Spatial patterns and temporal stability of soil moisture across a range of scales in a semi‐arid environment

The antecedent soil moisture status of a catchment is an important factor in hydrological modelling. Traditional Hortonian infiltration models assume that the initial moisture content is constant across the whole catchment, despite the fact that even in small catchments antecedent soil moisture exhibits tremendous spatial heterogeneity. Spatial patterns of soil water distribution across three transects (two in a burnt area and one in an unburnt area) in a semi‐arid area were studied. At the transect scale, when the factors affecting soil moisture were limited to topographical position or local topography, spatial patterns showed time stability, but when other factors, such as vegetation, were taken into account, the spatial patterns became time unstable. At the point scale, and in the same areas, topographical position was the main factor controlling time stability. Scale dependence of time stability was studied and local topography and vegetation presence were observed to play an important role for the correlation between consecutive measures depending on the scale. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Groundwater quality in the semi‐arid region of the Chahardouly basin,West Iran

Chahardouly basin is located in the western part of Iran and is characterized by semi‐arid climatic conditions and scarcity in water resources. The main aquifer systems are developed within alluvial deposits. The availability of groundwater is rather erratic owing to the occurrence of hard rock formation and a saline zone in some parts of the area. The aquifer systems of the area show signs of depletion, which have taken place in recent years due to a decline in water levels. Groundwater samples collected from shallow and deep wells were analysed to examine the quality characteristics of groundwater. The major ion chemistry of groundwater is dominated by Ca²⁺ and HCO₃^?, while higher values of total dissolved solids (TDS) in groundwater are associated with high concentrations of all major ions. An increase in salinity is recorded in the down‐gradient part of the basin. The occurrence of saline groundwater, as witnessed by the high electrical conductivity (EC), may be attributed to the long residence time of water and the dissolution of minerals, as well as evaporation of rainfall and irrigation return flow. Based on SAR values and sodium content (%Na), salinity appears to be responsible for the poor groundwater quality, rendering most of the samples not suitable for irrigation use. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Internal testing of a numerical model of hillslope–channel coupling using laboratory flume experiments

The numerical model COUP 2D simulates the hydrological coupling between hillslopes and the river channel during a rainfall event. In order to test the numerical model, a 1:100 scaled laboratory flume which was modified to incorporate lateral hillslope elements, was used to run a series of experiments in which hillslope angle, channel angle, hillslope discharge and channel discharge were the varying parameters. Overall, there were 18 different experimental configurations with three replicates carried out for each condition, leading to a total of 54 experiments. These conditions were then used to parameterize and run COUP 2D. Internal model outputs of flow depth and flow velocity at four cross‐sections in the channel were compared to the measurements made in the physical model for the same parameter conditions. Statistical comparisons of the measured and modelled data were carried out for each experiment and across all experiments, using two goodness‐of‐fit measures—root mean square error and Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency—in order to assess the performance of the model over an entire simulation as well as over all the simulations. The main effects on the goodness‐of‐fit measures for flow depth of each experimental variable, as well as the interactions between variables, were evaluated using statistical modelling. The results show that the model captures flow‐depth variations in response to changing channel and hillslope parameters. Statistical modelling suggests that the main effects on model error are cross‐section position, channel angle and channel discharge. Significant interactions also occur between all the channel variables and between the channel variables and hillslope discharge. The results of the testing procedure have significant implications for the consideration of different model components and for the interaction between data‐ and model evaluation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The use of agent based modelling techniques in hydrology: determining the spatial and temporal origin of channel flow in semi‐arid catchments

