Off Stream Reservoir Design & Cost
Off Stream Reservoir Design & Cost
(OP)
I am looking for resources on estimating costs of off-stream reservoir construction. I have been tasked with doing an order-of-magnitude estimate to construct a 10000 ac-ft reservoir. Having never done anything with reservoirs (we're primarily groundwater), I need to educate myself on the issues and considerations before I even begin. A good design manual, or guideline, a textbook, some sort of publication to inform me as to what every good reservoir should include is necessary before I can begin estimating costs of the constituents. That is what I'm looking for. Any thoughts?





RE: Off Stream Reservoir Design & Cost
However, your best bet is to hire a consultant with dam design background to help you put together the estimate. Realistically, you would need a consultant team with geologist, geotechnical engineer, hydrologist and probably structural - plus archeologist and biologist to process the bugs and bunnies requirements
http://www.damsafety.org/
RE: Off Stream Reservoir Design & Cost
RE: Off Stream Reservoir Design & Cost
RE: Off Stream Reservoir Design & Cost
RE: Off Stream Reservoir Design & Cost
if flat terrain (how flat is "flat"), how will you contain the water - the dam must tie into an abutment. Excavation to store below grade is expensive.
How will you prevent water from infiltrating into the sandy/silty ground through the bottom of the reservoir? Some solutions might be bentonite or hypalon liner
To prevent leakage through your dam you will need core material for the dam. Where will you get that?
Does your proposed reservoir site have a significant watershed? (If so, you will need to divert the stream, provide an outlet works and construct an emergency spillway.)
You will need bank protection for the dam and possibly for the banks. Where will you get the riprap and what is the cost?
note, we can provide tips on this forum, but in my opinion there is no way to give you a rule of thumb estimate for this that would make any sense. How about $1,000 per ac-ft?
RE: Off Stream Reservoir Design & Cost
RE: Off Stream Reservoir Design & Cost
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The general approach was to estimate a cost on a conceptual berm cross section, calculate the volume of the berm and the cost to build it ($/CY). Other considerations for liner, land costs (purchase, clearing, etc) were done on a per-unit basis. Choose an economical depth to perimeter ratio (e.g. deeper water = smaller reservoir footprint, but larger berm).
Your bigger-ticket costs are going to be earthwork, land acquisition, environmental permitting, and liner (if so equipped).
Just to throw another wild card out there, would aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) be worth considering in your area?