Please join the South Texas Section for our monthly workshop and dinner meeting at (). The dinner meeting follows the TIEEP Water Forum - see event page for registration details.
-
4:00PM - 6:00PM TIEEP Water Forum
-
6:00PM - 6:30PM Networking
-
6:30PM - 8:30PM Dinner & Keynote Speaker
AIChE Dinner Registration
Registration Fees
- STS Student Member: Free
- This option is for STS Student AIChE members - membership information is required.
- STS YP Member: $15
- This option is for STS YP AIChE members - membership information is required.
- STS Member: $25
- This option is for STS AIChE members - membership information is required.
- Non-Member: $35
- This option is for non-members.
Keynote Presentation
Presenter
Dr. Julia Wellner, University of Houston
Topic
Hurricane Harvey and Urban Sediment Transport
Abstract
The Houston area recorded the largest flooding event in US history during Hurricane Harvey from August 25-31, 2017, mobilizing sediment in fluvial-estuarine systems. An integrated quantitative analysis (Stearns et al., 2023) determined the net minimum volume of sediment transported during the storm was ~6-51 times larger than the average annual volume of sediment delivered to Galveston Bay in modern times (<200 years), and ~30-118 times larger when compared to Holocene rates. ~25% of the measured volume was deposited in Addicks and Barker reservoirs. In the stream drainages, sediment was mobilized from the west-northwest of Houston and pulsed towards Galveston Bay, highlighting the extreme short-term variability in sediment delivery. Sediment flux during Harvey is an example of sediment storage followed by a pulsed delivery of high sediment volume rather than continuous delivery of sediment. A comparison of sediment volumes transported through natural and modified drainages through Houston demonstrates that channel modification resulted in significant bypass of sediment downstream. Urban watershed management is more effective when continual updates are implemented based on regional circumstances rather than based on historical fluxes.
- Log in to post comments