Information on the spatial and temporal origin of runoff entering the channel during a storm event would be valuable in understanding the physical dynamics of catchment hydrology; this knowledge could be used to help design flood defences and diffuse pollution mitigation strategies. The majority of distributed hydrological models give information on the amount of flow leaving a catchment and the pattern of fluxes within the catchment. However, these models do not give any precise information on the origin of runoff within the catchment. The spatial and temporal distribution of runoff sources is particularly intricate in semi‐arid catchments, where there are complex interactions between runoff generation, transmission and re‐infiltration over short temporal scales. Agents are software components that are capable of moving through and responding to their local environment. In this application, the agents trace the path taken by water through the catchment. They have information on their local environment and on the basis of this information make decisions on where to move. Within a given model iteration, the agents are able to stay in the current cell, infiltrate into the soil or flow into a neighbouring cell. The information on the current state of the hydrological environment is provided by the environment generator. In this application, the Connectivity of Runoff Model (CRUM) has been used to generate the environment. CRUM is a physically based, distributed, dynamic hydrology model, which considers the hydrological processes relevant for a semi‐arid environment at the temporal scale of a single storm event. During the storm event, agents are introduced into the model across the catchment; they trace the flows of water and store information on the flow pathways. Therefore, this modelling approach is capable of giving a novel picture of the temporal and spatial dynamics of flow generation and transmission during a storm event. This is possible by extracting the pathways taken by the agents at different time slices during the storm. The agent based modelling approach has been applied to two small catchments in South East Spain. The modelling approach showed that the two catchments responded differently to the same rainfall event due to the differences in the runoff generation and overland flow connectivity between the two catchments. The model also showed that the time of travel to the nearest flow concentration is extremely important for determining the connectivity of a point in the landscape with the catchment outflow. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Patterns of grain‐size dependent sediment transport in low‐ordered,ephemeral channels

Sediment data were analyzed to determine grain‐size dependant factors affecting sediment transport in a low‐ordered, ephemeral watershed. Sediment and flow samples were collected during 22 flow events at the outlet of a 4·53 ha sub‐watershed within the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed in south‐eastern Arizona. Measured concentrations ranged from 4191 to 115 045 mg l^?1 and included grain sizes up to 8·0 mm in diameter. Two grain‐size dependent transport patterns were observed, that of the finer grain‐size fraction (approximately < 0·25 mm) and that of a coarser grain‐size fraction (approximately ≥ 0·25 mm). The concentration of the fine fraction decreased with flow duration, peaking near the beginning of a flow event and declining thereafter. The concentration of the fine fraction showed slight trends with season and recovery period. The concentration of the coarse fraction displayed a slight negative trend with instantaneous discharge and was not correlated with event duration. These patterns typically produced a condition where the majority of the fine fraction of the sediment yield was evacuated out of the watershed before the hydrograph peak while the majority of the coarser sediment was evacuated during the falling limb of the hydrograph. Each grain‐size dependent transport pattern was likely influenced by the source of the associated sediment. At the flow event time scale, the fines were primarily wash load, supplied from the hillslopes and the coarser grains were entrained from the channel bed. Because transport patterns differ based on grain size, attempts to define the total sediment concentration and sediment yield by the behavior of a single grain‐size fraction may lead to erroneous results, especially when a large range of sediment grain sizes are present. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Slope‐area thresholds of road‐induced gully erosion and consequent hillslope–channel interactions

Pikes Peak Highway is a partially paved road between Cascade, Colorado and the summit of Pikes Peak. Significant gully erosion is occurring on the hillslopes due to the concentration of surface runoff, the rearrangement of drainage pathways along the road surface and adjacent drainage ditches, and the high erodibility of weathered Pikes Peak granite that underlies the area. As a result, large quantities of sediment are transported to surrounding valley networks causing significant damage to water quality and aquatic, wetland, and riparian ecosystems. This study establishes the slope/drainage area threshold for gullying along Pikes Peak Highway and a cesium‐137 based sediment budget highlighting rates of gully erosion and subsequent valley deposition for a small headwater basin. The threshold for gullying along the road is S_cr = 0 · 21A^–0·45 and the road surface reduces the critical slope requirement for gullying compared to natural drainages in the area. Total gully volume for the 20 gullies along the road is estimated at 5974 m³, with an erosion rate of 64 m³ yr^–1 to 101 m³ yr^–1. Net valley deposition is estimated at 162 m³ yr^–1 with 120 m³ yr^–1 unaccounted for by gullying. The hillslope–channel interface is decoupled with minimal downstream sediment transport which results in significant local gully‐derived sedimentation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Gully‐head erosion processes on a semi‐arid valley floor in Kenya: a case study into temporal variation and sediment budgeting

