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E R O 5 1 O N & S E D I M E N T C O N T R O L Wlch~$a'~ NSW Channel Prevents Ploodin~ Roy J. Nelsen, Manager of Technical Services WATER diversion systems and a levee protect much of Wichita, Kansas, From flooding of Che Arkansas and little Arkansas Rivers. When the r1ty experiences heavy rains and thun- derstorms, certain areas aze subJec[ to serious hooding. This was especially true of the populated residential azea along East Third Street North, where some of the more severe flows occurred. For decades, Third Street North had two very diverse funcdons. It not only cazried traftlc, but also carried stormwater nuroff, The maJodty of the time, the water consisted of a low flow of about 2 to 10 cubic feet per second. Periodically, though, the drainage channel would run full and close Third Street North including almost all the cross streets to haffic. In too many instances, the drainage I problems at Third Street North created emergency situations and stranded motorists who had to be.rescued from the flooding. As a result, the potential for an accident where a drowning may occur was always a concern for the city. The contract to plan a new drainage system far Third Street North was awarded to ~ Mtd-Kansas Engineering Consultants, Inc. (MKEC), a Wichita-based fum with years of drainage design experience, and Golsen Livingston Architects, a local architectural firm with landscape expertise. They presented the city with a number of options and design alternatives far the three-quarters of a .mile long project. These plans were discussed !n numerous city and neigh- borhood meetings, where public input was sought. 'The street's combined function was unacceptable,' states Nell ~JednoralsM, Water Resources Engineer at MKEC. "In order for Third Sheet to have remained open to traffic, its sur- face would have had to be raised to fit the incoming streets and a storm sewer would need to be installed to handle the upstream drainage area," +'e L Those oPto: s~rfcluded a choice of:~"~sto'ne-lined ~~~ channel, a~fti1F'o~partially- i. Tined conc~°reie~xchannel, a e..-.. grass-lin'e _ /~afnnel or one that r, ,grass-lined with a g~~i~;orr=lined pilot channel. , kd .~ a. It was eventually determined that the street could not be raised, due to an abundance of underground utlli- ties, especially the sanitary sewer, and stlll install a storm sewer to handle the runoff. It was decided that the most effective design would be to close Third Sheet Nortft to all through and cross-traffic, and turn 1t into a drainage channel. `We pcovided many different canal design options to [he city,' says Jednoralskl. 'Those options included a choice of a stone-lined channel, a full or pazdally-lined concrete chan- nel, egress-lined channel or one that was grass-lined with a gabion-lined pilot channel, The last option was chosen based on a three step level derision process; economic, perform- ance and aesthetics " The design called for a composite channel liner system that incorporated gabion reinforced riprap (racks in steel cages) in the bottom area and vegetation reinforced with North November/December 2002 Land and Water After eans4uction of the concrete and gabion lined low flow channel, the side slopes of Ute main ctwnnel were graded, seeded, and permanently protected With a eomposite•[urf reinforcement matting.