Geophysical Characterization and Seepage Detection of the Chimney Rock Dam Embankment Near Salina, Oklahoma

The operator of Chimney Rock Dam observed the emergence of increasing seepage at the toe of the dam when the water level in the reservoir exceeded a particular elevation. However, the source and the pathways of the seepage were not identified. To address this issue, integrated geophysical methods were employed to delineate the different units of the dam embankment and identify potential seepage zones and pathways. The methods utilized in this study included electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), self-potential (SP), and multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW). The ERT profiles revealed variations in the dam’s fill properties, including areas with anomalously low resistivity, interpreted as zones of relatively high moisture content. The two long SP profiles conducted along the dam embankment displayed similar spatial correlations with these low-resistivity zones, suggesting potential preferential seepage pathways. The SP map generated from a suite of parallel SP profiles conducted over the abutment depicts a pattern of positive background and negative potential anomalies, which may suggest fluid movement or seepage potential. The MASW profile along the top of the dam characterized an upper low shear-wave velocity layer corresponding to the top dry section of the embankment underlain by a higher shear-wave velocity layer, interpreted as saturated zone. The utilized geophysical methods successfully characterized the different materials of the embankment and identified zones of potential seepage.