# Presentation: 307275

## Water Control Structure Inventory

**Water Control Structure Inventory**

**U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arcata California*****with funding from the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, &****** Conservation District, and the CA Department of Fish and Game***

**for Humboldt Bay, California**

## Project Objectives

**Project Objectives**

- Identify and catalog man-made structures that affect water flow within and adjacent to tidal lands.
- Produce accurate maps showing locations of structures.
- Produce a database populated with attribute information with an easy to use web interface and/or,
- Investigate placing the data on a DFG or Harbor District – sponsored IMS site

- USFWS Water Control Structure Presentation

**Notes:**
We currently do not have an IMS capable website.  IMS is probably the best method to convey this data, but it could also be done as a web-enabled database along with the shapefile of GIS data as separate products available for download.

## Project Steps

**Project Steps**

- Identify existing data sources.
- Develop a database structure that meets the needs for the restoration community
- Develop a field method for collection of water control structures.
- Collect field data into a GIS database containing all known water control structures.
- Build a public web interface to connect to the database.
- Conduct outreach to publicize the database.

- USFWS Water Control Structure Presentation

**Notes:**
These are the steps for the entire project

## Existing Data

**Existing Data**

- CDFG (OSPR) at one time had a dataset that was lost due to computer failure.
- Existing datasets developed by CalTrans and RCAA were reviewed
- CalTrans shapefile was a Humboldt County Culvert Inventory, primarily consisting of culverts along highways
- Shapefile shows both ends of each culvert
- Locations were based on highway postmile database
- RCAA Points were approximated from descriptions in a paper publication from 2000
- Positional Accuracy is poor and variable
- 31 points were defined for the Humboldt Bay region outside of duplicated CalTrans locations
- Several important attributes were lacking, as well as photographs

- USFWS Water Control Structure Presentation

**Notes:**
Notes on existing data – Jeff got copies to us of the CalTrans data, as well as the RCAA data.  Both were helpful in identifying  the areas that needed additional collection.  We also noticed large errors in location, due to the way the RCAA data had been digitized.  None of the data had photographs with it, and it lacked important data attributes.

## Typical data errors encountered in existing data

**Typical data errors encountered in existing data**

- USFWS Water Control Structure Presentation

- This feature (original point location)...

- ...is really here.

- This feature...

- ...is really here.

## Data Collection

**Data Collection**

- Trimble GeoXT GPS units were used (accuracy < 3 meters)
- A data dictionary was developed containing the following fields:
- Longitude  and Latitude (in decimal degrees)
- Type (culvert, tidegate, flash board)
- Subtype (Top-Hinge round, Side-hinge, Rubber duckbill, etc.)
- Material (concrete, steel, aluminum, wood, plastic)
- X Dimension/Y Dimension (for non-round structures)
- Current Status (functional, broken-open, broken-closed, leaking, impeded)

- USFWS Water Control Structure Presentation

**Notes:**
Attributes are self-explanatory.  X dimension was used for round structure diameters, and Y dimension for rectangular ones.

## Data Collection

**Data Collection**

- Data dictionary fields (continued):
- Owner (CDFG, USFWS, CalTrans, City of Arcata, etc.)
- Up-Channel Habitat (fresh water, brackish, marine)
- Fish Passage – Adult (suitable, limited, none)
- Fish Passage – Juvenile (suitable, limited, none)
- Photo Number(s)
- Comments
- Field Crew Initials

- USFWS Water Control Structure Presentation

**Notes:**
Additional field explanations:

Up-channel habitat was determined based on vegetation, channel configuration, and condition of structure.
Fish passage was lumped into broad categories based primarily on operation of structure, but also elevational placement of structure.
Photos were taken for each GPS-acquired structure.
The comment field has descriptions of unusual characteristics of the structure.

## Results

- USFWS Water Control Structure Presentation

**Results**

- Project Area bounded by Hwy 255 on north (except entire Mad River Slough included), Hwy 101 on east (except east to Old Arcata Road and Elk River Road), and Hookton Road on south.
- Currently 371 features in database, including:
- 79 tidegate features
- 9 Flash Board structures
- 282 Culvert features
- 165 of the 371 (44%) of the structures were collected with GPS and photographed

**Notes:**
Project area is Humboldt Bay and surrounding tidal areas.

## Results (cont’d)

- USFWS Water Control Structure Presentation

**Results (cont’d)**

- There are some structures on private lands that could not be accounted for.  Where known (or seen), these structures were included using recent aerial photography as a reference
- There are undoubtedly structures that we are not aware of and missed.  These can always be added when we are made aware of them.
- Some low level of maintenance is expected to be needed, adding and deleting points, etc.

**Notes:**
We will likely have additional structure locations identified as more people get a chance to look at this data.  Those additional points could be easily added by our staff.  The maintenance of the dataset may be determined by where it is housed.  That topic should be discussed.

## Lots of Variation in Structures

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**Lots of Variation in Structures**

## Map Products – Tile 1 (Arcata)

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**Map Products – Tile 1 (Arcata)**

- USFWS Water Control Structure Presentation

- Culverts are colored redTidegates are yellow

## Map Products – Tile 2 (Eureka)

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**Map Products – Tile 2 (Eureka)**

- USFWS Water Control Structure Presentation

- Culverts are colored redTidegates are yellow

## Map Products – Tile 3 (South Bay)

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**Map Products – Tile 3 (South Bay)**

- USFWS Water Control Structure Presentation

- Culverts are colored redTidegates are yellow

## Remaining Issues

**Remaining Issues**

- Private land gaps
- Data maintenance
- Posting to CalFish Website

- USFWS Water Control Structure Presentation

**Notes:**
Show live version of shapefile in ArcMap.  Hyperlinked photos are in Bookmark views “Palco Marsh” and “Gannon Slough”