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.     

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.…     

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.     

Experimental and numerical modelling of sedimentation in a rectangular shallow basin

Numerical simulation of flows in shallow reservoirs has to be checked for its consistency in predicting real flow conditions and sedimentation patterns. Typical flow patterns may exhibit flow separation at the inlet, accompanied by several recirculation and stagnation areas all over the reservoir surface. The aim of the present research project is to study the influence of the geometry of a reservoir on sediment transport and deposition numerically and experimentally, focusing on a prototype reservoir depth between 5 and 15 m as well as suspended sediment transport.
A series of numerical simulations is presented and compared with scaled laboratory experiments, with the objective of testing the sensitivity to different flow and sediment parameters and different turbulence closure schemes. Different scenarios are analyzed and a detailed comparison of preliminary laboratory tests and some selected simulations are presented.
The laboratory experiments show that suspended sediment transport and deposition are determined by the initial flow pattern and by the upstream and downstream boundary conditions. In the experiments, deposition in the rectangular basin systematically developed along the left bank, although inflow and outflow were positioned symmetrically along the centre of the basin. Three major horizontal eddies developed influencing the sediment deposition pattern. Although asymmetric flow patterns are privileged, a symmetric pattern can appear from time to time. This particular behaviour could also be reproduced by a two-dimensional depth-averaged flow and sediment transport model （CCHE2D）. The paper presents numerical simulations using different turbulence closure schemes （k-ε and eddy viscosity models）. In spite of the symmetric setup, these generally produced an asymmetric flow pattern that can easily switch sides depending on the assumptions made for the initial and boundary conditions. When using the laboratory experiment as a reference, the most reliable numerical results have been obtai     

Reducing uncertainty in stochastic streamflow generation and reservoir sizing by combining observed,reconstructed and projected streamflow

Reservoir sizing is one of the most important aspects of water resources engineering as the storage in a reservoir must be sufficient to supply water during extended droughts. Typically, observed streamflow is used to stochastically generate multiple realizations of streamflow to estimate the required storage based on the Sequent Peak Algorithm (SQP). The main limitation in this approach is that the parameters of the stochastic model are purely derived from the observed record (limited to less than 80 years of data) which does not have information related to prehistoric droughts. Further, reservoir sizing is typically estimated to meet future increase in water demand, and there is no guarantee that future streamflow over the planning period will be representative of past streamflow records. In this context, reconstructed streamflow records, usually estimated based on tree ring chronologies, provide better estimates of prehistoric droughts, and future streamflow records over the planning period could be obtained from general circulation models (GCMs) which provide 30 year near-term climate change projections. In this study, we developed paleo streamflow records and future streamflow records for 30 years are obtained by forcing the projected precipitation and temperature from the GCMs over a lumped watershed model. We propose combining observed, reconstructed and projected streamflows to generate synthetic streamflow records using a Bayesian framework that provides the posterior distribution of reservoir storage estimates. The performance of the Bayesian framework is compared to a traditional stochastic streamflow generation approach. Findings based on the split-sample validation show that the Bayesian approach yielded generated streamflow traces more representative of future streamflow conditions than the traditional stochastic approach thereby, reducing uncertainty on storage estimates corresponding to higher reliabilities. Potential strategies for improving future streamflow projections and its utility in reservoir sizing and capacity expansion projects are also discussed.     

Empirical approaches in prediction of reservoir sediment distribution——An experience of 57 reservoirs in the USA and India

