SEDIMENTATION STUDY ON PUMPED-STORAGE POWER STATION OF PUSHI RIVER

I.INTRODUCTIONThePtlmped-storagepoll,erprojectofPushiriverisconsistedofupperreservoir,lobal-erreset'oir.watertransmissionSystemandpotvergeneratingsystem.ThelowerreservoirIviththecatchmentbasinareaof1141kmZisthewatersupplierl-c'hichislocatedonthedownstreamofthePushiriverinthesouthernpactofNortheastChina.Theupperreservoirisabout300-400metershigherthanthelowerresen!oirattheleftsideoftheriverwithcatchmentbasinareaof1.12km2.Thecharacteristicsoftheprojectandreservoirareshottviintablel-l.Ino…     

Influences of retrogressive erosion of reservoir on sedimentation of its downstream river channel——A case study on Sanmenxia Reservoir and the Lower Yellow River

Retrogressive erosion, a widespread phenomenon of sediment transport in reservoirs, often impacts on both the reservoir capacity and the sedimentation in the downstream river channel. Based on field data from the Sanmenxia Reservoir and the Lower Yellow River over the past decades, three courses of ret-rogressive erosion with distinctive features were analyzed. The results indicate that retrogressive erosion, especially caused by rapid reduction in the water level till the reservoir is empty, often results in the serious siltation of the lower Yellow River and threatens the safety of the flood control in the Lower Yellow River. Unreasonable operation of the reservoir and incoming hyperconcentrated floods accom-panied by retrogressive erosion also aggravate the siltation of the main channel of the river. However, a reasonable operation mode of the reservoir so named"storing the clear (low sediment concentration) water in the non–flood season, and sluicing the muddy(high sediment concentration) water in the flood season" was found, which might mitigate the deposition in both the reservoir and the Lower Yellow River. This operation mode provides important experience for the design and operation of large reser-voirs in other large rivers carrying huge amounts of sediment.     

CHARACTERISTICS OF SEDIMENT TRANSPORT ALONG A RIVER REACH WITH A RESERVOIR

Based on long-term measurements at three gauging stations, Toudaoguai, Fugu and Hequ, and one meteorological station, this article discusses the features of discharge (Q) and sediment concentration (Cs) of a river reach of the Yellow River with a reservoir located in the Loess Plateau. The impacts of the local sub-watershed between Toudaoguai and Fugu gauging stations on sediment budget to the Yellow River have been analyzed. In addition, the deposition processes in the Tianqiao Reservoir have been investigated. Results show over 80% of the precipitation that falls in the local subwatershed is unable to contribute to the Yellow River runoff process. It is found that the annualmaximum sediment concentration is usually less than 30 kg/m^3 during flood seasons at Toudaoguai Gauging Station, but the sediment concentration varies dramatically at Fugu Gauging Station. About 35% of the sediment eroded in the sub-watersheds between Toudaoguai and Fugu gauging stationswas produced from the Huangfuchuan sub-watershed which has a drainage area accounting only for 10% of the drainage area between Toudaoguai and Fugu gauging stations. The Tianqiao Reservoir generally has deposition during the summer flood season, and scouring during the non-flood season.On average, over 85% of deposited sediment in the reservoir occurs in the 12 km long lower reservoir reach. The volume of annual deposition in the reservoir mainly depends on the volume of water from the local region between Hequ and Fugu gauging stations.     

Impact of the Three Gorges Project operation on the water exchange between Dongting Lake and the Yangtze River

The Three Gorges Project(TGP) is a world known project to utilize and manage the water resources of the Yangtze River. The reservoir stores water at the end of the flood season, and replenishes downstream reaches with water in dry seasons. In addition to such benefits, the TGP has irreversibly changed the hydrological process and the river-lake relation of the middle and lower reaches. In this paper, a hydrodynamic model was established to quantify the impact of the TGP's operation on the water exchange between Dongting Lake and the Yangtze River during 2009-2013. The results indicated that:the operation of the TGP has considerably reduced the peak discharge and the flood volume of the main stream and the Dongting Lake area. The inflow volume from the Yangtze River to Dongting Lake via three outlets decreased by 1.9-3.5 billion m~3/yr, while the outflow volume from Dongting Lake to the Yangtze River at Chenglingji increased by 0.3-1.6 billion m~3 in September and 0.4-0.6 billion m~3 in October,respectively. This research provides valuable information for flood control, irrigation, and water allocation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and serves as a typical case for investigating the impact of other hydropower projects around the world.     