A three year monitoring programme of gully‐head retreat was established to assess the significance of sediment production in a drainage network that expanded rapidly by gully‐head erosion on the low‐angled alluvio‐lacustrine Njemps Flats in semi‐arid Baringo District, Kenya. This paper discusses the factors controlling the large observed spatial and temporal variation in gully‐head retreat rates, ranging from 0 to 15 m a^?1. The selected gullies differed in planform and in runoff‐contributing catchment area but soil material and land use were similar. The data were analysed at event and annual timescales. The results show that at annual timescale rainfall amount appears to be a good indicator of gully‐head retreat, while at storm‐event timescale rainfall distribution has to be taken into account. A model is proposed, including only rainfall (P) and the number of dry days (DD) between storms: which explains 56 per cent of the variation in retreat rate of the single‐headed gully of Lam1. A detailed sediment budget has been established for Lam1 and its runoff‐contributing area (RCA). By measuring sediment input from the RCA, the sediment output by channelized flow and linear retreat of the gully head for nine storms, it can be seen that erosion shifts between different components of the budget depending on the duration of the dry period (DD) between storms. Sediment input from the RCA was usually the largest component for the smaller storms. The erosion of the gully head occurred as a direct effect of runoff falling over the edge (GH_waterfall) and of the indirect destabilization of the adjacent walls by the waterfall erosion and by saturation (GH_mass/storage). The latter component (GH_mass/storage) was usually much larger that the former (GH_waterfall). The sediment output from the gully was strongly related to the runoff volume while the linear retreat, because of its complex behaviour, was not. Overall, the results show that the annual retreat is the optimal timescale to predict retreat patterns. More detailed knowledge about relevant processes and interactions is necessary if gully‐head erosion is to be included in event‐based soil erosion models. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of channel transmission losses in a dryland river reach in north‐eastern Brazil using streamflow series,groundwater level series and multi‐temporal satellite data

Scarcity of hydrological data, especially streamflow discharge and groundwater level series, restricts the understanding of channel transmission losses (TL) in drylands. Furthermore, the lack of information on spatial river dynamics encompasses high uncertainty on TL analysis in large rivers. The objective of this study was to combine the information from streamflow and groundwater level series with multi‐temporal satellite data to derive a hydrological concept of TL for a reach of the Middle Jaguaribe River (MJR) in semi‐arid north‐eastern Brazil. Based on this analysis, we proposed strategies for its modelling and simulation. TL take place in an alluvium, where river and groundwater can be considered to be hydraulically connected. Most losses certainly infiltrated only through streambed and levees and not through the flood plains, as could be shown by satellite image analysis. TL events whose input river flows were smaller than a threshold did not reach the outlet of the MJR. TL events whose input flows were higher than this threshold reached the outlet losing on average 30% of their input. During the dry seasons (DS) and at the beginning of rainy seasons (DS/BRS), no river flow is expected for pre‐events, and events have vertical infiltration into the alluvium. At the middle and the end of the rainy seasons (MRS/ERS), river flow sustained by base flow occurs before/after events, and lateral infiltration into the alluvium plays a major role. Thus, the MJR shifts from being a losing river at DS/BRS to become a losing/gaining (mostly losing) river at MRS/ERS. A model of this system has to include the coupling of river and groundwater flow processes linked by a leakage approach. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluating the use of a gridded climate surface for modelling groundwater recharge in a semi‐arid region (Okanagan Basin,Canada)

Spatially distributed groundwater recharge was simulated for a segment of a semi‐arid valley using three different treatments of meteorological input data and potential evapotranspiration (PET). For the same area, timeframe, land cover characteristics and soil properties, groundwater recharge was estimate using (i) single‐station climate data with monthly PET calculated by the Thornthwaite method; (ii) single‐station climate data with daily PET calculated by the Penman–Monteith method; and (iii) daily gridded climate data with spatially distributed PET calculated using the Penman–Monteith method. For each treatment, the magnitude and distribution of actual evapotranspiration (AET) for summer months compared well with those estimated for a 5‐year crop study, suggesting that the near‐surface hydrological processes were replicated and that subsequent groundwater recharge rates are realistic. However, for winter months, calculated AET was near zero when using the Thornthwaite PET method. Mean annual groundwater recharge varied from ～3·2 to 10·0 mm when PET was calculated by the Thornthwaite method, and from ～1·8 to 7·5 mm when PET was calculated by the Penman–Monteith method. Comparisons of bivariate plots of seasonal recharge rates estimated from single‐station versus gridded surface climate reveal that there is greater variability between the different methods for spring months, which is the season of greatest recharge. Furthermore, these seasonal differences are shown to provide different results when compared to the depth to water table, which could lead to different results of evaporative extinction depth. These findings illustrate potential consequences of using different approaches for representing spatial meteorological input data, which could provide conflicting predictions when modelling the influence of climate change on groundwater recharge. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrological response of a Brazilian semi‐arid catchment to different land use and climate change scenarios: a modelling study

