Channel response to gravel mining activities in mountain rivers

The removal of bed material from active river channels usually affects the bed profile of the streambed, causing progressive degradation upstream and downstream of the extraction site. These effects can extend for kilometers affecting hydraulic structures located in the vicinity of the river reach. In this paper, the geomorphic effects of gravel mining are reviewed and summarized. Some cases in Venezuelan streams are presented to illustrate the problem. To describe the processes of erosion and sedimentation in a gravel extraction pit, a recent developed mathematical model for the simulation of flow and sediment transport in gravel-cobble bed streams is applied to a hypothetical case of gravel mining in a river channel. A simple rectangular dredge pit is imposed as initial condition in the channel bed, and changes in bed elevations and grain size distribution of bed material are calculated by using the numerical model. The process of deposition within the pit, and the downstream and upstream migration of the erosion wave are well simulated by the model and closely resemble the phenomena observed in laboratory experiments. The response of the friction coefficient to the changes in flow and bed elevations shows the importance in modeling adequately flow resistance and sediment transport in gravel-cobble bed streams.     

Long-term monitoring of the recruitment and dynamics of large wood in Kamienica Stream,Polish Carpathians

Studies presenting long-term observations of the recruitment and mobility of large wood in mountain watercourses are scarce, but they can considerably contribute to the knowledge of river/riparian forest interactions and the assessment of flood hazard resulting from wood mobility during floods. Widespread dieback of riparian forest along the headwater course of Kamienica Stream in the Polish Carpathians, caused by bark beetle infestation of spruce trees, has raised concerns about potential increases of large wood recruitment to the stream and of the flood hazard to downstream valley reaches. In October 2009, 429 trees growing along three sections of the stream were tagged with numbered metal plates and monitored over 10 years to determine the timing and causes of their delivery to the channel and the lengths of their displacement during individual flood events. Moreover, in 2012 the mode of location of wood deposits and a degree of wood decay were determined in the second-to fourth-order stream reaches. The monitoring of tagged trees indicated that trees were recruited to the channel during highintensity meteorological and hydrological events,mostly as a result of bank erosion during floods or windthrow. With 22% of tagged trees recruited to the channel during 10 years, the rate of turnover of the riparian trees was estimated at 45 years. As the riparian area is overgrown with trees with ages up to～160 years, the rate evidences substantial intensification of large wood recruitment to the channel in the recent period. Results of large wood inventory and the 10-year-long monitoring of tagged trees indicated variable mobility of large wood along the upper course of the stream. Wood mobility was negligible in the second-order stream reach, very small in the third-order reach, and greater, but still limited in the fourth-order reach. Wood is transported longer distances only during major floods.However, the advanced state of decay of most pieces leads to their disintegration during floods, precluding distant transport. Thus, large wood retained in the upper stream course does not constitute an important flood hazard to downstream, inhabited valley reaches.     

Cover Story

正The cover photo shows the boulder ramp hydraulic structure in the Raba River, Poland. The Raba originates in the flysch part of the Western Carpathians in southern Poland and flows to the Upper Vistula River. The annual precipitation totals range from 650-700 mm in the lowest parts of the catchment to 1200 mm in its highest parts. More than 3/4 of the catchment area is underlain by flysch     

Characteristics from a hydrodynamic model of a trapezoidal artificial reef

Flume experiments and numerical simulation were conducted to characterize the hydrodynamics of a trapezoid artificial reef. Measurements in particle image velocimetry were conducted to observe the formation of upwelling and vortices; and forces for the reef model were measured by load cell. The results of flume experiments agree well with the numerical data. In addition, the flow structure around a reef combining trapezoidal and cubic blocks was simulated numerically under two deployment schemes, showing a more complicated flow structure than that of a stand-alone reef. Relationship between drag coefficient and Reynolds number suggest that the degree of turbulence can be assessed from the value of drag coefficient downstream from the reef. The role of the reef in water flow is to reduce flow velocity and generate turbulence.     

