RECLAMATION 

Managing Water in the West 

Lake Waha 

2005 Survey 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Bureau of Reclamation 

Technical Service Center 

Denver, Colorado March 2006 
Lake Waha

2005 Survey

Prepared by

Ronald L. Ferrari

U.S. Department of the Interior

Bureau of Reclamation

Technical Service Center

Water Resources Services

Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group

Denver, Colorado March 2006
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Reclamation's Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group of the Technical Service Center (TSC)

prepared and published this report. Ronald Ferrari of the TSC and Ryan Hedrick of the Snake

River Office of the Pacific Northwest Region conducted the underwater data collection. Cory

Stolsig and Sam Trachsler of the Ephrata Field Office of the Pacific Northwest Region conducted

the above water collection. Ron Ferrari completed the data processing needed to generate the

new topographic map, area-capacity tables, and report. Kent Collins of the TSC performed the

technical peer review of this documentation.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE

INTERIOR

The mission of the Department of the Interior is to protect

and provide access to our Nation's natural and cultural

heritage and honor our trust responsibilities to Indian tribes

and our commitments to island communities.

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION

The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage,

develop, and protect water and related resources in an

environmentally and economically sound manner in

the interest of the American public.

The information contained in this report regarding commercial products or firms may not be used

for advertising or promotional purposes and is not to be construed as an endorsement of any

product or firm by Reclamation.

The information contained in this report was developed for the Bureau of Reclamation; no

warranty as to the accuracy, usefulness, or completeness is expressed or implied.

11
REPORT DOCUMENTA1]ON PAGE Form Approved

0MB No. 0704-0188

I. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave Blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED

March_2006 Final

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

__________________________________

5. FU1'DING NUMBERS

Lake Waha PR

2005 Survey

6. AUTHOR(S)

Ronald L. Ferrari

7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION

Bureau of Reclamation, Technical Service Center, Denver CO 80225-0007 REPORT NUMBER

9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING

Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center, P0 Box 25007, AGENCY REPORT NUMBER

Denver CO 80225-0007

DIBR

11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

Hard copy available at Bureau of Reclamation Technical Service Center, Denver, Colorado

1 2a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 1 2b. DISTRIBUTION CODE

13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words)

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) surveyed Lake Waha in 2005 to develop a topographic map and compute a present

storage-elevation relationship (area-capacity tables). The underwater survey was conducted on July 13, 2005 between lake

elevation 3383.2 and 3383.4 feet (project datum). The underwater survey used sonic depth recording equipment interfaced with

a global positioning system (GPS) that gave continuous sounding positions throughout the underwater portions of the reservoir

covered by the survey vessel. The above-water survey was conducted on October 18 and 19 of 2005 between lake elevation

3365.4 and 3365.7 feet (project datum). The above water survey used GPS and an autoscan reflectorless total station to measure

ground positions from the lake water surface and above. The new topographic map of Lake Waha was developed from the

combined above and below water data sets.

The surveys measured a minimum elevation of 3,294.3 feet and lake contours were developed from elevation 3,400 feet and

below. All elevations shown in this report are based on the project water surface gage datum that appears tied to the National

Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD29) and 3.4 feet lower than the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88).

The upper contour development was limited due to extensive tree growth around the reservoir. As of July 2005, at water surface

elevation 3,400.0, the surface area was 91 acres with a total capacity of 5,561 acre-feet.

14. SUBJECT TERMS 15. NUMBER OF PAGES

reservoir area and capacity! sedimentation! reservoir surveys! sonar! sediment distribution!

contour area! reservoir area! sedimentation survey! global positioning system! lake

_____________________

16. PRICE CODE

17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 20. LIMITATION OF

CLASSIFICATION CLASSIFICATION ABSTRACT

OF REPORT OF ABSTRACT

OF THIS PAGE

UL UL UL

____________________

UL

NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89)

Prescribed by ANSI SId 239-18

298-102
CONTENTS

................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................

....................................................................................

...........................................................................................................

.......................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................

........................................................................................................

.............................................................................

...............................................................

.......................................................................................

..............................................................................................................

..........................................................................................

...........................................................................

.................................................................................................

..................................................................................

Introduction .

