Pipeline Construction Across Streams with Resulting Turbidity and Fishery Impacts - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Surveyors and Architects

Pipeline Construction Across Streams with Resulting Turbidity and Fishery Impacts

Course Outline

This four hour course provides an overview of pipeline construction across waterbodies with discussions of turbidity generation, sediment deposition, and fishery impacts. Data for turbidity generation is presented through case studies and computer model sediment transport analysis. The computer model data is then utilized to predict fishery impacts downstream of construction activities. After completing this course, the student will have a greater understanding of the effects associated with waterbody construction activities along pipelines and other related linear projects.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Understand the definition of turbidity and its distinction from suspended sediments;
Be knowledgeable of the various pipeline construction techniques to cross waterbodies, such as, streams and rivers;
Realize that most state water quality regulations pertaining to turbidity were originally developed for use with chronic long-term point-source discharge situations;
Understand that the use of these “long-term” type criteria without some adjustment for the short-term nature of construction projects may be a mis-application of the basic concepts behind their original intent;
Be familiar with case studies on pipeline construction projects showing that turbidity levels during normal stream crossing activities typically exceed the states turbidity standards even when applying all appropriate Best Management Practices;
Realize that various states have recognized the difficulty of applying turbidity standards designed for long-term point discharges to the short-term disturbances caused by pipeline construction, and have attempted to identify allowable tolerances, mixing zones, and time windows to enable the construction process to proceed.
Realize that in-stream construction activities quickly generate elevated turbidity values and that following the cessation of the disturbance, these values quickly drop to approach background levels within a few hours to about a day;
Be familiar with computer modeling for sediment transport analysis;
Realize the relationship between sediment transport / deposition and turbidity generation;
Be knowledgeable of the Severity of Effects (SEV) classifications and resulting fishery impacts;
Understand that fish populations will display the avoidance response to the extent possible and vacate the areas of highest turbidity and suspended sediment concentrations; and
Understand that turbidity levels generated during pipeline project’s waterbody crossing activities are not expected to have a significant effect on aquatic resources.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for civil, environmental, petroleum, and mechanical engineers.

Benefit for Attendee

Attendee of this course will understand how waterbodies are crossed pipelines during construction with the resulting turbidity generation, sediment deposition, and fishery impacts. This knowledge could prove invaluable when negotiating with state and federal agencies during the permitting process associated with pipeline construction.

Course Introduction

Within the United States, over 304,000-miles transmission pipelines have been developed as part of an extensive natural gas network. The construction of these pipelines has involved the crossing of over a million waterbodies, such as, streams and rivers. During the current permitting processes for these linear projects, many state environmental agencies apply water quality regulations pertaining to turbidity which were originally developed for use with chronic long-term point-source discharge situations. The use of these criteria without some adjustment for the short-term nature of construction projects may be a mis-application of the basic concepts behind their original intent.

This course provides an overview of pipeline construction across waterbodies with discussions of turbidity generation, sediment deposition, and fishery impacts. Data for turbidity generation is presented through case studies and computer model sediment transport analysis. The computer model data is then utilized to predict fishery impacts downstream of construction activities. This knowledge could prove invaluable when negotiating with state and federal agencies during the permitting process associated with pipeline construction.

Course Content

The course content is contained in the following PDF file:

Pipeline Construction Across Streams with Resulting Turbidity and Fishery Impacts

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Course Summary

The development of our nation’s energy infrastructure can occur while protecting sensitive environmental resources. This is particularly true for the natural gas transmission pipeline industry, which has developed specialized construction techniques for crossing waterbodies. Engineers should be aware of these crossing waterbodies techniques, their limitations, and the predictable turbidity generation, sediment deposition, and fishery impacts.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:

NaturalGas.com via http://www.naturalgas.com/index.asp
The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) via http://www.ingaa.com/
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) via http://www.ferc.gov/about/about.asp

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.