Bruce A. Tschantz

Emeritus Professor

Biography

Tschantz, who was on the University of Tennessee faculty since 1965, retired in June 2002 as Emeritus Professor. His area of specialty has been in water resources engineering with focus areas in surface water hydraulics and hydrology. He has over 45 years experience in engineering research, teaching, and practice in dam safety, urban stormwater modeling and management, sediment transport, open channel hydraulics, and extreme flood event hydrology.

He is an ASCE Fellow and a registered professional engineer in Tennessee, Alabama, Ohio, and Virginia. He has served on several national stormwater hydrology and dam safety panels in ASCE, ASDSO/FEMA, National Academy of Sciences, and Executive Office of the President.

Tschantz has authored or co-authored over 100 articles, papers, abstracts, and reports on his research work. He has served as engineering consultant and expert witness to several local, regional, and national engineering firms, industries, city/state/federal agencies, citizens groups, private individuals, and attorneys in his areas of expertise. He remains active coordinating and participating in state, regional and national workshops in dam safety and civil engineering.

Following retirement from full-time University of Tennessee teaching in 2002, he was a Senior Research Associate with the Tennessee Water Resources Research Center until early 2014, where he assisted in developing and teaching the Tennessee Erosion Prevention & Sediment Control Training and Certification Program fundamentals and design level workshops for the Tennessee Department of Environment (TDEC), to over 15,000 engineers, local & state regulatory officials, contractors & developers, and utilities personnel across Tennessee (www.tnepsc.org).

Tschantz continues to consult as a technical expert in various dam safety activities, and special hydrologic/hydraulic problems from his West Knoxville office at 9041 Executive Park Drive.

In November 2013, Tschantz presented a national webinar with Paul Schweiger, P.E., Gannett-Fleming, Inc., Identifying Hazards and Improving Public Safety at Low Head Dams, sponsored by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO).

Recently, he has given invited presentations on U.S. Dam Safety at the 125th Anniversary of the Johnstown Flood (Johnstown, PA, May 2014), Public Safety at Low Head Dams for the state of Indiana (Purdue University, Nov 2014), and on the Development of Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety (Joint FEMA ICODS/NDSRB meeting, Wash., D.C, January 2015. Most recently, Dr. Tschantz has been invited by local homeowner and homebuilder groups to make presentations on problems, causes and prevention of wet basements and crawl spaces.

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Research

Hydrologic modeling of surface waters

Hydraulic modeling of open channel flow

Sediment transport modeling of open channel flow

Dam safety - state policy and regulation assessment, extreme flood event analysis, and outlet structure hydraulics

Urban stormwater management - best management practice (BMP) studies, policy and regulation development, and hydrologic modeling

Soil erosion and sediment control hydrology

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Education

Tschantz received Doctorate and Masters degrees in Civil Engineering (Water Resources) from New Mexico State University and his B. S. in Civil Engineering from Ohio Northern University.

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Publications

Tschantz, Bruce A., What We Know (and Don’t Know) about Low-head Dams, J. of Dam Safety, Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), Vol. 12, Issue 4, 2014, pp. 37-43.

Tschantz, Bruce A., Temporary Sediment Basins for Tennessee Construction Sites, Tennessee Public Works Magazine, Vol.30, No. 6, Jan/Feb 2013, pp. 26-29.

Tschantz, Bruce A., Converting Temporary Sediment Basins to Permanent Stormwater Detention Ponds in Tennessee, 20 pp, Paper and presentation, ASCE-TSPE-ACEC Joint Annual Meeting, Sept. 13-14, 2012, Murfreesboro, TN.

Tennessee Dept. of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Div. of Water Resources, contributing author through the Univ. of Tenn., Tenn. Water Resources Research Center, Tennessee Erosion & Sediment Control Handbook, Fourth Edition, August 2012, 314 pp. + Appdc. A-E.

Tschantz, Bruce A. and Andrea Ludwig, Stormwater Management in Tennessee – A SMART Initiative, Tennessee Public Works Magazine, Vol. 29, No. 1, May/June 2011, pp. 25-27.

Tschantz, Bruce A. and Kenneth R. Wright, Hidden Dangers and Public Safety at Low-head Dams, Journal of Dam Safety, Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), Vol. 9, Issue 1, 2011, p. 8-17, ISSN 1944-9836. [Reprinted with permission in ASCE Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) Currents Newsletter, Spring 2011. General Whitewater Safety Discussion: American Whitewater Forums, Low Head Dam Safety.

