Cooper River Rediversion Project, Bushy Park Water Supply Tests: Hydraulic Model Investigation

• Main Authors: Benson, Howard A., Bobb, William H.
• Other Authors: United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Savannah District.
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) 1976
• Subjects: Ingenieurwissenschaften (620); Bushy Park Area; Charleston Harbor; Cooper River; Santee River; South Carolina; River diversion; Estuary; Estuaries; Salt water intrusion; Salt water encroachment; Salinity; Water quality; Water supply; Tides; Tidal currents; Hydraulic model; Back River
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11970/112119

Source: https://erdc-library.erdc.dren.mil/jspui/ The Charleston Harbor model reproduced the Ashley, Cooper, and Wando Rivers, and a portion of the Atlantic Ocean. The model was of fixed-bed construction and was equipped with all the necessary appurtenances for accurate reproduction and measurement of tides, tidal currents, salinity intrusion, and other significant phenomena of the prototype. Construction of the Santee-Cooper power project in 1940-1942 included diversion of flow from the Santee River into the Cooper River watershed. Average freshwater flow into Cooper River was increased from 72 cfs to 15,000 cfs, and maintenance dredging in Charleston rapidly increased from about 180,000 cu yd per year up to 10,000,000 cu yd today. Prior studies led to the conclusion that rediversion of a major portion of the Santee River flow would result in a substantial reduction in maintenance dredging in Charleston Harbor. The amount of Santee River flow to leave diverted into Cooper River became a critical value with respect to power generation at Pinopolis, water quality in Charleston Harbor, and the prevention of saltwater intrusion into the Back River Reservoir constructed to supply freshwater for the Bushy Park industrial area and the City of Charleston. The results of previous studies indicated that a weekly average flow of 3000 cfs would be satisfactory with respect to reduced maintenance dredging. The power requirements could also be satisfactorily met with a minimum weekly average flow of 3000 cfs. A detailed study involving various weekly schedules for release of the 3000 cfs on conditions in the upper reaches of Cooper River and the Bushy Park Reservoir was considered necessary. Hydraulic and salinity tests were made for six weekly release schedules from the Pinopolis power plant. The first involved ·the continuous release of the existing weekly average freshwater discharge at the Pinopolis power generating station of 15,600 cfs, which is referred to as Schedule A. Schedules B, C, and D all involved release of ...