Introduction:

The capacities of the Humaya main channel (HMC) dikes were determined in 1966 and currently, because they are receptors of rough waters, they present varying degrees of sediment accumulation. This situation has caused a decrease in their initial capacity, so there is a need to update the bathymetry of the dikes.

Objectives:

Determine the bathymetry of the HMC dikes using an acoustic Doppler current profiler to estimate the volumetric capacity, the flooded area and the maximum depth of each dike.

Materials and methods:

A total of 11 dikes were studied, in which the experimental phase consisted of two stages. First, the coordinates of the water mirror of each dike were collected. Subsequently, the information was introduced into a modeling software by interpolation for the construction of three-dimensional models, which allow estimating the volume and contour lines of the dikes.

Results and discussion:

Dikes 1 and 2 increased their capacity due to recent maintenance and enlargement work. On the other hand, Batamote, Agua fría, Hilda, Mariquita and Cacachila showed a loss of volumetric capacity (of 16.87 % on average), most likely due to the sediment problem.

Conclusions:

The acoustic Doppler current profiler is an extremely useful tool to obtain information about dike depth. However, its use was limited by the presence of aquatic weeds and excessive sediment accumulation. Therefore, only seven dikes could be sounded correctly. It is essential to carry out an effective sediment control program in the most affected dikes.

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