Influence of Collective Boulder Array on the Surrounding Time-averaged and Turbulent Flow Fields

Arrays of large immobile boulders,which are often encountered in steep mountain streams,affect the timing and magnitude of sediment transport events through their interactions with the approach flow.Despite their importance in the quantification of the bedload rate,the collective influence of a boulder array on the approach timeaveraged and turbulent flow field has to date been overlooked.The overarching objective is,thus,to assess the collective effects of a boulder array on the time-averaged and turbulent flow fields surrounding an individual boulder within the array,placing particular emphasis on highlighting the bed shear stress spatial variability.The objective of this study is pursued by resolving and comparing the timeaveraged and turbulent flow fields developing around a boulder,with and without an array of isolated boulders being present.The results show that the effects of an individual boulder on the time-averaged streamwise velocity and turbulence intensity were limited to the boulder’s immediate vicinity in the streamwise（x/d c 〈 2-3） and vertical（z/d c 〈 1） directions.Outside of the boulder’s immediate vicinity,the time-averaged streamwise velocity was found to be globally decelerated.This global deceleration was attributed to the form drag generated collectively by the boulder array.More importantly,the boulder array reduced the applied shear stress exerted on theindividual boulders found within the array,by absorbing a portion of the total applied shear.Furthermore,the array was found to have a ＂homogenizing＂ effect on the near-bed turbulence thus significantly reducing the turbulence intensity in the near-bed region.The findings of this study suggest that the collective boulder array bears a portion of the total applied bed shear stress as form drag,hence reducing the available bed shear stress for transporting incoming mobile sediment.Thus,the effects of the boulder array should not be ignored in sediment transport predictions.These effects are encapsulated in this study by E     

Typhoon-dominated influence on wood debris distribution and transportation in a high gradient headwater catchment

Wood debris is an important component of mountain streams. It causes serious damage and renders difficulty of water resource management in Taiwan. In this study, the quantity of wood debris and variation of migratory wood debris during flood events were examined. The downstream of Gaoshan Creek and Qijiawan Creek, located at Central Taiwan, was selected as the study area. The distribution and dynamic of wood debris in a high gradient headwater catchment were quantified using field surveys. A formula of critical depth for wood debris entrainment was used to evaluate the wood debris migration during three flooding events. In the study area, wood abundance and unit volume increased downstream, and wood density decreased downstream within a channel network. The channel morphology, riparian vegetation, and wood debris characteristics were found to influence the wood storage. As a result, the wood debris has an irregular accumulative distribution in the steep stream, and it migrates easily in the stream because of a high flow discharge. Strong relationships between the channel width and wood debris variables are discovered. Moreover, wood debris has a tendency to accumulate at sites with low stream power and wood debris dams, topographical notches, and unique geological structures. Our findings assist in the understanding of the effects of channel characteristics on distributions of wood debris in steep stream systems.     

Dam-break flood simulation under various likely scenarios and mapping using GIS: Case of a proposed dam on River Yamuna, India

The precision modeling of dam break floods can lead to formulation of proper emergency action plan to minimize flood impacts within the economic lifetime of the assets.Application of GIS techniques in integration with hydrological modeling for mapping of the flood inundated areas can play a momentous role in further minimizing the risk and likely damages.In the present study,dam break analysis using DAMBRK model was performed under various likely scenarios.Probable Maximum Flood (PMF)calculated for a return period of 1000 years using deterministic approach was adopted for dam break analysis of the proposed dam under various combinations of breach dimensions.The available downstream river cross-sections data sets were used as input in the model to generate the downstream flood profile.Dam break flow depths generated by the DAMBRK model under various combinations of structural failure are subsequently plotted on Digital Elevation Model(DEM)of the downstream of dam site to map the likely affected area.The simulation results reveals that in one particular case the flood without dam may be more intense if a rainfall of significant intensity takes place.     

RESEARCH ON SYSTEM OF FLOOD DISASTER CONTROL AND REDUCTION SUPPORTED BY GIS IN MEDIUM AND SMALL BASINS

Southeast China coastal areas belong to subtropical monsoon climatic zone,thus easily affected by floods resulted from typhoons and rainstorm.Since the areas of river basins are small,rivers flood regulation capacities are low,and therefore flood hazard is grave.In the paper,taking the Yongjiang basin in southeast China as an example,the approaches and methods of geographic information system(GIS) applied to flood disaster control and reduction research on small basin are explred.On GIS help the rainfall-runoff calculation model and the river dchannel flood routing model are developed.And the evaluating flood submerged are and the damage assessment models are built supported by digit elevation models.Lastly the decision support system on GIS supported for flood control in research basin has been set up.This greatly improves flood-proofing decision-making capacities in river basin,and provides valuable information and a mode for flood prevention and reduction in the medium and small basin .Meanwhile,the research indicates that technologies of GIS provide a powerful tool for flood disaster control.     

