Rivers & Streams

WHEN YOUR PROJECT HAS A ROAD OR UTILITY CROSSING A RIVER OR STREAM, YOU NEED US!

Under the MA Rivers Protection Act, the NH River Management and Protection Program (Chapter 483), and Federal 404 permitting, a river or stream crossing must avoid destabilizing the riffle and pool complex and the meander pattern of these flowing water bodies. Flood control, management of debris and ice, fish passage, wildlife habitat, and local scour are also critical design and permitting issues. Carr Research Laboratory, Inc. (CRL) has trained and experienced staff to solve all aspects of river and stream problems which may be associated with your project. Call us at the start of your project to allow for development of a well-planned program to generate the needed physical, geomorphological, and water quality data that will serve as the basis for design and permitting needs. "This will save you time and money in the long run." - Dr. Wang, Senior Hydraulic Engineer

What Carr Research Laboratory Can do for You, and Why?

CRL has extensive experience in river study and permitting. A discussion of the Massachusetts Rivers Bill by Dr. Carr of Carr Research Laboratory, Inc. was published in The Boston Globe. CRL has been serving its clients in river modeling, river restoration, river flood analysis, groundwater recharge, and wildlife habitat evaluation for more than two decades. The CRL team consists of river hydraulic engineers, a professional hydrologist, professional wetland scientists, an aquatic biologist, and certified wildlife habitat evaluators who we are to provide you with a complete package of services to meet your needs in river study and management.

Computer Modeling: Computer models of river hydrodynamics and sediment and pollutant transport are developed and used for river studies at CRL. The models RICEN and ROSS2 have received world wide recognition in the study of river processes. They simulate unsteady river hydrodynamics, advection, dispersion, evaporation, dissolution, emulsification, and shoreline deposition in pollutant transport. RICEN was applied to the 510 mile long lower Yellow River for a flood control and reservoir study. ROSS2 was applied to the Ohio-Monogahela-Allegheny river system for an oil spill study.

Flood Control and Floodplain Analysis: CRL uses Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved computer models and its expertise in watershed hydrology and flood control to calculate 100-year floodplain. We have successfully corrected mistakes in FEMA Flood Insurance Studies and recovered acres of land for clients.

Bridge Scour: CRL personnel are experienced in conducting experimental studies of local scouring around hydraulic structures such as bridge abutments, bridge piers, and spur-dikes. Formulas developed by Dr. Wang for the calculation of scouring depth around spur-dikes have been used for field design. CRL also has access to the national bridge scour database.

Stream Restoration: Over the past several years, CRL staff members have been taking courses, attending conferences, and reading technical literature to advance their knowledge in river geomorphology and stream restoration. Since initiating this effort, projects involving river investigation and bank stabilization have been completed. CRL personnel now poses the knowledge to accurately classify flowing water bodies based on geomorphology, properly delineate streams and rivers, and design science-based restoration programs. CRL also offers consulting on fish and wildlife habitat enhancement projects.

Wildlife Habitat Evaluation: Riverine and riparian wildlife habitat evaluation models are also available at CRL. Two CRL staff members are HEP certified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Computer models (HEP, HSI) are equipped for wildlife habitat impact evaluation, mitigation, and compensation. Successful studies are regularly provided to help clients obtain permits requiring wildlife habitat impact evaluation and mitigation. For more information on related services, please refer to the Wildlife Habitat and Ecology pages in this brochure.

What do our clients think?

"The CRL Staff members carried out studies on water budget, groundwater impact, wildlife habitat evaluation, and mitigation for a 129 acre subdivision development for Habitech. They used sophisticated computer models and explained the basis of each problem easily addressing the concerns of regulators and neighbors. Their help greatly sped up our permitting process."

- Bruce Wheeler, Habitech, Inc., North Reading, MA

"The CRL staff discovered a piping problem with our Hickory Lake spillway and diagnosed the exact location with dye techniques which impressed the state dam inspector and saved us the grief of emptying the whole lake."

- Jack Kutarnian, Hickory Hills Land Owners, Inc., Lunenburg, MA