Control Survey Data Information 3

Hydrographic Survey Equipment and Method 4

Reservoir Area and Capacity 5

Topography Development 5

Development of 2005 Contour Areas 5

2002 Storage Capacity 7

References 8

TABLES

Table

1 Summary of 2005 survey results 9

Figure

FIGURES

1 Lake Waha location map i

2 Temporary point near boat ramp, "Sed-l" 2

3 Red cap marker "HS1 -63" overlooking Lake Waha 2

4 Above and below water data sets 11

5 Above water data set 13

6 Upper Lake Waha view from road 6

7 Upper Lake Waha view from survey vessel 6

8 Lake Waha topographic map 15

9 Lake Waha Area and Capacity Curves 17

111
INTRODUCTION 

Lake Waha, located on Lake Creek, is a natural lake that also serves as offstream storage for the 

Lewiston Orchards Project. The lake is located about one mile southwest of the village of Waha 

and about 19 miles southeast of Lewiston, Idaho (figure 1). The natural lake, formed by a 

landslide, has no outlet. An estimated forty percent of stored water passes through a subsurface 

stratum into Sweetwater Creek with the remainder pumped 170-feet over a ridge to the West 

Fork of Sweetwater Creek and diverted into Sweetwater Canal. 

Figure 1 - Lake Waha location map 

This Reclamation report presents the 2005 results of the survey of Lake Waha. The primary 

objectives of the survey were to gather data needed to: 

develop lake topography 

compute area-capacity relationships 

A Real-time Kinematic (RTK) GPS control survey was conducted by the bathymetric survey 

crew to establish a temporary horizontal and vertical control point near the boat ramp (figure 2). 

The RTK GPS control survey was conducted with base set on the National Geodetic Survey 

(NGS) datum point "P402." The horizontal control was established in Idaho state plane 

coordinates, west zone, in the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) and the vertical in the 

North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88). The survey determined the Reclamation 

water surface gage measurements were around 3.4 feet lower than NAVD88. All elevations in 

this report are referenced to the Reclamation project water surface gage that appears tied to the 

National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD29). Following is the control information for 

this survey. The survey began with base at "P402," moved to red cap "HS1-63," and then to 

temporary point "Sed-1" that is located near the boat ramp (figure 3). 

CONTROL SURVEY DATA INFORMATION

NGS control point "P402"

46/20/19.01895 (latitude)

116/53/10.50906 (longitude)

1,570.548 feet' (ellipsoid elevation)

The above position information was converted to Idaho state plane coordinates, west zone, using

the Corp of Engineer's program Corpscon.

NAD83/NAVD88

1,705,062.46941

2,337,681.30559

1,629.23

NAD27/NGVD29

1,705,084.39505

213,255.21339

1,625.87

Difference NAVD88 -NGVD29 3.36 feet

With the GPS base set over NGS point P402, the observation coordinates for the red cap point

HS1-63, overlooking Lake Waha, were measured.

Existing Red Cap (on road overlooking Lake Waha) "HS1-63"

1,659,132.626 N

2,349,557.350 B

3,585.272

Base Moved to HS 1-63

Sed-1, Cap near boat ramp

1658049.670N

2348440.530E

3392.347

1Elevation in feet. All elevations shown in this report are based on the project water surface gage datum that appears tied to the

National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD29) and 3.4 feet lower than the North American Vertical Datum of 1988

(NAVD88).

3
HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY EQUIPMENT AND METHOD

The hydrographic survey equipment was mounted in a large aluminum vessel, with outboard

motor, supplied by the Snake River Area Office. The hydrographic system included a GPS

receiver with a built-in radio, a depth sounder, a helmsman display for navigation, a computer,

and hydrographic system software for collecting the underwater data. The shore equipment

included a second GPS receiver with an external radio. The GPS receiver and antenna were

mounted on a survey tripod over the known datum point "Sed-1" located near the boat ramp.

Batteries supplied power to all the equipment.

The Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group uses RTK GPS with the major benefit being

precise heights measured in real time to monitor water surface elevation changes. The basic

outputs from RTK receiver are precise 3D coordinates in latitude, longitude, and height with

accuracies on the order of two centimeters horizontally and three centimeters vertically. The

output is on the GPS datum of WGS-84 that the hydrographic collection software converted into

Idaho's NAD83 state plane west zone coordinates. The RTK GPS system employs two receivers

that track the same satellites simultaneously just like with differential GPS.