Empirical and conceptual modelling of the suspended sediment dynamics in a large tropical African river: the Upper Niger river basin

A 7-year sediment transport monitoring on the Upper Niger rivers was used to study the relationship between suspended sediment concentration and river discharge. During annual floods, these relationships show positive hysteresis. This paper presents the results of two models that estimate the time evolution of suspended sediment concentration using water discharge data only. The first model is based on a statistical approach using two relationships, one for the rising stage period of the flood and one for the recession period of the annual flood; the second model is a lumped conceptual one; it supposes that the sediment flux observed in the river comes from two different sources of sediment and that these two sources may be regarded as two different reservoirs. The erosion of the first reservoir represents hillslope erosion observed during the runoff season. Sediment supply from this ‘reservoir’ is limited in time because depletion occurs during the runoff season. The second reservoir is unlimited in time and quantity and its erosion represents contributions coming from bank erosion and mobilisation of deposits in the channel network.

Both of the models are compared with a simple rating curve based model. The model results show that the conceptual model has the highest efficiency to reproduce from weekly discharge only the time evolution of weekly suspended sediment concentrations, the time evolution of weekly sediment fluxes, and the global annual sediment yields.     

Recent changes of water discharge and sediment load from Feiyun River in Zhejiang Province,China

In-depth studies of water and sediment fluxes from rivers into the sea are very important for understanding the interactions between land and sea. This paper is concerned with identifying the changes in the time series of water and sediment fluxes from Feiyun River in Zhejiang Province, China. Inter- and intraannual variability in the water discharge and sediment load of the Feiyun River into the sea are analyzed using the observed data of runoff (1956–2008) and sediment (1957–2008) at Xuekou Station, which is in the main channel. The results show that there is a good peak–valley correlation between the water discharge and sediment load, and there are obvious seasonal variations, with a 65.7% water discharge and 89.2% sediment load during the flooding periods. Water discharge is mainly controlled by natural rainfall, but the construction of the upstream reservoirs in 1997 increased the discharge amount in the dry season and decreased the amount in the flooding season. Sediment loads were reduced after a huge flood in 1990 and construction of upstream reservoirs, while the latter also decreased the sediment load during the typhoon flooding period. Furthermore, the correlation between water discharge and sediment load is also affected by the flood and reservoir construction. There are some differences in the regression equations of sediment load and water discharge for 1957–1989, 1991–1996, and 1997–2008.     

THE OPERATION MODE OF "STORING THE CLEAR WATER AND DISCHARGING THE MUDDY FLOW" FOR RESERVOIRS BUILT ON HEAVILY SILT-LADEN RIVERS--A CASE STUDY OF THE SANMENXIA RESERVOIR

Observation of the operation of the Sanmenxia Reservoir on the Yellow River has led to the conclusion that to preserve a certain effective storage volume for reservoirs built on heavily silt-laden rivers is feasible if the reservoir is operated according to the principle known as "storing the clear water and discharging the muddy flow". The relative stability of the bed elevation at the end of the backwater and the reservoir's erosion and deposition equilibrium depend on the compatibility of the pool level maintained in non-flood seasons with the conditions of flow and sediment load during flood seasons. Operating the reservoir to regulate the flood and sediment load during flood seasons can reduce the rate of aggradation in the Lower Yellow River. The basic condition for applying the operation mode of "storing the clear water and discharging the muddy flow" is that a sufficient amount of water should be used for discharging sediment during flood seasons. Under the condition of extremely low flow years, reservoir sedimentation cannot be avoided even if this operation mode is adopted.     

