Huff's Corner
Client
Yolo County
Project Categories
Tags
Floodplain RestorationHydology/HydraulicsFluvial GeomorphologyGeomorphic Risk
Geomorphic changes to a reach of Cache Creek posed the risk of repeating a dramatic bank failure at Huff’s Corner near Yolo, CA. A mid-channel gravel bar had been accumulating just upstream of the I-5 bridge overcrossing on Cache Creek, reducing flood capacity. This pushed the flow of Cache Creek against the right bank where a major failure occurred in the 1990s.
Ecological Bank Stabilization
FlowWest created a 2D hydraulic model of Cache Creek and used it to evaluate alternative designs. The design removed the accumulated island and regraded the left bank into compound terraces to support a variety of riparian and native grass plantings that balanced flood performance with habitat creation. The terrace was armored in key locations with trenched large rock and willow stake-planted rock slope protection.
A Reshaped Floodway
The project expanded the floodway, reshaped the channel geometry for a more stable geomorphic condition, and created several new riparian and upland habitat zones. FlowWest led all engineering for the project and supported regulatory permitting.