Wright, Kenneth R. and B. Tschantz, The Dam Safety Imperative, American Association of Water Resources (AWRA), Water Resources IMPACT magazine journal, March 2011, vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 6-8.

McCubbin-Cain, S. and B. Tschantz, Promoting Careers in Dam Engineering and Safety, Hydro Review, pp. 52-59, March 2010

Tschantz, Bruce A., What About (Public) Safety At Dams?, Proceedings (Paper 141), Water Power XVI, 2009 National Conference, July 27-30, 2009, Spokane, WA.

McCubbin-Cain, S. and Bruce A. Tschantz, Romancing the Profession: Promoting Careers in Dam Engineering and Dam Safety, Proceedings (Paper 140), Water Power XVI, 2009 National Conference, July 27-30, 2009, Spokane, WA.

Jacoby, S, S. Koeninger, B. Tschantz, Lessons Learned from the TDEC Advisory Board in regard to the TVA Kingston Dredge Cell Containment Facility Failure, Proceedings, ASDSO National Dam Safety Conference, Sept. 19-23, 2010, Seattle, WA

McCubbin-Cain, S. and B. Tschantz, Wanted! More Dam Engineers, American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), Proceedings, 2010 ASEE Annual Conference, Louisville, KY, June 20-23, 2010.

McCubbin-Cain, Sarah and B. Tschantz, WANTED – More Dam Engineers!, Journal of Dam Safety, Assoc. of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), Vol. 8, Issue 3, 2010.

City of Knoxville – Engineering BMP Manual, Section 5 - BMPs for Residential and Homeowners (RH), RH-12 - Tips for Wet Basements and Crawl Spaces (Tschantz), January 2010,

TDEC Advisory Board on TVA Kingston Failure (L. Bentley, S. Jacoby, G. Pugh, S. Qualls, K. Shell, & B. Tschantz), Lessons Learned from the TVA Kingston Dredge Cell Containment Facility Failure: TDEC Advisory Board Recommendations for Safe Performance, November 24, 2009, released by TDEC, December 2009, 17 pp.

Hedrick, K. P., R. B. Robinson, S.E. Moore and B. A. Tschantz, Impact of Tunnel Reconstruction on Stream Water Quality in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, ASCE, Nov/Dec 2006, Vol. 11, No. 6, pp 570-577.

Tschantz, B. A. and B. D. Marks, Technical Manual for Dam Owners, Impacts of Plants on Earthen Dams, FEMA 534, September 2005.

Tschantz, B. A., Public Hazards at Low-head Dams: Can We Make Them Safer?, ASDSO National Dam Safety Conference Proceedings, 4 pp, 2003 ASDSO Dam Safety Conference, Minneapolis, September 2003.

Tschantz, B. A., R. G. Morton and T. L. Gangaware, Tennessee Guide to the Selection and Design of Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) - A Phase II Guide to MS4 Communities for Protecting Post-construction Stormwater Quality and Managing Stormwater Flow, prepared for Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Division of Water Pollution Control, EPA Publication No. 904-B-02-900, March 2003.

Robinson, R. B., K. Hedrick and B. Tschantz, Water Quality and BMP Monitoring Report for Tunnel Reconstruction in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Research Report prepared for the U.S. National Park Service, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Knoxville, Tennessee, December 2002, 87 pp.

Robinson, R. B., J. L. Smoot, J. Shubzda, T. Barnett, G. Harvel, K. Hedrick, S. Moore, and B. Tschantz, Great Smoky Mountains National Park Water Quality Monitoring Network: Present & Future, paper presented to the Water Resources Division, National Park Service Meeting, Fort Collins, Co., November 20, 2002.

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Contributor and Editor, Tennessee Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook – A Guide for Protection of State Waters Through the Use of Best Management Practices During Land Disturbance Activities, March 2002; Rev. March 2009.

Tschantz, B. A., T. Hampton, D. Lawrence, L. Smothers, L. Von Thun, and S. Mayfield, Model Library for State Dam Safety Programs, ASDSO manual, December 2000, 38 pp.

Tschantz, B. A., Performance Evaluation of Constructed Urban Stormwater Detention Ponds in the Knoxville Area, Proceedings and presentation to International Conference on Decision Making in Urban and Civil Engineering, Lyon, France, November 22, 2000, pp. 59-70.

Tschantz, B. A., Current Problems, Practices and Policies on Tree and Woody Plant Penetration of Dams, Proceedings and presentation to Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) Annual Conference, September 28-30, 2000, Providence, R. I., 12 pp.

