AUSTIN | Photos & Videos Thread - Page 59

BevoLJ · #**1161** Posted **May 26, 2015, 8:57 PM**

AusTxDevelopment · #**1162** Posted **May 26, 2015, 9:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hookem

That doesn't look like the flood control tunnel is working.

Some reports are starting to say the problem is that Ladybird Lake gets full, and the water can't drain into it -- even if the drainage system is working fine, when it hits the lake it's like a wall. And Ladybird lake can't drain itself downstream fast enough; even with all floodgates open at Longhorn Dam, to where the water is level on both sides, there just isn't enough flow downstream.

So we fixed one problem only to find another farther down in the system. At least that's the early speculation.

I don't think the tunnel is finished. They mentioned on TimeWarner News last night that the floods were going to delay the completion of the Waller Creek Tunnel by about a month. Although, I'm thinking they are talking about the pumps and not the tunnel itself when they refer to 'completion.' Either way, it doesn't look like that tunnel helped much. This is from 4PM yesterday at @MustBeMarissa's twitter (more at the link): https://twitter.com/MustBeMarissa/st...73608160305153

hookem · #**1163** Posted **May 26, 2015, 9:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwmiv

How bad is this problem? Does it potentially still work in a more localized flood setting? I.E. if Waller is flooding but nothing upstream from it? Or will it also work in flood situations throughout the region which are simply less severe?

To be honest this is just what I've heard; I'm no expert. It might not even be a problem. But I would assume the system would work in virtually all situations, but the conditions where flooding is upstream as well as localized might not work as expected.

I would guess a new reservoir (lake) constructed downstream would help mitigate that.

AusTxDevelopment · #**1164** Posted **May 26, 2015, 9:21 PM**

And here is another one from Twitter. The Lamar gas station that flooded added some ick nast to the runoff. @Jake_Briz : https://twitter.com/jake_briz/status/603001562047258624

Novacek · #**1165** Posted **May 26, 2015, 9:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hookem

That doesn't look like the flood control tunnel is working.

Some reports are starting to say the problem is that Ladybird Lake gets full, and the water can't drain into it -- even if the drainage system is working fine, when it hits the lake it's like a wall. And Ladybird lake can't drain itself downstream fast enough; even with all floodgates open at Longhorn Dam, to where the water is level on both sides, there just isn't enough flow downstream.

So we fixed one problem only to find another farther down in the system. At least that's the early speculation.

Where are these "reports"?

The problem is that the dam to divert water _into_ the tunnel isn't finished yet.

"Construction is nearly complete on the flood conveyance components of the Waller Creek Tunnel. Construction of the pond at the main inlet at Waterloo Park is complete and screens are in place to filter out trash and debris before flows enter the tunnel. Crews are working on the dam in Waterloo Park which will divert floodwaters into the tunnel and limit the amount of water that continues down Waller Creek. On May 5th, a large storm event dropped 2 to 4 inches of rain across Austin in a matter of a just a few hours. With just a small portion of the dam in place, floodwaters from Waller Creek filled the inlet pond and entered the tunnel where it flowed to Lady Bird Lake for the first time. Pond levels have since subsided and work will continue on the dam as weather permits."

https://www.facebook.com/WallerCreekConservancy

MichaelB · #**1166** Posted **May 26, 2015, 11:17 PM**

The tunnel project is not finished...... or functioning.
you can google Waller creek tunnel for updates ( city of austin )

the Genral · #**1167** Posted **May 27, 2015, 12:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB

The tunnel project is not finished...... or functioning.
you can google Waller creek tunnel for updates ( city of austin )

I don't doubt that the engineers who designed this tunnel were qualified to design it to handle the rain event and flooding we just experienced. It's just too bad it wasn't fully operational so we could have seen it pass the test. We may not see this volume of flooding, hopefully for many more years.

drummer · #**1168** Posted **May 27, 2015, 5:37 AM**

Agreed. I hope there aren't some anti-development folks who are using this flood as cause for future projects to not happen. I think it will work great when done - it was made just for these larger-than-life floods.

_Matt · #**1169** Posted **May 29, 2015, 5:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Genral

I don't doubt that the engineers who designed this tunnel were qualified to design it to handle the rain event and flooding we just experienced. It's just too bad it wasn't fully operational so we could have seen it pass the test. We may not see this volume of flooding, hopefully for many more years.

Haha, yep. They don't invest a billion dollars in infrastructure without being pretty damn sure things will work fine. That's a major goal of civil engineering.

AusTxDevelopment · #**1170** Posted **May 29, 2015, 7:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by _Matt

Haha, yep. They don't invest a billion dollars in infrastructure without being pretty damn sure things will work fine. That's a major goal of civil engineering.

And yet they missed the CVC height restrictions for the intake facility....

wwmiv · #**1171** Posted **May 29, 2015, 7:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austxdevelopment

and yet they missed the cvc height restrictions for the intake facility....

lol

_Matt · #**1172** Posted **May 29, 2015, 8:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AusTxDevelopment

And yet they missed the CVC height restrictions for the intake facility....

Well if you recall, the designs go to the city to make the determination, which was made in 2011. Sound more like a city issue.

drummer · #**1173** Posted **May 30, 2015, 12:54 AM**

Yeah, but still fairly embarrassing for both parties.

the Genral · #**1174** Posted **May 30, 2015, 1:52 AM**

I think the design engineers wanted to give both functionality and esthetics to the intake. I also think engineers are rational thinkers who probably didn't think a structure not much higher than the surrounding trees would be an issue. Now we wait to see if they can still add a bit of beauty to a 'functioning' tunnel inlet.