Erosion of river and arroyo
bends is a problem that affects industry, towns, roads, and people. The
effects include, but are not limited to, structural instability or failure,
failure of utilities, and may also be a cause for abandonment of towns.
Property values may also decrease due to problems caused by erosion. Many
towns and cities have been built near rivers, since people require water
as a necessity of life. The natural behavior of rivers is to meander, which
means that they flow from side to side, rather than straight. This causes
problems as time passes by because meandering rivers carve the land closer
to manmade structures that have been built near a river. For example, Highway
44, a major highway that runs through our hometown Cuba, is very important
for travel in our area. However, the Rio Puerco has carved its way closer
and closer to Highway 44, potentially causing major problems with the road.
Now since plans to widen Highway 44 are underway, solutions to erosion
problems are trying to be found. One solution to this problem is to slow
down or divert water away from the bends of the river. If the water is
slowed down or diverted away from this area, then erosion cannot progress
as quickly. If the water is slowed the sediment carried by the water will
fall out to the bottom of the riverbed. This will help reduce erosion by
reducing the amount of soil loosened from the banks by this gradient. The
Rio Puerco provides only 4% of the water in the Rio Grande, but a great
amount (78%) of the gradient. If the gradient is reduced in the Rio Puerco
it will hence greatly reduce the amount of gradient in the Rio Grande.
This might also reduce the amount of erosion caused by this sediment weakening
the banks of this main river. Erosion caused by water and sediment leads
to deep gullies, or arroyos. Arroyos cause many problems, as barriers to
transportation, cattle grazing, and utility companies. Some places in New
Mexico used to flood. In these places farming was possible. Now, due to
the arroyos, which have been carved into the landscape, these areas have
very little vegetation. The vegetation that exists is mostly hardy desert
shrubs, and cacti. This has also reduced wildlife populations, for there
is no food or shelter for the wildlife of this area. Hydrofoils could be
used to divert and also slow the flow of water. This is possible due to
the dynamics of hydrofoils, which can be explained generally by Bernoulli's
Principle. Bernoulli's Principle states that fluid or air traveling above
the airfoil or hydrofoil travels faster than the fluid or air below the
foil, because it must travel a further distance in the same amount of time
as the fluid or air below the foil to equalize pressure. The velocity of
the fluid above the foil is high, and the pressure is low. Because the
velocity of the fluid below the foil is low, and the pressure is high,
lift is created. The simulated hydrofoil in this project is in the shape
of a simple airfoil, such as the cross section of an airplane wing.