Brazilian semi‐arid regions are characterized by water scarcity, vulnerability to desertification, and climate variability. The investigation of hydrological processes in this region is of major interest not only for water planning strategies but also to address the possible impact of future climate and land‐use changes on water resources. A hydrological distributed catchment‐scale model (DiCaSM) has been applied to simulate hydrological processes in a small representative catchment of the Brazilian northeast semi‐arid region, and also to investigate the impact of climate and land‐use changes, as well as changes associated with biofuel/energy crops production. The catchment is part of the Brazilian network for semi‐arid hydrology, established by the Brazilian Federal Government. Estimating and modelling streamflow (STF) and recharge in semi‐arid areas is a challenging task, mainly because of limitation in in situ measurements, and also due to the local nature of some processes. Direct recharge measurements are very difficult in semi‐arid catchments and contain a high level of uncertainty. The latter is usually addressed by short‐ and long‐time‐scale calibration and validation at catchment scale, as well as by examining the model sensitivity to the physical parameters responsible for the recharge. The DiCaSM model was run from 2000 to 2008, and streamflow was successfully simulated, with a Nash–Sutcliffe (NS) efficiency coefficient of 0·73, and R² of 0·79. On the basis of a range of climate change scenarios for the region, the DiCaSM model forecasted a reduction by 35%, 68%, and 77%, in groundwater recharge (GWR), and by 34%, 65%, and 72%, in streamflow, for the time spans 2010–2039, 2040–2069, and 2070–2099, respectively, could take place for a dry future climate scenario. These reductions would produce severe impact on water availability in the region. Introducing castor beans to the catchment would increase the GWR and streamflow, mainly if the caatinga areas would be converted into castor beans production. Changing an area of 1000 ha from caatinga to castor beans would increase the GWR by 46% and streamflow by 3%. If the same area of pasture is converted into castor beans, there would be an increase in GWR and streamflow by 24% and 5%, respectively. Such results are expected to contribute towards environmental policies for north‐east Brazil (NEB), and to biofuel production perspectives in the region. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Parameterizing canopy resistance using mechanistic and semi‐empirical estimates of hourly evapotranspiration: critical evaluation for irrigated crops in the Mediterranean

In this paper two models are presented for calculating the hourly evapotranspiration λE (W m^?2) using the Penman–Monteith equation. These models were tested on four irrigated crops (grass, soya bean, sweet sorghum and vineyard), with heights between 0·1 and 2·2 m at the adult growth stage. In the first model (Katerji N, Perrier A. 1983. Modélisation de l'évapotranspiration réelle ETR d'une parcelle de luzerne : rôle d'un coefficient cultural. Agronomie 3(6): 513–521, KP model), the canopy resistance r_c is parameterized by a semi‐empirical approach. In the second model (Todorovic M. 1999. Single‐layer evapotranspiration model with variable canopy resistance. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering—ASCE 125: 235–245, TD model), the resistance r_c is parameterized by a mechanistic model. These two approaches are critically analysed with respect to the underlying hypotheses and the limitations of their practical application. In the case of the KP model, the mean slope between measured and calculated values of λE was 1·01 ± 0·6 and the relative correlation coefficients r² ranged between 0·8 and 0·93. The observed differences in slopes, between 0·96 and 1·07, were not associated with the crop height. This model seemed to be applicable to all the crops examined. In the case of the TD model, the observed slope between measured and calculated values of λE for the grass canopy was 0·79. For the other crops, it varied between 1·24 and 1·34. In all the situations examined, the values of r² ranged between 0·73 and 0·92. The TD model underestimated λE in the case of grass and overestimated it in the cases of the other three crops. The under‐ or overestimation of λE in the TD model were due: (i) to some inaccuracies in the theory of this model, (ii) to not taking into account the effect of aerodynamic resistance r_a in the canopy resistance modelling. Therefore, the values of r_c were under‐ or overestimated in consequence of mismatching the crop height. The high value of air vapour pressure deficit also contributed to the overestimation of λE, mainly for the tallest crop. The results clarify aspects of the scientific controversy in the literature about the mechanistic and semi‐empirical approaches for estimating λE. From the practical point of view the results also present ways for identifying the most appropriate approach for the experimental situations encountered. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial analysis of the reliability of transport networks subject to rainfall‐induced landslides