Damming of large river by debris flow: Dynamic process and particle composition

The frequency and extent of debris flows have increased tremendously due to the extreme weather and the Wenchuan earthquake on May 12, 2008. Previous studies focused on the debris flow from gullies damming the mountain streams. In this paper, an equation for the run-out distance of debris flow in the main river is proposed based on the dynamic equation of debris flow at different slopes given by Takahashi. By undertaking field investigations and flume experiments, a new calculation method of the volume of debris flow damming large river is obtained. Using the percolation theory and the renormalization group theory it was deduced that the large particles should comprise more than 50% for forming a stable debris flow dam. Hence, the criteria of damming large river by debris flow is presented in terms of run-out distance and grain composition which was then validated through the event of damming river by debris flow at Gaojia gully, the upper reaches of the Minjiang River, Sichuan, China, on July 3, 2011.     

Dam-break Modeling in Alpine Valleys

Dam-break analysis is of great importance in mountain environment,especially where reservoirs are located upstream of densely populated areas and hydraulic hazard should be assessed for land planning purposes.Accordingly,there is a need to identify suitable operative tools which may differ from the ones used in flat flood-prone areas.This paper shows the results provided by a 1D and a 2D model based on the Shallow Water Equations（SWE） for dam-break wave propagation in alpine regions.The 1D model takes advantage of a topographic toolkit that includes an algorithm for pre-processing the Digital Elevation Model（DEM） and of a novel criterion for the automatic cross-section space refinement.The 2D model is FLO-2D,a commercial software widely used for flood routing in mountain areas.In order to verify the predictive effectiveness of these numerical models,the test case of the Cancano dam-break has been recovered from the historical study of De Marchi（1945）,which provides a unique laboratory data set concerning the consequences of the potential collapse of the former Cancano dam（Northern Italy）.The measured discharge hydrograph at the dam also provides the data to test a simplified method recently proposed for the characterization of the hydrograph following a sudden dam-break.     

Digital Identification of Ecosystem Structure in the F?rt?na Valley of the Ka?kar Mountains in the Rize City of Turkey

Identifying the structure of protected mountain ecosystems is an important task for understanding conservation sustainability. The study area, the F？rt？na Valley, located in the Rize City on the Eastern Blacksea Coast, is one of the biological hotspots and a National Park of Turkey. In order to identify the structure of mountain ecosystems, we generated a GIS database for the main environmental parameters of the study area, including elevation, slope and aspect layers for topographic structure, 10 year mean values of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index（NDVI）, data for vegetation structure, annual mean temperature and precipitation layers for climatic structure, main soil groups for soil structure and stream flow accumulation, stream flow length and stream order layers for hydrological structure .To identify the complex relations among environmental factors in the study area a data reduction method is applied with Principal Component Analysis （PCA）. PCA is performed using data of 16 layers from Geographical Information Systems （GIS）. PCA analysis reduced 16 dimensions into 5 dimensions containing 75% of the variation in all data. It is also revealed that the topographic structure, mainly altitude, dominates the ecosystems of the F？rt？na Valley, but it should be considered that the interactions of environmental factors in an ecosystem dynamics are very complex. The ecosystem structure is determined by the environmental factors direct or indirect effects on energy regulation of an ecosystem. Therefore the relationship between topographic elements and other abiotic-biotic elements in the Fcrtcna Valley are important for environmental assessment and sustainability of a protected area, and these effects are explained in this study.     

Analysis of channel bank erosion rate using exposed roots of trees: a case study of lavij stream,northern Alborz Mountains,Iran

Powerful alluvial rivers in the northern Alborz mountain ranges erode river banks due to having high slopes.Most of these rivers flow in forest areas.In this research,the rate of the river bank erosion was examined using the exposed roots of the trees.For this purpose,8 reaches of Lavij Stream were investigated.To determine the first year of root exposure,two sets of macroscopic and microscopic indicators were utilized.Accordingly,the rate of the stream bank erosion was estimated.The results were analyzed by using statistical test,which showed insignificant differences between the two groups of indicators.Due to its more abundance(frequency)on the margins and easy detection of its root through the exposure(macroscopic and microscopic)indicators,Alnus glutinosa(black alder)species could be more easily and accurately analyzed as compared with any other tree species in the region.The mean erosion rate of the riverbank using the extruded roots was estimated to be 0.08 m/yr.The hydrological analyses of flood flows showed that 95%of Lavij Stream bank erosion was caused by the river bank full discharges with a return period of 1-3 years.     