Strategies for managing reservoir sedimentation

Sediment deposition in reservoirs has caused the loss of 66% of the reservoir capacity in China. The main sedimentation control strategies are： 1） storing the clear water and releasing the turbid water; 2） releasing turbidity currents; 3） Draw-down flushing and empty flushing; and 4） dredging, The paper summarizes these strategies with examples. Sediment transport in many Chinese rivers occurs mostly during the 2-4 month flood season, that is, 80-90% of the annual sediment load is transported with 50-60% of the annual runoff. By storing the clear water after the flood season and releasing the turbid water during the flood season, less sediment deposits in the reservoir while the reservoir is still able to store enough water for power generation in the low flow season. The Three Gorges and Sanmenxia reservoirs apply this strategy and control sedimentation effectively. Turbidity currents have become the main sedimentation control strategy for the Xiaolangdi Reservoir. Empty flushing involves reservoir draw-down to temporarily establish riverine flow along the impound reach, flushing the eroded sediment through the outlets. Case studies with the Hengshan Reservoir and Zhuwo Reservoir are presented. Jet dredgers have been used to agitate the reservoir deposit so that the deposit is released from the reservoir with currents. The sediment releasing efficiency is 30-100% for storing the clear and releasing the turbid; 6-40 % for turbidity current; and 2,400-5,500% for empty flushing. Empty flushing causes high ecological stress on the ecosystem to the downstream reaches. Storing the clear and releasing the turbid is the best strategy to control reservoir sedimentation while achieving hydro-power benefit and maintain ecological stability.     

INFLUENCE OF THE UPSTREAM RESERVOIRS ON THE ADJUSTMENT OF DOWNSTREAM ALLUVIAL CHANNEL

I. INTRODUCTIONThe Yellow River is a heavily sediment--laden river. The sediment load of the Yellow River ranks the first in the world while its annual runoff is only of medium size. Toharness the river, it is necessary to build reservoirs for regulating runoff to meet the demands of economic development. Since the founding of PRC in 1949, I S4 large and medium--sized reservoirs have been constructed on the main stem and the tributaries with atotal storage capacity of 84.5 billion m3.…     

Assessment of accumulation rates in small reservoirs by core analysis, 137Cs measurements and bathymetric mapping in Burkina Faso

Reservoir siltation is one of the most important off‐site effects of soil erosion. In Burkina Faso a large number of small dams have been built to store rainfall and runoff water in the rainy season, which is much needed for domestic use, irrigation and stock watering in the dry season. This study quantifies the siltation rates of two small reservoirs in southwestern Burkina Faso by comparing the initial and current reservoir bed morphology and by analyzing variations in accumulated sediment in terms of stratigraphical changes and ¹³⁷Cs concentrations. Results of a bathymetric survey show that both reservoirs have already lost approximately 10% to 15% of their original storage capacity at normal pool level and more than 60% of their initial inactive storage volume at spillway level in the last 15 to 20 years. During this period, inflow sediment had accumulated on the bottom of the reservoir to a thickness of 0.3 m to 0.5 m. Sediment core measurements confirmed this thickness by showing a clear stratigraphical change in core properties with significant variations in the ¹³⁷Cs concentrations at these specific depths. The thickness of accumulated sediment on top of the relict soil indicates that the reservoirs have a ‘half‐life’ of about 40 to 45 years before siltation might affect its water supply and flood control. Compared with other reservoir studies in West Africa these siltation rates can be seen as reasonable but not alarmingly high. Nevertheless, many of the small dams built during the 1980s are likely to reach their ‘half‐life’ in about 10 to 20 years causing hydrological and geomorphological changes upstream and downstream of the dams. Therefore, further research studies should focus on prevention measures to reduce the off‐site effects of erosion and thus to slow down the process of siltation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