A methodology is developed to examine the susceptibility of a transport system to rainfall‐induced landslides and is demonstrated for part of the UK rail network with regard to the potential changes that might occur with climate change. A mathematical model is given for the system failure and a statistical model is formulated for the joint distribution of rainfall at different points along the railway line. These are used to investigate the response of earth embankments along the railway line to current and future climate scenarios, including the effects of rainfall and evapotranspiration on slope hydrology and stability. It is shown that, for the system of clay embankments in question, the moisture profile through the embankment at the end of the summer months has a critical effect on system stability, both in terms of expected failure timing and probability of failure. Further, it is seen that, with changing climate, the system stability is likely to increase unless the degradation of embankment material properties, another potential effect of changed climate, is taken into account. The spatial distribution of failures is also likely to change. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil moisture states,lateral flow,and streamflow generation in a semi‐arid,snowmelt‐driven catchment

Hydraulic connectivity on hillslopes and the existence of preferred soil moisture states in a catchment have important controls on runoff generation. In this study we investigate the relationships between soil moisture patterns, lateral hillslope flow, and streamflow generation in a semi‐arid, snowmelt‐driven catchment. We identify five soil moisture conditions that occur during a year and present a conceptual model based on field studies and computer simulations of how streamflow is generated with respect to the soil moisture conditions. The five soil moisture conditions are (1) a summer dry period, (2) a transitional fall wetting period, (3) a winter wet, low‐flux period, (4) a spring wet, high‐flux period, and (5) a transitional late‐spring drying period. Transitions between the periods are driven by changes in the water balance between rain, snow, snowmelt and evapotranspiration. Low rates of water input to the soil during the winter allow dry soil regions to persist at the soil–bedrock interface, which act as barriers to lateral flow. Once the dry‐soil flow barriers are wetted, whole‐slope hydraulic connectivity is established, lateral flow can occur, and upland soils are in direct connection with the near‐stream soil moisture. This whole‐slope connectivity can alter near‐stream hydraulics and modify the delivery of water, pressure, and solutes to the stream. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Trends in rainfall and runoff in the Blue Nile Basin: 1964–2003

Most of the water from the Nile originates in Ethiopia but there is no agreement on how land degradation or climate change affects the future flow in downstream countries. The objective of this paper is to improve the understanding of future conditions by analysing historical trends. During the period 1964–2003, the average monthly basin‐wide precipitation and monthly discharge data were collected and analysed statistically for two stations in the upper 30% of the Blue Nile Basin and monthly and 10‐day discharge data of one station at the Sudan–Ethiopia border. A rainfall–runoff model examined the causes for observed trends. The results show that, while there was no significant trend in the seasonal and annual basin‐wide average rainfall, significant increases in discharge during the long rainy season (June to September) were observed at all three stations. In the upper Blue Nile, the short rainy season flow (March to May) increased, while the dry season flow (October to February) stayed the same. At the Sudan border, the dry season flow decreased significantly with no change in the short rainy season flow. The difference in response was likely due to the construction of weir in the 1990s at the Lake Tana outlet that affected the upper Blue Nile discharge significantly but affected less than 10% of the discharge at the Sudan border. The rainfall–runoff model reproduced the observed trends, assuming that an additional 10% of the hillsides were eroded in the 40‐year time span and generated overland flow instead of interflow and base flow. Models concerning future trends in the Nile cannot assume that the landscape runoff processes will remain static. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing the impacts of land cover and climate on runoff and sediment yield of a river basin

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the impacts of changes in land cover and climate on runoff and sediment yield in a river basin in India. Land Change Modeler was used to derive the future land cover and its changes using the Sankey diagram approach. The future climatic parameters were derived from five general circulation models for two emission scenarios with representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5. The land cover and climate change impacts on runoff and sediment yield were estimated using SWAT model. The results show important changes in land cover and indicate that urban and agricultural areas strongly influence the runoff and sediment yield. Among the land cover and climate change impacts, climate has more predominant (70%–95%) impact. Runoff and sediment yield are likely to decrease in both RCP scenarios in the future period. The impacts of land cover changes are more prominent on sediment yield than runoff.     