Quantitative analysis of the macro-geomorphic evolution of Buyuan Basin,China

Buyuan River, the largest tributary within the Chinese Lancang-Mekong River region downstream of the Jinghong Dam, plays a crucial role in river function and ecosystem service of the Lancang-Mekong River. The geomorphic evolution of a basin exerts a key control on riverine sediment input and transport. In this study, the geomorphic characteristics of Buyuan Basin are analyzed using morphological parameters, hydrodynamic parameters and the stream power river incision model. The results show that: 1) The slight north-south difference of channel density is most likely due to lithology and independent of tectonic activity and climate. 2) The weak tectonic activity and the low hypsometric integral(HI) value suggest that the macroscopic landform condition limits erosion and sediment production. 3) The logarithmic longitudinal profile of the main channel defends that the upstream sediments generated by erosion are easily deposited in the downstream channel, rather than being transported directly into the Lancang-Mekong River. 4) Approximately 74% of the reaches have annual average stream power less than 500 W·m~(-1). The narrow variation ranges of stream power in 50% of the river channel indicate relatively stable hydrodynamic environment. 5) Stream erosion and tectonic activity make the longitudinal profiles of the main channel and most tributary channels unstable. The wide range(between 22.01 and 45.58 with θ=0.43) of steepness index(k_(sn)) of longitudinal profiles implies differential uplift in the basin.     

Mechanism of subsidence-buckling and instability of slopes in thick-layered rigid rock under mining

The deformation and failure of mining slopes in layered rocks predominantly result from shear landslides. However, the instability process of the Pusa rock avalanche in Guizhou, China, revealed a unique damage phenomenon: prominent breaking and toppling of rock blocks occurred in the central section of the mountain, with a lack of commonly observed shear landslide features. This paper aims to investigate the underlying reasons behind this distinctive damage pattern. The study employs various met...     

Debris flow dam formation in Southeast Tibet

1 Introduction Debris flows in Southeast Tibet can carry a great deal of sediment into streams in a special way. They block mainstreams and form dams.This type of dam,not only dominates the interaction between water and sediment and changes in the riverbed, but also exerts a great influence on the ability of transportation of the river. When a debris-flow dam forms, the water level behind the dam will increase, and villages, fields and roads will beflooded.When the dam breakes,the resulting …     

Relationship between changes of river-lake networks and water levels in typical regions of Taihu Lake Basin, China

The typical regions of the Taihu Lake Basin,China,were selected to analyze the variation characteristics of river-lake networks under intensive human activities.The characteristics of the fractal dimension of river networks and lakes for different periods were investigated and the influences of river system evolution on water level changes were further explored through the comparison of their fractal characters.The results are as follows:1) River network development of the study area is becoming more monotonous and more simple;the number of lakes is reducing significantly,and the water surface ratio has dropped significantly since the 1980s.2) The box dimension of the river networks in all the cities of the study area decreased slowly from the 1960s to the 1980s,while the decrease was significant from the 1980s to the 2000s.The variations of lake correlation dimension are similar to those of the river network box dimensions.This is unfavorable for the storage capacity of the river networks and lakes.3) The Hurst exponents of water levels were all between 0.5 and 1.0 from the 1960s to the 1980s,while decreased in the 2000s,indicating the decline in persistence and increase in the complexity of water level series.The paper draws a conclusion that the relationship between the fractal dimension of river-lake networks and the Hurst exponents of the water level series can reveal the impacts of river system changes on flood disasters to some extent:the disappearance of river networks and lakes will increase the possibility of flood occurrence.     

Drainage Network and Lineament Analysis： An Approach for Potwar Plateau （Northern Pakistan）

Drainage responds rapidly to tectonic changes and thus it is a potential parameter for teetonogeomorphological analysis. Drainage network of Potwar is a good geological record of movement, displacements, regional uplifts and erosion of the tectonic units. This study focuses on utilizing drainage network extracted from Shuttle Radar Digital Elevation Data （SRTM-DEM） in order to constrain the structure of the Potwar Plateau. SWAN syncline divides Potwar into northern Potwar deformed zone （NPDZ） and southern Potwar platform zone （SPPZ）. We extracted the drainage network from DEM and analyzed 112 streams using stream power law. Spatial distribution of concavity and steepness indices were used to prepare uplift rate map for the area. DEM was further utilized to extract lineaments to study the mutual relationship between lineaments and drainage patterns. We compared the local correlation between the extracted lineaments and drainage network of the area that gives us quantitative information and shows promising prospects. The streams in the NPDZ indicate high steepness values as compared to the streams in the SPPZ. The spatial distribution of geomorphic parameters distinctive deformation and uplift rates suggest the among eastern, central and western parts. The local correlation between drainage network and lineaments from DEM is strongly positive in the area within I km of radius.     

