Bathymetric Survey and Acoustic Sediment Profiling of Fort Hood, Texas Sediment Retention Ponds and Cowhouse Reach, Belton Lake

Erosion prevention and sediment retention are primary land management objectives for military land managers. Monitoring sediment retention structures and downstream water bodies for sediment deposition promotes effectively decision making and resource allocation. We utilized acoustic profiling coupled with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to conduct detailed bathymetric surveys of Fort Hood training area sediment deposition within retention ponds and downstream waterbodies. Our objectives were: 1) determine the remaining sediment storage capacity of training area retention structures and 2) estimate exported sediment deposition within the Cowhouse Creek reach of Belton Lake. Bathymetric survey data were used to produce Geographic Information System (GIS) based spatial models for volumetric sediment analysis. We have determined the sediment retention capacity of Fort Hood's flood control structures have between 19% and 100% capacity remaining. The sediment distribution and thickness within a 136 HA segment of Belton Lake contains an estimated 1.1 million cubic meters of sediment was eroded from Fort Hood into this area of the lake.