Lake Waha hydrographic survey was conducted on July 13, 2006 between water surface

elevation 3,383.2 and 3.3 83.4 (Reclamation hourly gage readings). The bathymetric survey was

run using sonic depth recording equipment, interfaced with RTK GPS, capable of determining

sounding locations within the lake. The survey system software continuously recorded lake

depths and horizontal coordinates as the survey boat moved across closely spaced grid lines

covering the lake area. Most of the transects (grid lines) were run in a east-west alignment on

the lake at around 100-foot spacing. Data was also collected along the shore as the boat

traversed between transects. The survey vessel's guidance system gave directions to the boat

operator to assist in maintaining the course along these predetermined lines. During each run,

the depth and position data were recorded on the notebook computer hard drive for subsequent

processing. The collection was affected at times by problems with GPS geometry and vessel

motor problems. Due to the vessel outboard problems, data was collected with the boat in

motion most of the time affecting shallow water collection. This was not a major factor since

above water data was collected after underwater collection when the lake elevation was eighteen

feet lower.

During processing, all GPS data with bad geometry was removed. This left some gaps in the

data set, but did not appear to have a major impact on contour development and volume

computations. Figure 4 is a plot of the above and below water data sets. Calibration of the depth

sounder was obtained by dropping a velocity probe in the lake and obtaining speed of sound

reading every foot from one foot below the water surface to the bottom of the lake. The depth

sounder velocity was set at 4,800 feet per second and the corrections were applied during

processing. The GPS base was set over the temporary point "Sed-1" for the underwater

collection with elevations tied to NAVD88. RTK GPS water surface measurements, during the

collection, were compared to hourly gage readings and found to have a difference of around 3.4

feet. All collected data results for this study were tied to the gage readings by lowering the

NAVD88 elevation data 3.4 feet.

4
The above water data was collected on October 18 and 19 of 2005 between water surface

elevation 3,365.4 and 3,365.7. The ground survey crew used an autoscan reflectorless total

station that scanned out to 1,600 feet. The instrument was set at different locations and

overlapping data was obtained for redundancy checking during analysis. RTK GPS data was

collected along the shore and was used to further check the scanner data set. During analysis, the

data was adjusted in 200-foot increments relative to the setup points. To remove the tree and

brush shots, a TIN model was developed in AutoCAD and edited as an ASCII data file of actual

ground elevation points. The elevations were collected in NAVD88 and were reduced by 3.4

feet during analysis to match the project vertical datum. The positions of the above water data

are plotted on figure 5.

RESERVOIR AREA AND CAPACITY

Topography Development

The 2005 Lake Waha map is a combination of the above and below water survey data. A

computer graphics program, using the 2005 collected reservoir data, generated the lake surface

areas at one-foot contour intervals. The 2005 area and capacity tables were produced by a

computer program that uses measured contour surface areas and a curve-fitting technique to

compute area and capacity at prescribed elevation increments (Bureau of Reclamation, 2005).

The mapping was completed using ArcGIS software (ESRI, 2005). The surveyed points

developed a triangular irregular network (TIN) of Lake Waha such that interpolation was not

allowed to occur outside a hardclip polygon that enclosed the data. A TIN is a set of adjacent

non-overlapping triangles computed from irregularly spaced points with x,y coordinates and z

values. TIN was designed to deal with continuous data such as elevations. The TIN software

uses a method known as Delaunay's criteria for triangulation where triangles are formed among

all data points within the polygon clip. The method requires that a circle drawn through the three

nodes of a triangle will contain no other point, meaning that sample points are connected to their

nearest neighbors to form triangles using all collected data. This method preserves all collected

survey points. Contours for the lake below elevation 3,400.0 were developed from the

underwater data set using the TIN surface-modeling package within ARCGIS. The upper

contour, elevation 3,400.0, was limited due to the tree and ground vegetation that surrounded the

reservoir, figures 6 and 7. The contour topography at 5-foot intervals is presented on figure 8.

Development of 2005 Contour Areas

The 2005 contour surface areas for Lake Waha were computed at 2- and 5-foot increments from

elevation 3,295.0 to 3,400.0. The 2005 underwater survey measured a minimum reservoir

bottom elevation of 3,294.3. These calculations were performed using the ARC surface area and

volume command. This command computes areas at user-specified elevations directly from the

TIN and takes into consideration all regions of equal elevation.

