Flood and Sediment Control for Rio Choloma

Sector
Project Type
Project Title
Location
Client
Project Period
Water Resources
Flood and Sediment Control
Flood and Sediment Control for Rio Choloma
Choloma, Honduras
Secretaria de Obras Públicas, Transporte y Vivienda / JICA
July 1997 to August 2001
Significant Problem Addressed by Project
The Sula Valley is the most important agricultural
and industrial area in Honduras producing 40-50%
GNP. The northwestern part of Sula Valley, the
Choloma river basin covering approximately 105
km2, has high susceptibility to sedimentation and
flooding and it is hit every 2 or 3 years by a
hurricane or tropical depression. The most severe
damages in recorded history were caused by the
hurricane in 1974. It caused 10,000 deaths and
$400 million damage to the economy. Within the
center of Choloma city, sedimentation reached more
than one meter deep and regional transportation
was paralyzed, causing disastrous social and economic impact. Since this area suffers from a heavy
sedimentation problem, the Government of Honduras requested technical assistance from Japan to
control the sediments of Choloma River and prevent future disasters from flooding.
OCG’s Project Services
After detailed topographic and geological surveys, soil and hydrological investigations, OCG made the
structural designs and formulated the construction plan. In addition, OCG performed construction
supervision throughout the whole period of the project.
Actual Project Works
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Improvement of river channel including construction of river bank protection works: 1,468 m
Sabo dam: H = 14 m, 2 sites
Consolidation dams: H = 3.7 m and H = 3.2 m
Reconstruction of railway bridge: L = 183 m
River Improvement
Sabo Dam
Consolidation Dam
Railway Bridge