5 Aug 2025

Determination of Runoff Coefficient and Permeability of Airfield Matting (AM2) Long-Term Placement

Abstract: This report describes a small-scale water infiltration study of airfield mat-ting version 2 (AM2) at a test site on the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Vicksburg, Mississippi, site. Before constructing AM2 runways, engineers must conduct a storm water drainage analysis; but no published study defining the runoff coefficient for AM2 exists. This study evaluated water infiltration of AM2 when subjected to 10-year and 100-year storm conditions from a proposed building site at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Florida. The allowable grade slopes for AM2 runways range from 1% to 3% in the longitudinal direction and 1% to 5% in the transverse direction. Multiple tests were conducted at various combinations of allowable grade slopes to determine grade slope orientation effects on AM2 runoff behavior. Runoff coefficients generally fell within the range of 0.05 to 0.10 for AM2. The highest runoff coefficients observed were within the range of 0.35 to 0.40 for a 5% transverse grade slope with a 1% longitudinal grade slope. Observation of the water infiltration behavior showed runoff increased with increasing transverse slope and de-creased with increasing longitudinal slope.

30 Sep 2022

White Sands Missile Range Thurgood Canyon Watershed: Analysis of Range Road 7 for Development of Best Management Practices and Recommendations

Abstract: Thurgood Canyon, located on White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), contains an alluvial fan that is bisected by a primary installation road and is in the proximity of sensitive fish habitats. This project was initiated to determine if and how sensitive fish habitats at the base of the fan are impacted by the existing drainage infrastructure and to assess the condition and sustainability of the existing transportation infrastructure. Findings show that the current drainage infrastructure maintains flow energy and sediment carrying capacity further down the fan than would occur in its absence. However, frequent to moderately rare (small to medium) flood events dissipate over 2 km from sensitive habitat, and overland flow and sediment do not reach the base of the fan. Controlled flow diversion is recommended upstream of the road to mitigate infrastructure or habitat impacts during very rare (very large) flood events. A comprehensive operation and management approach is presented to achieve sustainable transportation infrastructure and reduce the likelihood of impacts to the sensitive habitat.