5
a.m%d g - laddn aTs7 n_trr@~ Map moy pa01 

PI 
2005 Storage Capacity

The storage-elevation relationships based on the measured surface areas were developed using

the area-capacity computer program ACAP85 (Bureau of Reclamation, 1985). The 2005

surveyed surface areas at 2- and 5-foot contour intervals from reservoir elevation 3,295.0 to

elevation 3,400.0 were used as the control parameters for computing the 2005 Lake Waha

capacity.

The ACAP85 program can compute an area and capacity at elevation increments 0.01- to 1.0-

foot by linear interpolation between the given contour surface areas. The program begins by

testing the initial capacity equation over successive intervals to ensure that the equation fits

within an allowable error limit. The error limit was set at 0.00000 1 for Lake Waha. The

capacity equation is then used over the full range of intervals fitting within this allowable error

limit. For the first interval at which the initial allowable error limit is exceeded, a new capacity

equation (integrated from a basic area curve over that interval) is utilized until it exceeds the

error limit. Thus, the capacity curve is defined by a series of curves, each fitting a certain region

of data. By differentiating the capacity equations, which are of second order polynomial form,

the final area equations are derived:

y a1 + a2x + a3x2

where: y capacity

x elevation above a reference base

a1 = intercept

a2 and a3 = coefficients

Results of the Lake Waha area and capacity computations are listed in table 1. A separate set of

2005 area and capacity tables has been published for the 0.01, 0.1 and 1-foot elevation

increments (Bureau of Reclamation, July 2005). A description of the computations and

coefficients output from the ACAP85 program is included with these tables. The 2005 areacapacity curves are also plotted on figure 9. As of July 2005, at elevation 3,400.0, the surface

area was 90.6 acres with a total capacity of 5,561 acre-feet.

7
REFERENCES

Bureau of Reclamation, 1981. Project Data, Denver Office, Denver CO.

Bureau of Reclamation, 1985. Surface Water Branch, ACAP85 User's Manual, Technical

Service Center, Denver CO.

Bureau of Reclamation, July 2005. Denver Office, Lake Waha Area and Capacity Tables,

Lewiston Orchards Project, Pacific Northwest Region, Boise, ID.

Corps of Engineers, January 2002. Engineer and Design - Hydrographic Surveying,

EM 1110-2-1003, Department of the Army, Washington DC,

(www.usace.army.millinet/usace-docs/eng-manuals/em 1110-2-1 003/toc.htm).

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. ESR, 2005. (www.esri.com)