Relations between rainfall–runoff‐induced erosion and aeolian deposition at archaeological sites in a semi‐arid dam‐controlled river corridor

Process dynamics in fluvial‐based dryland environments are highly complex with fluvial, aeolian, and alluvial processes all contributing to landscape change. When anthropogenic activities such as dam‐building affect fluvial processes, the complexity in local response can be further increased by flood‐ and sediment‐limiting flows. Understanding these complexities is key to predicting landscape behavior in drylands and has important scientific and management implications, including for studies related to paleoclimatology, landscape ecology evolution, and archaeological site context and preservation. Here we use multi‐temporal LiDAR surveys, local weather data, and geomorphological observations to identify trends in site change throughout the 446‐km‐long semi‐arid Colorado River corridor in Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA, where archaeological site degradation related to the effects of upstream dam operation is a concern. Using several site case studies, we show the range of landscape responses that might be expected from concomitant occurrence of dam‐controlled fluvial sand bar deposition, aeolian sand transport, and rainfall‐induced erosion. Empirical rainfall‐erosion threshold analyses coupled with a numerical rainfall–runoff–soil erosion model indicate that infiltration‐excess overland flow and gullying govern large‐scale (centimeter‐ to decimeter‐scale) landscape changes, but that aeolian deposition can in some cases mitigate gully erosion. Whereas threshold analyses identify the normalized rainfall intensity (defined as the ratio of rainfall intensity to hydraulic conductivity) as the primary factor governing hydrologic‐driven erosion, assessment of false positives and false negatives in the dataset highlight topographic slope as the next most important parameter governing site response. Analysis of 4+ years of high resolution (four‐minute) weather data and 75+ years of low resolution (daily) climate records indicates that dryland erosion is dependent on short‐term, storm‐driven rainfall intensity rather than cumulative rainfall, and that erosion can occur outside of wet seasons and even wet years. These results can apply to other similar semi‐arid landscapes where process complexity may not be fully understood. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA     

Enlargement and evolution of a semi‐alluvial creek in response to urbanization

The impact of urbanization on stream channels is of interest due to the growth of cities and the sensitivity of stream morphology and ecology to hydrologic change. Channel enlargement is a commonly observed effect and channel evolution models can help guide management efforts, but the models must be used in the proper geologic and climatic context. Semi‐alluvial channels characterized by a relatively thin alluvial layer over clay till and a convex channel profile in a temperate climate are not represented in currently available models. In this study we: (i) assess channel enlargement; and (ii) propose a channel evolution model for an urban semi‐alluvial creek in Toronto, Canada. The system is 90% developed with an imperviousness of approximately 47%. Channel enlargement is assessed by comparing 50 year old construction surveys, a recent survey of a relic channel, low‐precision surveys of channel change over a 15 year period, and high‐precision surveys over a three year period. The enlargement ratio of the channel since 1958 is 2.6, but could be as high 8.2 in comparison with the pre‐urban channel. When the increase in flow capacity is considered, the enlargement ratio is 1.9 since 1958 and up to 6.0 in comparison with the pre‐urban channel. Channel enlargement continues in the contemporary channel at an estimated rate of 0.23 m²/year. A five stage model is presented to describe channel evolution in the lower reaches. In this model the coarse lag material from glacial sources provides a natural resilience to the bed and incision occurs only after the increased flows from urbanization are combined with higher slopes as a result of channel straightening or avulsions. Further research should be done to assess stream behaviour close to an identified geologic control point. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of land‐use changes on hydrological processes in the middle basin of the Heihe River,northwest China