南方红壤区长期水土流失综合治理显著减少河流输沙——以鄱阳湖流域赣江上游平江为例

长时间序列水沙数据分析有助于科学评价流域尺度水土保持减流减沙效应,为科学开展区域水土保持成效评估提供实现路径.本文选取南方红壤区水土保持工程最为集中、持续时间最长的典型流域——平江流域,基于1975-2014年的逐日降水量、流量、含沙量数据,综合应用预置白M-K检验法、Theil-Sen趋势度估计法、Pettitt检验法与累积量斜率变化率比较法,开展河流水沙变化特征及归因分析,揭示长期水土流失治理对河流水沙的影响.结果表明:(1)1975-2014年平江年输沙量、汛期输沙量和非汛期输沙量均存在显著减少趋势,年均减少率分别为2.38×10⁴、1.75×10⁴和0.44×10⁴t/a,汛期输沙量在流域开始实施系统水土流失治理时即发生突变,而年输沙量和非汛期输沙量在系列国家水土保持重点工程实施一段时间后方开始突变;(2)流域长期水土保持显著减少平江输沙,但对径流无显著影响,重点治理期、治理后期以水土保持为主的生态保护工程对输沙量减少的贡献均在94.0%以上,且生态保护工程对汛期输沙量减少的贡献较非汛期的更为突出;(3)以水土保持为主的长期生态保护工程导致平江全年、汛期、非汛期输沙量分别减少59.3%、60.7%和55.7%;(4)在剔除大型水利工程(尤其是大中型水库)建设影响后,南方红壤区可以基于长时间序列水沙数据分析科学评价流域尺度水土保持减流减沙效应.研究结果可以为南方红壤区流域尺度水土保持减流减沙效应评价提供参考,并有望为区域系列国家生态保护与建设工程的布局和管理提供科学依据.     

Tide‐modulated hyperpycnal flows off the Huanghe (Yellow River) mouth,China

Few hyperpycnal flows have ever been observed in marine environments although they are believed to play a critical role in sediment dispersal within estuarine and deltaic depositional systems. The paper describes hyperpycnal flows observed in situ off the Huanghe (Yellow River) mouth, their relationship to tidal cycles, and the mechanisms that drive them. Simultaneous observations at six mooring stations during a cruise off the Huanghe mouth in the flood season of 1995 suggest that hyperpycnal flows observed at the river mouth are initiated by high concentrations of sediment input from river and modulated by tides. Hyperpycnal flows started near the end of ebb tides, when near‐bottom suspended sediment concentration (SSC) increased rapidly and salinity decreased drastically (an inverse salt wedge). The median grain size of suspended particles within the hyperpycnal layer increased, causing strong stratification of the suspended sediments in the water column. Towards the end of flood tides, the hyperpycnal flow attenuated due to frictions at the upper and lower boundaries of the flow and tidal mixing, which collapsed the stratification of the water column. Both sediment concentration and median grain size of suspended particles within the bottom layer significantly decreased. The coarser sediment particles were deposited and the hyperpycnal flows stopped. The intra‐tidal behaviors of hyperpycnal flows are closely associated with the variations of SSC, salinity, and stratification of the water column. As nearly 90% of riverine sediment is delivered to the sea during the flood seasons when hyperpycnal flows are active, hyperpycnal flows at the Huanghe mouth and the river's high sediment loads have caused rapid accretion of the Huanghe delta. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

近30年洞庭湖季节性水情变化及其对江湖水量交换变化的响应

江湖水量交换的变化影响着通江湖泊洞庭湖的水情,进而影响湖区社会经济及生态的可持续发展.以洞庭湖城陵矶站、南咀站以及长江干流宜昌站、螺山站1981-2012年逐日水位、流量观测数据为基础,采用单位根检验、方差分析和水位-流量绳套曲线等方法对洞庭湖季节性水情变化特征进行提取,并探究江湖水量交换变化对其产生的影响.研究表明:近30年来洞庭湖水情呈阶段性特征,与相对稳定的1981-2002年相比,2003-2012年湖泊水位总体呈下降趋势,年均水位下降0.43 m;枯、涨、丰、退水期各季水情变化特征为:2003年以后洞庭湖丰水期水位平均下降0.60 m,呈现出"高水不高"现象;退水期水位平均下降1.49 m,退水加快;枯水期水位略有上升,平均上升0.18 m;涨水期水位变化不明显.湖泊退水期水位降幅最为明显,尤其是10月大幅下降,平均下降2.03 m,有提前进入枯水期的趋势.水情变化与江湖水量交换变化密切相关:丰水期,三口(松滋、太平和藕池)分流量减小在一定程度上降低湖泊水位;退水期,三口分流量减小叠加城陵矶出口长江水位下降对洞庭湖产生拉空作用,湖泊出流加快水位被拉低;枯水期,主要是1 3月,城陵矶出口长江水位上升对湖泊顶托作用增强,湖泊出流减缓水位略有抬升.     

