Arcata Levee Repair
Arcata, California
Magnus Pacific completed the Arcata Levee repair project
in the fall of 2009 for the City of Arcata. The project
involved repairing two levees damaged by strong winds,
heavy rain and tidal surges during winter storms in
late 2005 and early 2006. The scope of work included
removing concrete and asphalt debris on the faces of
the levees, excavating unsuitable levee material, and
replacing rock armor slope protection.
The Arcata levees separate Humboldt Bay from the city’s
wastewater treatment ponds and Klopp Lake. Repairs
were necessary to ensure the continued operation of
the wastewater treatment plant and to protect the
community, the lake, and Humboldt Bay from flood.
The levees were originally constructed from on-site Bay
Mud. Over the years, concrete and asphalt debris had
been used on the levee faces as rock armoring. After
reviewing a number of design alternatives for repairing
the slopes, the City’s engineer selected rock slope
protection (RSP) based on its longevity, high reliability,
low maintenance, ease of permitting, and compatibility
with the funding criteria. The RSP approach involved
placing various sizes and grades of rock as armor on
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS:
• Removal of concrete and
asphalt-concrete debris
• Excavation of the levee slope
within the tidal zone
• Placement of geotextile and
rock armor slope protection
• Installation of turbidity
curtains and others
• BMPs for storm water and
erosion control
the faces of the levees to withstand the erosive forces
generated within Humboldt Bay, particularly during storm
events.
During construction, Magnus Pacific removed the existing
concrete and asphalt debris and recycled it off-site or
within the project backfill (where suitable), excavated
a toe trench to anchor the RSP on the outer levee face,
installed geotextile fabric between the RSP and finer-
grained embankment soils, and placed the RSP at a
1.5H:1V maximum slope above the toe trench. The tops
of the levees were raised in low-lying areas, to prevent
overtopping during storm events, and widened to allow
vehicle access for ongoing maintenance and future
construction.
Funding for all aspects of the project (permitting, design
and construction) was provided by FEMA and the
California Office of Emergency Services (OES) following
the storm events of 2005/2006. The project was
completed on time and within budget, and without a
safety incident.