The effects of land‐use changes on the runoff process in the midstream plain of this arid inland river basin are a key factor in the rational allocation of water resources to the middle and lower reaches. The question is whether and by how much increasingly heavy land use impacts the hydrological processes in such an arid inland river basin. The catchment of the Heihe River, one of the largest inland rivers in the arid region of northwest China, was chosen to investigate the hydrological responses to land‐use change. Flow duration curves were used to detect trends and variations in runoff between the upper and lower reaches. Relationships among precipitation, upstream runoff, and hydrological variables were identified to distinguish the effects of climatic changes and upstream runoff changes on middle and downstream runoff processes. The quantitative relation between midstream cultivated land use and various parameters of downstream runoff processes were analysed using the four periods of land‐use data since 1956. The Volterra numerical function relation of the hydrological non‐linear system response was utilized to develop a multifactor hydrological response simulation model based on the three factors of precipitation, upstream runoff, and cultivated land area. The results showed that, since 1967, the medium‐ and high‐coverage natural grassland area in the midstream region has decreased by 80·1%, and the downstream runoff has declined by 27·32% due to the continuous expansion of the cultivated land area. The contribution of cultivated land expansion to the impact on the annual total runoff is 14–31%, on the annual, spring and winter base flow it is 44–75%, and on spring and winter discharge it is 23–64%. Once the water conservation plan dominated by land‐use structural adjustments is implemented over the next 5 years, the mean annual discharge in the lower reach could increase by 8·98% and the spring discharge by 26·28%. This will significantly alleviate the imbalance between water supply and demand in both its quantity and temporal distribution in the middle and lower reaches. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of the hydrology of the IBIS land surface model in a semi‐arid catchment

This paper evaluates the Integrated BIosphere Simulator (IBIS) land surface model using daily soil moisture data over a 3‐year period (2005–2007) at a semi‐arid site in southeastern Australia, the Stanley catchment, using the Monte Carlo generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) approach. The model was satisfactorily calibrated for both the surface 30 cm and full profile 90 cm. However, full‐profile calibration was not as good as that for the surface, which results from some deficiencies in the evapotranspiration component in IBIS. Relatively small differences in simulated soil moisture were associated with large discrepancies in the predictions of surface runoff, drainage and evapotranspiration. We conclude that while land surface schemes may be effective at simulating heat fluxes, they may be ineffective for prediction of hydrology unless the soil moisture is accurately estimated. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the soil moisture simulations were most sensitive to soil parameters, and the wilting point was the most identifiable parameter. Significant interactions existed between three soils parameters: porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity and Campbell ‘b’ exponent, so they could not be identified independent of each other. There were no significant differences in parameter sensitivity and interaction for different hydroclimatic years. Even though the data record contained a very dry year and another year with a very large rainfall event, this indicated that the soil model could be calibrated without the data needing to explore the extreme range of dry and wet conditions. IBIS was much less sensitive to vegetation parameters. The leaf area index (LAI) could affect the mean of daily soil moisture time series when LAI < 1, while the variance of the soil moisture time series was sensitive to LAI > 1. IBIS was insensitive to the Jackson rooting parameter, suggesting that the effect of the rooting depth distribution on predictions of hydrology was insignificant. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrograph separation using tracers and digital filters to quantify runoff components in a semi‐arid mesoscale catchment

Chemical hydrograph separation using electrical conductivity and digital filters is applied to quantify runoff components in the 1,640 km² semi‐arid Kaap River catchment and its subcatchments in South Africa. A rich data set of weekly to monthly water quality data ranging from 1978 to 2012 (450 to 940 samples per site) was analysed at 4 sampling locations in the catchment. The data were routinely collected by South Africa's national Department of Water and Sanitation, using standard sampling procedures. Chemical hydrograph separation using electrical conductivity (EC) as a tracer was used as reference and a recursive digital filter was then calibrated for the catchment. Results of the two‐component hydrograph separation indicate the dominance of baseflow in the low flow regime, with a contribution of about 90% of total flow; however, during the wet season, baseflow accounts for 50% of total flow. The digital filter parameters were very sensitive and required calibration, using chemical hydrograph separation as a reference. Calibrated baseflow estimates ranged from 40% of total flow at the catchment outlet to 70% in the tributaries. The study demonstrates that routinely monitored water quality data, especially EC, can be used as a meaningful tracer, which could also aid in the calibration of a digital filter method and reduce uncertainty of estimated flow components. This information enhances our understanding of how baseflow is generated and contributed to streamflow throughout the year, which can aid in quantification of environmental flows, as well as to better parameterize hydrological models used for water resources planning and management. Baseflow estimates can also be useful for groundwater and water quality management.