Canal Lining | Kennewick, Washington, USA
CCX-M™ used to line Highlift Canal in Kennewick
Project Overview
Kennewick Irrigation District (KID) officially established in 1917 manages more than 70 miles of open canals and laterals and more than 300 miles of buried pipeline drawing water out of the Yakima River at Prosser Dam. The district serves up to 20,201 acres of agricultural and residential customers in a region of Washington State that receives less than 10 inches of precipitation per year on average. In addition to the traditional challenges that an irrigation district faces such as water conservation, the district’s top priority is preventing canal breach to protect adjacent commercial and residential infrastructure.
Typically, canal breaches occur due to erosion and burrowing animal damage. In fact, burrowing animals are the number one cause of canal breaches in the western part of the United States. Usually the offenders are moles, voles, gophers, rats, ground squirrels and chipmunks. In order to address both erosion from canal flow and potential animal damage, districts often employ sprayed concrete linings to canals which can be expensive and may require specialist contractors.
Solution
In November 2023, CCX was installed by KID along a section of the Highlift Canal with an average cross section of 21ft and composed of a combination of types including sharp sand, rip-rap, clay and basalt in places. Typical flow of the canal varies during the seasons of between 1-5ft/s.
Design & Installation
- CCX-M™ bulk rolls specified
- Channel excavated and prepared
- Layup across profile
- Perimeter edges secured, material fixed to headwall
- Overlaps jointed, using thermal bonding to create low-permeability joints
- Hydrated using hose and water bowser
Summary
The ease of installation allowed KID to self-perform, as the material does not require specialist contractors for installation. By simply cutting the material to shape, CCX is able to accommodate pipe penetrations and can easily be mechanically fixed to concrete head walls and pads. Using the district’s own installation crew greatly reduced installation costs, which contribute to the full 50 year design life cycle savings from the reduced maintenance of a CCX-MTM lined channel. The speed of installation was also key; allowing irrigation districts to install within tight windows between irrigation seasons and to allow the swift return of canal assets to operation to minimize water supply disruption. Two rolls of CCX were installed in just a couple of hours and the canal was ready to be returned back into service less than 24 hours after installation.
Useful Resources
Watch CCX-M® line the Highlift Canal in Kennewick, WA, protecting against erosion, seepage and animal damage
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