Wagner, C. R. and B. Tschantz, An Evaluation on the Performance of Catch Basin Insert/Filter on Stormwater Quality, proceedings paper and presentation to the Tenth Annual (AWRA) Water Resources Symposium, Montgomery Bell State Park, Tennessee, April 10-12, 2000, Proceedings, pp. 2A-29-34.

Mihlbachler, T. G. and B. Tschantz, Impact of Floating Debris (Drift) on Bridge and Culvert Hydraulics, Poster and Proceedings paper, Tenth Annual (AWRA) Water Resources Symposium, Montgomery Bell State Park, Tennessee, April 10-12, 2000, Proceedings, pp. P-29-34.

Tschantz, B. A., Current National Policies Concerning Woody Plant Penetrations at Dams, Invited paper and presentation, Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDS) and Federal Emergency Mgt. Agency (FEMA) Workshop on Plant and Animal Penetrations of Earthfilled Dams, Knoxville, Nov 30 - Dec 2, 1999.

Tschantz, B. A., J. Smoot, K. Thompson, T. Gangaware, and L. Wilks , Stormwater Quantity and Quality Management - A Primer for Local Officials, Published by Tennessee Nonpoint Source Pollution Program, December 1999, Tennessee Water Resource Research Center (TN-WRRC).

Jacks, S., A. Swann, and B. Tschantz, Floating Debris on Lakes and Rivers: Effects on Operation, Use, and Safety of Lakes and Dams, Proceedings paper and presentation to Ninth Annual Water Resources (AWRA) Symposium, Nashville, Tn., April 12-14, 1999, pp 2A1-5.

Hoover, J. H. and B. Tschantz, Longitudinal Dye Dispersion in a Hydroplant Tailwater, proceedings paper and presentation to the Eighth Annual (AWRA) Water Resources Symposium, Nashville, Tn., March 2-4, 1998, Proceedings, pp. 2C 23-27.

Tschantz, B. A., T. R. Gangaware, J. L. Smoot, et al, Stormwater Management Practices and Education Program for Counties and Local Communities in Tennessee, proceedings paper and presentation to the Eighth Annual (AWRA) Water Resources Symposium, Nashville, Tn., March 2-4, 1998, Proceedings, pp. 1C 35-40.

Reese, J. B., J. L. Smoot and B. A. Tschantz, Determining a 100-year Peak Flow and Associated Errors From Simulated Streamflow, Paper published in the Proceedings of the Seventh Tennessee Water Resources Symposium, Tennessee Section of the American Water Resources Association, Nashville, Tennessee, February 24-26, 1997, pp 136-138.

Romans, T. E. and B. Tschantz, Performance Analysis of Constructed Urban Stormwater Detention Ponds, Paper published in the Proceedings of the Seventh Tennessee Water Resources Symposium, Tennessee Section of the American Water Resources Association, Nashville, Tennessee, February 24-26, 1997, pp 212-217.

Moran, B. M. and B. Tschantz, Modeling of the Hydrologic Transport of Mercury in the Upper East Fork Poplar Creek (UEFPC) Watershed, Technical Report to Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc., September 1996, 255 pp.

Tschantz, B. A., Stormwater Detention Pond Discrepancies Can Result in Downstream Damage, Tennessee Public Works Magazine, July/August 1997, Volume 15, No. 2, pp. 6-11.

Granju, C. L., K.B. Rutherford and B. Tschantz, Beaman Lake Dam: The Orphan That No One Wanted, Tennessee Public Works Magazine, May/June 1996, Volume 13, No. 1, pp. 20-22.

Granju, C. L., K. B. Rutherford, and B. Tschantz, Decommissioning a Dam - The Beaman Lake Experience, Paper published in the Proceedings of the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) Conference, Atlanta, September 15-20, 1995, 10 pp.

Henderson, S. L., S. A. Shipman and B. Tschantz, Armoring Protection on Earthfill Dams, Paper published in the Proceedings of the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) Conference, Atlanta, September 15-20, 1995, 11 pp.

Ward Valley: An Examination of Seven Issues in Earth Sciences and Ecology, Final Report of the National Academy of Sciences Committee to Review Scientific and Technical Issues related to the Ward Valley, California, Low Level Radioactive Waste Site, Board on Radioactive Waste Management, Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources, National Resources Council, Washington, D. C., National Academy Press, 1995, 212 pp + Appdcs. (authored Chap 7 - Flood Control and Engineering Considerations; co-authored Chap 2 - Setting of the Ward Valley Site), co-authored with G.A. Thompson (Chairman and other committee members.