A bundling configuration was designed for the 12 polyethylene casing lines that lie 75 feet (about 23 meters) beneath the river's bed.
What lies beneath
From quiet times of sternwheelers to today’s age of massive ships, riverboats have played an historic role in the economy along the Mississippi River. So it goes in 2003 when Carnival Cruise Lines brought service to the New Orleans area of the Mississippi River. So important was this business that Entergy (the local utility provider) set out to relocate existing power crossings that proved too low for passage of Carnival’s massive vessels and set the stage for one of the most interesting pipeline construction projects in recent history.
Faced with relocating major power lines across the span of a flowing river, Entergy needed a cost-effective, reliable, and expedient solution. The answer came in the form of a leak-proof, multi-line system constructed of Rinker Materials' high-density polyethylene pipe (HDPE). Recognising all the advantages provided by the physical properties of HDPE, the flexibility and tensile strength were extremely attractive. But the leak-proof fusion joining was really what elevated HDPE as the only product to consider.
The result of this innovative and collaborative effort was the successful installation of more than 800,000 pounds of polyethylene pipe in twelve 3,295-foot lengths pulled as a single bundle beneath the river. Production of the pipe was divided between the Gainesville (Texas) and Sandersville (Georgia) PolyPipe plants to meet delivery requirements.
The project was completed with minimal disruption to river traffic and commerce.
Large wooden debris provides resting and hiding places for the salmon in the creek.
Salmon return to Little Bear Creek
When the Rinker Materials Northwest Region, Washington State, bought a site for their new concrete batch plant, they applied for a permit from Snohomish County to clean it up.
Several local environmental consultants were hired to assess and evaluate the existing degraded and disturbed conditions on the site. They were also asked to help create a stream and to improve wetland conditions. The aim was to create an enhancement plan that would not only improve riparian conditions but instream habitat as well.
The Stilly-Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task Force agreed to assist with the implementation of the project. The Task Force is a non-governmental, non-profit, charitable organisation whose mission is to ensure the future of salmon in the Stillaguamish and Snohomish River Watersheds and Island County.
A 50-foot (15.5 meters) riparian buffer was created to comply with the County’s Puget Sound Chinnook Salmon Habitat Management plan. Large wooden debris was placed along a section of the creek to provide resting and hiding places for large populations of Sockeye and Kokanee salmon that primarily use the creek to spawn. Native trees were planted along both sides of the creek to re-establish native vegetation and salmon are again returning to Little Bear Creek.