Soil cracking effects on hydrological and erosive processes: a study case in Mediterranean cultivated vertisols

Shrink–swell soils, such as those in a Mediterranean climate regime, can cause changes in terms of hydrological and erosive responses because of the changing soil water storage conditions. Only a limited number of long‐term studies have focused on the impacts on both hydrological and erosive responses and their interactions in an agricultural environment. In this context, this study aims to document the dynamics of cracks, runoff and soil erosion within a small Mediterranean cultivated catchment and to quantify the influence of crack processes on the water and sediment supplied to a reservoir located at the catchment outlet using water and sediment measurements at a cultivated field outlet as baseline. Detailed monitoring of the presence of topsoil cracks was conducted within the Kamech catchment (ORE OMERE, Tunisia), and runoff and suspended sediment loads were continuously measured over a long period of time (2005–2012) at the outlets of a field (1.32 ha) and a catchment (263 ha). Analysis of the data showed that topsoil cracks were open approximately half of the year and that the rainfall regime and water table level conditions locally control the seasonal cracking dynamics. Topsoil cracks appeared to seriously affect the generation of runoff and sediment concentrations and, consequently, sediment yields, with similar dynamics observed at the field and catchment outlets. A similar time lag in the seasonality between water and sediment delivery was observed at these two scales: although the runoff rates were globally low during the presence of topsoil cracks, most sediment transport occurred during this period associated with very high sediment concentrations. This study underlines the importance of a good prediction of runoff during the presence of cracks for reservoir siltation considerations. In this context, the prediction of cracking effects on runoff and soil erosion is a key factor for the development of effective soil and water management strategies and downstream reservoir preservation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tidal straining effect on the suspended sediment transport in the Huanghe (Yellow River) Estuary, China

Tidal straining effect on sediment transport dynamics in the Huanghe (Yellow River) estuary was studied by field observations and numerical simulations. The measurement of salinity, suspended sediment concentration, and current velocity was conducted during a flood season in 1995 at the Huanghe river mouth with six fishing boats moored at six stations for 25-h hourly time series observations. Based on the measurements, the intra-tidal variations of sediment transport in the highly turbid river mouth was observed and the tidal straining effect occurred. Our study showed that tidal straining of longitudinal sediment concentration gradients can contribute to intra-tidal variability in sediment stratification and to asymmetries in sediment distribution within a tidal cycle. In particular, the tidal straining effect in the Huanghe River estuary strengthened the sediment-induced stratification at the flood tide, thus producing a higher bottom sediment concentration than that during the ebb. A sediment transport model that is capable of simulating sediment-induced stratification effect on the hydrodynamics in the bottom boundary layers and associated density currents was applied to an idealized estuary to demonstrate the processes and to discuss the mechanism. The model-predicted sediment processes resembled the observed characteristics in the Huanghe River estuary. We concluded that tidal straining effect is an important but poorly understood mechanism in the transport dynamics of cohesive sediments in turbid estuaries and coastal seas.     

Design of sediment detention basins: Scaled model experiments and application

Sediment detention basins are implemented on mountain rivers to trap solid material that may aggravate the flooding of downstream settlements.However,retention structures built in the past may unnecessarily retain sediment during non-hazardous flood events,resulting in high maintenance costs and sediment deficit downstream.In addition,the so-called spontaneous self-flushing of previously retained sediment during floods has occasionally been observed.Recent research suggests to design sediment detention basins for controlling sediment passage with a guiding channel across the deposition area upstream of a hybrid barrier.Such barriers consist of a check dam with a slot orifice and an upstream bar screen with a bottom clearance in order to benefit from a combined mechanical-hydraulic retention control.The present paper enhances this pioneering research with the help of new experimental data,including a wide range of sediment mixtures and large wood,as well as variable barrier heights.Improved design criteria are provided regarding the bar screen and the basin storage capacity.The functionality of the enhanced concept for sediment detention is illustrated by a case study on a physical model:the protection of the Villard-Bonnot village(France)against torrential hazards.     

The State of Benthic Communities and Water Quality Evaluation in the Cheboksary Reservoir

Present-day quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the Cheboksary Reservoir have been investigated, and data on the biological diversity of benthic organisms have been compared to those of hydrobiological studies carried out in the region prior to the reservoir construction. The reservoir bottom communities include 75 species and forms of benthos. The reservoir water quality has been evaluated using different methods, including the determination of the degree of morphological structure abnormalities in chironomid larvae, regarded as sublethal indicators of bottom sediment pollution with toxic substances.     