8
Lake Waha

2005 Survey Summary

Elevations 2005.0 2005 Percent of

Surface Area Capacity Reservoir

(feet) (acres) (acre-feet) Depth

- 3400 90.6 5561 100.0

3398 89.0 5381 98.1

3396 87.3 5205 96.2

3395 86.4 5118 95.3

3394 85.5 5032 94.3

3392 83.8 4863 92.4

3390 82.2 4697 90.5

3388 80.8 4534 88.6

3386 79.3 4373 86.8

3385 78.6 4294 85.8

3384 77.9 4216 84.9

3382 76.6 4062 83.0

3380

-

75.3 3910 81.1

3378 73.8 3761 79.2

3376 72.5 3614 77.3

3375 71.9 3542 76.3

3374 71.4 3471 75.4

3372 70.3 3329 73.5

3370 69.2 3189

-

71.6

3368 68.2 3052 69.7

3366 - 67.1 2917

-

67.8

3365 66.6 2850 66.9

3364 66.1 2783 65.9

3362 65.1 2652 64.0

3360 64.1 2523 62.2

3358 63.1 2396 60.3

3356 62.2 2271 58.4

3355 61.7 2209 57.4

3354 61.2 2147 56.5

3352 60.1 2026

-

54.6

3350 59.1 1907 52.7

3348 58.0 1790 50.8

3346 56.8 1675 48.9

3345 56.3 1618 48.0

3344 55.7 1562 47.0

3342 54.5 1452 45.1

3340 53.2 1344 43.2

Table 1 - Summary of 2005 survey results.
Lake Waha

2005 Survey Summary (Continued)

_

Elevations 2005.0 -

2005 Percent of

Surface Area Capacity Reservoir

(feet) -

(acres) (acre-feet) Depth

3338 51.6 1239 41.3

3336 50.1 1138 39.5

3335 49.2 1088 38.5

3334 48.3

-

1039

-

37.6

3332 46.6 944 35.7

3330 44.5 853 33.8

3328 42.3 767 31.9

3326 40.8 684 30.0

3325 40.1

-

643 29.0

3324 39.5 603 28.1

3322 38.0 526 26.2

3320 36.3 451 24.3

3318 -

34.5 381 22.4

3316 32.3 314 20.5

3315 31.1 282 19.6

3314 29.8 252 18.6

3312 26.6 195 16.7

3310 -

22.3 146 14.9

3308 17.9 106 13.0

3306 13.6 75 11.1

3305 11.9 62 10.1

3304 10.4 51 9.2

3302

-

7.8 33 7.3

3300 5.9 19 5.4

3298 4.1 9 3.5

3296 2.4 2 1.6

3295 1.0 1 0.7

3294.3 0.0 0 0.0

TabLe 1 (Continued) - Summary of 2005 survey results.

10
x

X

>x

x

X X

x.>x x

X x

x X

X

:4 X

X

X

x

x xXx -

x

x >s< xx X

XX x

X X XX XX

X x<

X (x xx)(x

xx

1655000

Q

0

0

Horizontal datum based on Idaho's State Plane

Coordinate System, West Zone. (NAD83).

Vertical datum based on water surface project

datum established by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

in NGVD29, 3.4 feet less than NAVDS3.

x

x

x Xx

x

<

xx xx

xxX

XX

x

x x

XX X

x

xx

xxx

x

Xxx

x

xxx xx

XX x ><

x.Xx ..

X X<

xx ><

xx

x x<

x

lPlf%t

x x X<

x

x x

x

<X)x><

x

>Xx x

x

X<v <•

r%<x

x

xx x x

X XX

x

x x

x

x

x

x

x

x x XXXX <

x

x

XX xxX >Xxx

x

x x )Q(XX

X x < x X X X

x

1657000

0

0

0

x

x

X( XX>

x Xx< x

xx x x

xx

X

-

- x<x

x

x

XX xX

XX

XX

x

x

-'

X:

x

x

Figure 4. - Above and below water data

11
>eX <

X

X X

XX XXX x>(

XX

Horizontal datum based on Idaho's State Plane

Coordinate System, West Zone. (NAD83).

VeI datum based on water surface project

XX XX

X

datum established by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

in NGVD29, 3.4 feet less than NAVD83. ),<X x

X ',

X

X X

1655O00

XX4

1657000 X

o

C')

(0

x

o

o

0 X

0

0

XX X)XX<

XXX xX

)<X); XX<)< >

><)

XXX X xX

x

XX><3<

X<

XX)

XX< X<

X

X

X >X'(

x X X

X

X

X

X %

X

X

X X X(X><%X

X>< > X X % XXX>

XX

XX

X

XXX

X>X X

>.XX ><

XXXX

X$X X X X

X

XXXX

X

X

X X

XXX X

X X XXX X

X

>< XX

XX

X

XXXX X

X><

X XXX

X)X

X><

X

X

X

XX

X

X

XXX

X XX

X

X" X X

<X XX XX >>< X

X

X XXX

X X

X X X X X XXX X

X >S( XX<)< X X X XXXX X

4XXXX XXX

X X X%KX< X XXXXX

XX

X

XX XX X

X

X XX XxX X

X

X XX *XX XX

XX <)X X x X

XxX

X XXX XXX X X x

XX

XX >

x

XXX

X XX XX><XX

X

X X X x X>

X X< X )( XX X

XX X

/

X

X

XXXX X

X

XX X

XXX XXXXX XXXXX XXX

X X XXX>o>*(<XX

X)<X>

X

XX + X

X

X X

X X

XX

1655000

0

ci

0

1, 1657000

0

0

0

X

X

Mg

Figure 5. - Above water data set

13
1655000

C..)

(0

0

Horizontal datum based on Idaho's State Plane

Coordinate System. West Zone. (NAD83).

Vertical datum based on water surface project

datum established by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

in NGVD29, 3.4 feet less than NAVD83.

5-foot contour interval

1657000

C..)

(0

0

0

0

1655000 1657000

C.

+

Figure 8. Lake Waha topographic map

0 0

0 0

0 0

15
2005 Area-Capacity Curves for Lake Waha

Area (acre

100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

4UU

3390

3380

3370

3350

3350

3340

3330

3320

3310

3300

3290

0 560 11213 1630 2240 2800 3360 3920 4480 5040 5600

Capacity acre-feeU

Figure 9 - Lake Waha Area and Capacity Curves

3400

3390

3380

3370

3360

3350

3340

3330

3320

3310

3300

3290