“Why does this have to happen?”
First, a first responder called to ask Dr. Rollin Hotchkiss this question. Then, a grieving mother. Each had just watched someone drown in the churning water of a low head dam, a manmade river irrigation structure nicknamed a “drowning machine.”
The dams were originally built to generate power in local communities, assist in agriculture, or enhance recreation. However, most have outlived their initial purpose and instead create recirculating, inescapable currents that trap unaware recreationists.
The dilemma caught Hotchkiss' attention while he searched for a design project challenge for his students as a civil engineering professor who studies fluid mechanics. After his students couldn’t find a solution, low head dams became the focus of his research.
“Relatively speaking, the number of fatalities at low head dams is not as great as most other causes of death, but the nature of the drownings is just so gut wrenching,” Hotchkiss said. “That doesn't have to happen. The more than a thousand deaths don't have to happen.”
The reality of this problem impacted each of the students on his team. Adele Severson, a student researcher and civil engineering student, realized the tragedies could easily be personal.
“It's not super far removed, like, oh, these people in some far away country kind of deal,” Severson said. “These are just regular people. That could have been my family if we hadn’t known that the dam was there.”
After collecting data from a simulation and developing a structural design for increased safety, Hotchkiss published his own solution. Implementing that solution will take large amounts of time and cooperation, so his research has pivoted to something adjacent.
Hotchkiss’ team of students scoured public records for documentation of low head dam fatalities to create a database that can warn people about places they might encounter unsafe currents. Kenny Quintana, a BYU civil engineering alumnus, played a key role in making the database accessible to those who need it.
“The tool that we've created is not perfect, but an important aspect of it is that it raises awareness and gets people thinking about the potential dangers on the rivers,” Quintana said. “That in itself can prevent people from taking the risk of going over these dams.”
Paige Gordichuk spent hours on the research team sifting through news sources and tragedy after tragedy caused by low head dams. To her, that task was the hardest part of her job, but it also reminded her why she was doing it in the first place.
“People are the center of engineering, and the most important thing is keeping them safe,” Gordichuk said. “If the database can help one person become aware, and they can avoid tragedy, then all the work is worth it.”
The hope is that this database keeps growing into a nationwide safety resource, Hotchkiss said.
“Our vision is that when we're done with this project you could look at a map of the United States covered with dots—more than 20,000, because we found more low head dams—click on any one, and, for the next 14 days, get a prediction of flow rates and any dangers at that particular low head dam,” Hotchkiss said.
In the meantime, he has seen his students go beyond what their research required by tackling a different issue: awareness. The team shares the database, video explanations of the dangerous dams, and other research with companies, local governments, and river recreation organizations.
Their outreach efforts, paired with research grants, funding from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), and support from the American Whitewater Association, have shaped the mission of their research now. Students have zeroed in on communication, widening their scope of skills to include more than just technical engineering research.
Matteo Nagle, civil engineering major, appreciates this work because it’s a mix of things he enjoys: hands-on work, office research, and networking.
“You have to be able to talk to people,” Nagle said. “You have to be able to articulate yourself. With a project like this, you have to be able to explain.”
They will practice those skills even further at the annual ASDSO meeting in September. Their enthusiasm, as well as generous BYU resources, will make it possible for them to pick up non-technical skills as they attend, Hotchkiss said.
Joshua Yocum, another student involved in outreach for this project, has learned about the responsibility and accountability that are involved with engineering skills as he prepares to be an urban planner after graduation.
“We do have a moral obligation to let people know about the dangers that we put into their communities,” Yocum said.
That feeling of responsibility has taken the team from testing hypothetical solutions to creating resources that have drawn national attention, including recognition from The New York Times. Nagle relates his motivation to the duty to “go forth to serve” that BYU students are encouraged to carry with their education.
“That's the only reason I'm in here all the time and doing work. It’s to serve other people,” Nagle said. “It inspires me every day to do the best work I can. I'm constantly thinking of others, of how I can make this campaign better.”