Determining critical support discharge of a riverhead and river network analysis: Case studies of Lhasa River and Nyangqu River

A riverhead is the demarcation point of continuous water channel and seasonal channel, which is characterized by a critical flow that can support a continuous water body. In this study, the critical support discharge(CSD) is defined as the critical steady flows required to form the origin of a stream. The CSD is used as the criterion to determine the beginning of the riverhead, which can be controlled by hydro-climate factors(e.g., annual precipitation, annual evaporation, or minimum stream flow in arid season). The CSD has a close correlation with the critical support/source area(CSA) that largely affects the density of the river network and the division of sub-watersheds. In general, river density may vary with regional meteorological and hydrological conditions that have to be considered in the analysis. In this paper, a new model referring to the relationship of CSA and CSD is proposed, which is based on the physical mechanism for the origin of riverheads. The feasibility of the model was verified using two watersheds(Duilongqu Basin of the Lhasa River and Beishuiqu Basin of the Nyangqu River) in Tibet Autonomous Region to calculate the CSA and extract river networks. A series of CSAs based on different CSDs in derived equation were tested by comparing the extracted river networks with the reference network obtained from a digitized map of river network at large scales. Comparison results of river networks derived from digital elevation model with real ones indicate that the CSD(equal to criterion of flow quantity(Q_c)) are 0.0028 m~3/s in Duilongqu and 0.0085 m~3/s in Beishuiqu. Results show that the Q_c can vary with hydro-climate conditions. The Q_c is high in humid region and low in arid region, and the optimal Q_c of 0.0085 m~3/s in Beishuiqu Basin(humid region) is higher than 0.0028 m~3/s in Duilongqu Basin(semi-arid region). The suggested method provides a new application approach that can be used to determine the Q_c of a riverhead in complex geographical regions, which can also reflect the effect of hydro-climate change on rivers supply in different regions.     

Vegetation dynamics of ephemeral and perennial streams in mountainous headwater catchments

Ephemeral and perennial streams of mountainous catchments in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka and Hong Kong of China were studied for two years on vegetation dynamics. Each year, sampling was conducted during a period when ephemeral streams had low surface flows. Sampling was realized contiguously using belt transects. The standing crop biomass(hereafter biomass) of herbaceous vegetation in ephemeral channels was comparatively lower than perennials and so was the herb diversity. Herb diversity showed a peak from 1.5 to 4.5 m from the centerline/thalweg of ephemeral and perennial streams. Out of 24 herbs, only three were common for both. A peak herb biomass zone was observed in perennials in the same region where diversity peaked. In ephemerals, herb biomass increased laterally up to ～1.5 m, and was constant thereafter. Seedling experiment results tallied with the field diversity observations of both stream types, and suggested that seed dispersion was the main reason for herb colonization. Furthermore, it showed sapling emergence to be significantly higher in perennials than ephemerals. Return period of annual maximum monthly rainfall was a strong indicator of age of trees in ephemeral streams, and elucidated the possibility of hindcasting past flow episodes. Electrical conductivity was significantly high in ephemeral streams among all the water quality parameters. The contents of the water nutrients were approximately the same in both stream types. While recommending further studies on eco-hydrology of ephemerals, we recognize ephemeral streams to be valuable references in climate change studies due to their responsiveness and representativeness in long term hydrological changes.     

Variations of dissolved iron in the Amur River during an extreme flood event in 2013

As a key factor limiting primary productivity in marine ecosystem, dissolved iron(DFe) export from fluvial systems has increased recently. There is particular concern about discharges of DFe during extreme flooding, when they are thought to increase considerably. An extreme flood event that caused inundation of extensive areas of Far Eastern Russia and Northeastern China occurred in the basin of the Amur River during summer and autumn 2013. During this event, water samples were collected in the middle reaches of the Amur River and the lower reaches at Khabarovsk City and analyzed for DFe concentrations and other aquatic parameters. The results show that the average DFe concentrations in the middle reaches of the Amur River(right bank) and at Khabarovsk were 1.11 mg/L and 0.32 mg/L, respectively, during the extreme flood in 2013. The total discharge of DFe during the flood event was 6.25 × 104 t. The high discharge of DFe during the flood reflects the elevated discharge of the river, hydrologically connected riparian wetlands, vast quantities of terrestrial runoff, and flood discharges from the Zeya and Bureya reservoirs. These results show that long-term monitoring is needed to identify and assess the impacts of DFe transport on the downstream reaches, estuarine area, and coastal ecosystems of the Amur River.