100-yr Stage Near Future 100 yr Discharge 2010 - 2017 2000 - 2009 In 2010s, FIS 100-year elevation produced by 15-year discharge ACTION STAGE MINOR FLOOD STAGE 1. More frequent, more intense Precipitation 2. Increased, uncompensated runoff from urban areas (impervious surfaces) and agricultural fields (drain tiles, pumping, preventing flood storage,…) 3. Activities in the River Corridor (berms next to the river and on the laterals, crossings, floodplain filling, temporary sediment wedges from high sediment load) Gage Analysis 100 yr Discharge Summary of Likely Culprits: Number of Days above Flood Stage at the Kankakee at Shelby USGS Gage Direct Runoff Versus Base Flow on a Typical Year Observed Runoff Volume Increases at Shelby USGS Gage (Historical Trend of Average Flow Rates by Source) * Values Plotted are 15-Year Moving Averages Observed Runoff Volume Increases at Shelby USGS Gage (Historical Trend of Average Daily Flow Rates by Source) Direct Runoff is Increasing in Response to Higher Rainfalls and Intensive, uncompensated Drainage Activities! * Values Plotted are 15-Year Moving Averages Proposed Refined 1989 MP Wide Levee Alignment Frequently Flooded Areas NASA Satellite Capture of 03-02-2018 Flood FEMA Significant Flood Hazard Area Approximate 1989 MP Wide Levee Alignment Summary of Findings to Date • The Greatest Source of Sediment into Kankakee River: – Bank Erosion along the banks in Yellow River from Knox to Marshall County – Bank Erosion along spoil piles in Kankakee River in Jasper, Porter, and Newton Counties • The River is appropriately transporting the sediment downstream – Natural aggradation occurs in two flat spots (English Lake reach in Yellow River and Stateline reach in Kankakee River) due to more incoming sediment than these reaches can handle • The Kankakee River channel is stable and any disturbance to it (such as dredging) will only create new instability problems! • Spoil banks are not continuous and do not appear to provide meaningful flood protection during large floods. There are a lot of misconceptions about the role of these spoil piles! • Major access and stability issues prevail along spoil banks, where they exist • Due to large flood volumes, it is not feasible to contain the river within a narrow corridor (especially given the increasing peak flow trends) • Maintenance of spoil banks this close to the river is not sustainable • Temporary storage of floodwaters has and will continue to occur on wetlands, farmlands, and lowlying areas within the floodplain, as expected • The problem is not the lack of flood storage, but the lack of land use compatibility! Flood Control Alternatives are Limited! • What about dredging the channel? – Regardless of its recurring costs or permitability issues, dredging the channel cannot make up for loss of such a large required flood storage and also is not effective in a sand bed river system – Dredging also has several unintended consequences! • What about repairing spoil banks, and making them taller? – The spoil piles were never meant to control flooding and do not constitute a continuous line of protection – Even if they could be made continuous and regardless of recurring maintenance costs and permitability issues, there is no way to contain so much flow volume within a narrow corridor • The only feasible alternative is flood preparedness and to give room to the river! Active Management Recommendations 1. Reduce Sediment Supply from Yellow River Upstream of Knox – Utilize concepts used in Pilot Project – Reduces sediment supply and temporary aggradations along the River – Highest priority in terms of benefit to the Kankakee River system 2. Reduce Sediment Supply from Severely Eroded Kankakee Slopes – Utilize vegetative methods to keep sediment from falling into the River – Second highest priority in terms of benefit to the Kankakee River system Active Management Recommendations (cont.) 3. Stop Maintaining and Strategically Create Openings in Spoil Piles/Berms – Connect river to its floodplain for improved conveyance, storage, and sediment distrib. – Compensate ag lands if they were substantially protected from flooding through flood easement – Re-establish protection (if any) to critical facilities, major roads, or residential clusters 4. Create Openings in Internal and External berms at the Kankakee Fish and Wildlife Area – Allow free exchange of water between Kankakee and Yellow during flooding – Remove the need for active management and the guessing game by State in response to flood events Active Management Recommendations (cont.) 5. Provide Strategic Flood Protection to Critical Facilities & Key Infrastructure – Construct engineered levees/perimeter berms to protect major facilities, roads, or dense residential clusters – Strategic approach is needed due to inability to eliminate flooding everywhere – Adverse impact to other properties should be addressed as part of design 6. Restore Yellow River Sediment Transport Capacity Downstream of Knox – Utilize concepts used in