Monthly Lunch Meeting - Levee Breach Analysis Using ICPR4, Village of Wellington
Levee Breach Analysis Using ICPR4
Village of Wellington: Palm Beach County, Florida
Peter J. Singhofen, P.E.
Streamline Technologies, Inc.
The Village of Wellington study area is approximately 29.5 square miles in size. The area is surrounded by a levee, and primary drainage is through a system of canals and pump stations. The western and southern levee separates Wellington from Water Conservation Area 1 (“WCA 1”), a large headwater wetland system to the Everglades.
The purpose of this modeling effort was to demonstrate the integrated surface water – groundwater capabilities of ICPR for a levee breach application to the SFWMD.
Two “sunny day” breach paths were included in this model. Breach path “A” includes failure of the outer levee followed by failure of an inner levee at a pump station. Breach path “B” is in the same general location, but a little farther north. In both cases, the outer levee failure is completed in 2 hours. Repairs were assumed to begin 24 hours after the breach initiated and were completed 5 days later.
The surface model included both 1D and 2D components. The primary channel system, all structures and most of the ponds and depressions were modeled with 1D components. The
extent of the 1D channel system was from top of bank to top of bank. Everything else was modeled with 2D components.
2D groundwater flow was included in the model. Significant volumes of water are expected to move horizontally from the canals to the water table because of the highly permeable
soils. Also, water moves vertically through the soil column to the water table as the flood wave propagates overland. Seepage flow reverses as the canals are pumped down.
The maximum extents of surface flooding for both breach paths are shown to the right. Breach path “A” results in more extensive flooding than breach path “B”. There are steeper gradients between WCA 1 and the canal system with breach path “A”, causing a higher volume of water to pass through the system.
The propagation of the groundwater mound for breach path “A” at hours 24, 48 and 120 are shown below. Notice that as the water moves through the canal system, the groundwater mound builds perpendicularly outward from the canals. Approximately 20% of the total inflow volume for the breach path “A” scenario is lost to horizontal seepage from the canals.
Brief Bio:
Mr. Singhofen is the president, founder and owner of Streamline Technologies, Inc., an engineering software development firm located in Winter Springs, Florida. He has been a water resources professional for more than 35 years specializing in distributive physicallybased integrated modeling of large-scale surface and groundwater systems. Mr. Singhofen’s interests include precipitation driven 2D surface flow, flexible triangular computational meshes, integrated 1D/2D surface flow, integrated surface water and groundwater flow, use of open source data for model construction, continuous simulation, impacts of sea level rise on groundwater and surface water systems in coastal areas, wetland hydroperiod assessments, wetland restoration metrics, and holistic modeling approaches. Mr. Singhofen is the original developer of ICPR and has taught more than 200 workshops on its use and application. Streamline Technologies, Inc. is an approved Florida Board of Professional Engineers Continuing Education Provider (CE Provider #0003714, License #134 for the period beginning June 1, 2015 and ending May 31, 2017) in the “area of practice” category.
South Florida Water Management District - Bldg B-1
3301 Gun Club Rd
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
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