Transient Control in Lower Sacramento River

The transient controlling gate and valve-stroking concept recently developed and verified by Streeter and Wylie at the University of Michigan is extended to the operation of the Sacramento weir gates during periods of high flows in the river. The weir is located several miles upstream from Sacramento, Calif., and is only operated at high stages to maintain a 29.0-ft (8.8-m) maximum stage at the Sacramento I Street gage. High inflow from the regulated American River between the weir and the gage often causes flow to reverse in a portion of the Sacramento River but this complication is easily handled by the method of characteristics. This paper is divided into three sections in which the following are analyzed: (1) the basic theory of unsteady flow and the development and application of the characteristic equations; (2) the geometry of the lower Sacramento River; and (3) transient control of the lower Sacramento River.