Pilot Project to promote effective sediment transport – Monitor the impact of proposed upstream sediment supply reduction prior to designing downstream improvements Active Management Recommendations (cont.) 7. Remove and/or Replace Restrictive Bridges – Several active and abandoned bridges are interrupting the sediment flow and cause flow backup – Need to garner legislative support at federal and state levels to deal with relocation of historic bridges 8. Construct off-line Retention or detention storage areas along Laterals – Needed to offset increase in runoff due to past and ongoing land drainage activities in the watershed and/or increased rainfall – Future drainage improvements by farmers or Drainage Boards should incorporate detention storage as part of improvement Passive Management Recommendations 1. Update Stormwater Ordinance and Technical Standards for New Development – Several entities already have some form of control measure, but not consistent – Need to include NAI Measures: • Detention with pre-calculated maximum allowable release rates for each sub-watershed • Channel Protection Volume retention • 1.5:1 compensatory floodplain storage • No development within floodways and erosion corridors • Incentives for using LID and Green Infrastructure 2. Promote/Require Farm Drainage Impact Reduction Measures – Needed to offset the impacts of surface ditching and subsurface tiling on increased runoff in the River – Example of impact reduction measures: • • • • Soil health conservation practices Agricultural drainage management structures 2-stage Ditches Detention/Retention With Cover Crop Without Cover Crop Passive Management Recommendations (cont.) 3. Develop Flood Response Plans – Flooding, such as that observed in 2018, cannot be prevented – Flood Response Plans help emergency responders with forecasting, detecting, classifying severity, and warning & evacuation priorities associated with an event – IDHS & OCRA may be able to help fund these plans 4. Develop Flood Resilience Plans – Strategies are needed to curb increase in flood vulnerability – Most effective resilience plans offer geographical-specific resilience strategies – FEMA, IDHS, & OCRA may be able to help fund these plans Implementation Sequence/Timeline Notes: 1. The implementation sequence is based on system priority and available funding & manpower. Several of the measures can be initiated and can proceed concurrently, if feasible and advantageous 2. The implementation horizon can be shortened if annual funding is not limited Annual Funding Need Projections Notes: 1. The cost estimates and annual funding needs are interim, preliminary, and subject to change 2. The implementation horizon can be shortened if annual funding is not limited Expected Outcomes  Significant Reduction in Sediment Supply  Helps preserve and improve drainage capacity in the River  Helps reduce temporary sediment slugs and wedges during flood events, thus reduces flood stages  Helps reduce supply of sand deposited on fields during large out of bank floods  Efficient, Unrestricted Access to Floodplain Storage  Lowers the flood stages due to additional accessed storage and conveyance paths  Helps distribute sand evenly along the length of River and combined with sediment supply reduction, reduces sand pile ups on adjacent land during flooding  Reduces flood inundation duration along the River by eliminating entrapments behind berms  Eliminates costly and unsustainable maintenance of berms/spoil piles along the River  Improved, Consistent Sediment Transport  Combined with sediment supply reduction, helps reduce temporary sediment slugs and wedges downstream during flood events  Strategic Flood Protection of Critical Facilities, Major Transportation Routes, and Dense Residential Clusters  Provides reliable, engineered flood protection to critical facilities, major transportation routes, and residential clusters  Increased Flood Storage in the Watershed  Recommended watershed-wide cover crops, detention basins along laterals, 2-stage laterals would create additional storage in the watershed, reducing the flow to the River  Keeping Flood Peak Discharges, Volumes, and Stages from Increasing Further  Updated, NAI Stormwater Ordinance and Standards help prevent additional increases in runoff and peak stages  Institution of Flood Preparedness and Flood Resilience Culture  Helps emergency responders with tools for flood detection, warning and evacuations, and road closures  Helps change community officials mindsets in allowing an increase in vulnerability and to institute resilience measures QUESTIONS? Siavash Beik, PE, CFM, D.WRE Vice President, Principal Engineer Christopher B. Burke Engineering, LLC 115 West Washington Street, Suite 1368 South Indianapolis, IN 46204 317.266.8000 (office) 317.509.1673 (mobile) Email: sbeik@cbbel-in.com Robert Barr Research Scientist Center for Earth and Environmental Science Department of Earth Sciences IUPUI 317.278.6911 (office) 317.332.5463 (mobile) e-mail: rcbarr@iupui.edu