The Middle Fork Hood River drains the northern, glaciated flanks of Mount Hood where active glacier retreat and debris flows represent major watershed disturbances. Near the Parkdale Fish Hatchery facility of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs the riverbed of the Middle Fork has aggraded nearly 10 feet in less than a decade.
In response to the Tribe’s concerns about flooding and avulsion at the hatchery site due to river changes and recent storms W2r was hired to conduct a technical study and risk analysis of the river in the vicinity of the hatchery.
With over a mile of river, a wide floodplain, and extensive bed change since the most recent LiDAR flight, traditional survey methods were infeasible with the available funding. To meet those constraints, the W2r team used drone footage, photogrammetry, and selective on-the ground survey to develop a seamless terrain surface that allowed for 2D hydraulic modeling, avulsion risk analyses, geomorphic analyses, and ultimately a 30% design of flood protection measures.