Characteristics of sedimentation and channel adjustment linked to the Three Gorges Reservoir

Construction of large dams is attractive because of their great benefits in flood control,hydropower generation,water resources utilization,navigation improvement,etc.However,dam construction may bring some negative impacts on sediment transport and channel dynamics adjustments.Due to the effects of recent water and soil conservation projects,sediment retention in the newly constructed large upstream reservoirs,and other factors,the sedimentation in the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR)is quite different from the amount previously predicted in the demonstration stage.Consequently,based on the measured data,characteristics of sedimentation and the related channel deformation in the TGR were analyzed.The results imply that sediment transport tended to be reduced after the Three Gorges Project(TGP).Sedimentation slowed dramatically after 2013 and indicated obvious seasonal characteristics.Due to the rising water level in the TGR in the flood season,the yearly sediment export ratio(Eratio)was prone to decrease.The water level near the dam site should be reasonably regulated according to the flow discharge to improve the sediment delivery capacity and reduce sedimentation in the TGR,and to try to avoid situations where the flood retention time is close to 444 h.The depositional belt was discontinuous in the TGR and was mainly distributed in the broad reaches,and only slight erosion or deposition occurred in the gorge reaches.Sedimentation in the broad and gorge reaches accounted for 93.8% and 6.2% of the total sedimentation,respectively.The estuarine reach located in the fluctuating backwater area experienced alternate erosion-deposition,with a slight accumulative deposition in the curved reach.Sedimentation mainly occurred in the perennial backwater area.The insight gained in this study can be conducive to directly understanding of large reservoir sedimentation and mechanism of channel adjustment in the reservoir region in the main channel of large river.     

Application of ~(137)Cs fingerprinting technique to interpreting sediment production records from reservoir deposits in a small catchment of the Hilly Loess Plateau, China

According to variations of 137Cs and clay contents, 44 flood couplets were identified in a profile of res- ervoir deposit with a vertical length of 28.12 m in the Yuntaishan Gully. Couplet 27 at the middle of the profile had the highest average 137Cs content of 12.65 Bq·kg?1, which indicated the 1963s' deposits, then 137Cs content decreased both downward and upward in the profile. The second top and bottom couplets had average 137Cs contents of 2.15 Bq·kg?1 and 0.92 Bq·kg?1, respectively. By integrated analysis of reservoir construction and management history, variations of 137Cs contents over the profile, sediment yields of flood couplets and rainfall data during the period of 1958-1970, individual storms related to the flood couplets were identified. 44 floods with a total sediment yield of 2.36×104 m3 occurred and flood events in a year varied between 1 and 10 times during the period of 1960-1970. 7-10 flood events occurred during the wet period of 1961-1964 with very wet autumn, while only 1-2 events during the dry period of 1965-1969. Average annual specific sediment yield was 1.29×104 t·km?2·a?1 for the Yuntaishan Gully during the period of 1960-1970, which was slightly higher than 1.11 ×104 t·km?2·a?1 for the Upper Yanhe River Basin above the Ganguyi Hydrological Station and slightly lower than 1.40 ×104 t·km?2·a?1 for the nearby Zhifang Gully during the same period. Annual specific sediment yields for the Yuntaishan Gully were correlated to the wet season's rainfalls well.     

Sediment storage in the reach of the middle Yellow River located in the Fenwei Graben,China

Fenwei Graben is a famous sediment sink. The Longmen‐Sanmexia sediment sink of middle Yellow River is located in the middle part. Using the sediment budget based on annual data from the period 1920–2006 and flood‐event data from 154 flood events from the period 1950–1985, the variations in sediment storage, release and transport have been analysed. Data from different methods and sources indicate that, during an 1800‐year period, the variation of sedimentation rate in this sink has undergone a cycle from increase to decline; the cause for this can be found in the changes in the manner and intensity of human activities. Over 87 years, sediment storage in this sink can be separated into four stages which showed different trends, depending on changing human activities, such as reservoir construction, soil and water conservation and water diversion. Stepwise multiple regression shows that the runoff and sediment yield from three major source areas have differing influences on sediment storage in the sink. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.