Meadow Valley Wash Geomorphic and Riparian Corridor Analysis and Practice Recommendations

Lincoln County, Nevada

    Sponsors

Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Department of Transportation, NRCS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

    Scope of Work

Geomorphic Assessment, Riparian Assessment, Fluvial Geomorphology, Hydrology, Hydraulics, Practice  Recommendations

Meadow Valley Wash is one of the larger streams in southern Nevada. It provides important riparian and aquatic habitat for a variety of native wildlife, although it only has perennial flows in certain reaches. The watershed has been subject to repeated floods and high sediment loads causing damage in the City of Caliente, to transportation infrastructure, and to natural resources. A multi-agency Technical Review Team has identified the need for a fluvial geomorphology study, to guide efforts in making the watershed more resilient to flooding so that damage to infrastructure and natural resources can be minimized.

This study uses a combination of empirical and analytical approaches. Stream channels are created and maintained by the process that transport water and sediment supplied by the watershed. In successfully performing these functions, stream systems create distinct forms that can be identified, characterized, and used to establish stability characteristics and limits. Direct surveys of the soils, geology, geomorphology, and vegetation of the active stream corridor within a ~25-mile portion of Meadow Valley Wash, will be used to understand the physical and biological elements of Meadow Valley Wash. These observations are augmented and verified with analytical engineering tools.

Knowledge acquired during field surveys of Meadow Valley Wash is combined with aerial photographs, other geomorphic surveys, regional hydrologic data, and anecdotal evidence to develop templates of channel dimensions and desirable riparian habitat. The final product is a planning document with a matrix to identify for each type of stream segment, management priorities, possible restoration actions and guidelines for proposed infrastructure or other development projects.