An accurate prediction of sediment distribution may minimize economic losses through proper and timely planning of the functional activities of a reservoir.This study assesses different temporal and spatial factors that affect for sediment deposition in a reservoir and its distribution.This study also focuses on evaluation of two popular distribution prediction methodologies,Area Increment and Empirical Area Reduction,based on experience with sediment distribution in 57 reservoirs in the USA and India.A non-iterative processed empirical distribution model(NPEDM) and a linear regression trend model(LRTM) are proposed to predict sediment distribution.Silt contributing area and inflow entering a reservoir are found to be the most significant factors affecting in reservoir sediment deposition.Compared to the Empirical Area Reduction method,the Area Increment method provided better prediction.The reservoir classification approach and empirical design distribution type curves given by Borland and Miller(1960) are found to be rational.Shape factor values for different periods indicate that reservoir shape(type) changes with time.Thus,long term prediction is not desirable in Type-Ⅱ Ⅲ reservoirs using the Empirical Area Reduction method.Newly developed the NPEDM shows reasonably good prediction of sediment distribution.The NPEDM is very easy to apply and can be used in any reservoir of any size.Extrapolation of the trend of sediment distribution obtained from the LRTM indicates an accurate short term prediction in a few reservoirs as causes of temporal and spatial variations of sediment distribution including the factors of uncertainties of sediment deposition are implicit within the methodology.     

Numerical analysis of synthetic granulate deposition in a physical model study

The current study focuses on the application of a three-dimensional numerical model for the prediction of morphological bed changes. The sediment deposition in a reservoir during a 10-year-flood was investigated and the results of the simulation were validated with data derived from a physical model study. Because of the small grain sizes in the prototype, synthetic granulate was used in the physical model. The numerical computation domain was a reproduction of the physical model, including the grain sizes and the density of the particles, in order to ensure comparability. The CFD code SSIIM, which solves the RANS-equations in three-dimensions, was used for the simulations. The sediment transport in SSIIM is divided into suspended sediment transport, computed by solving the convection-diffusion equation, and bed-load transport, calculated by an empirical formula. The results of the numerical simulation correspond well to the results of the physical model study. The simulated location and the pattern of the sediment deposition in the reservoir are an accurate representation of the observed distribution in the physical model.     

Optimization of the Sefid-Roud Dam desiltation process using a sophisticated one-dimensional numerical model

Although water and soil conservation activities reduce reservoir sedimentation, it is inevitable that reservoirs fed by rivers transporting high amounts of sediment will experience sedimentation. The Ghezel-Ozan and Shah-Roud rivers, which flow to the Sefld-Roud reservoir dam, are both highly sediment-laden and transport significant amounts of sediment in both bed load and suspended load forms to the reservoir. Hence, it seems that the only practical way to remove the sediment from the reservoir is to flush it out using the Chasse method. In the present paper, field measurements of Chasse operation characteristics taken in previous years are presented, and a numerical model that simulates this process is introduced. After calibrating the model using field measured data, the calculated results （for reservoir pressure flushing and released sediment volume） of the numerical model were compared with other measured data for the same Chasse operation and the results agree well. Finally, using the numerical simulation results, the best approaches to ensure highly effective flushing while conserving reservoir water are presented （at least for the Sefid-Roud dam）. The operation of the bottom outlet gates, the shape of the output hydrograph, and the reservoir water level variation during flushing were optimized. In addition, the numerical model and related parameters, which need to be calibrated, are discussed.     

中国的水库泥沙淤积问题

由于我国有许多河流是含沙最高、输沙量大的多泥沙河流,水库泥沙淤积问题异常严重．主要表现在：淤积数量大,淤积速率快．据统计,截止到1981年底全国水库总淤积量达115×10~8m~3．占统计水库总库容的14．2％．年平均库容损失率达2．3％,高于世界各国．水库的严重淤积,不仅影响水库兴利效益的发挥,严重威胁水库的使用寿命,而且还造成一系列在进行水库规划时未曾充分估计到的环境问题．本文重点从河流水文泥沙特性、我国水库淤积问题的严重性、水库淤积引起的问题及水库防淤减淤措施等4个方面作一较全面的分析和探讨．     

Stochastic methods in hydraulics and hydrology of streamflow

Stochastic methods in hydraulics and hydrology of streamflow are presented. The hydraulics part consists of mechanics of streamflow and sediment transport. A technique presented herein enables one to analyze a limited amount of field data to determine the stochastic structure of irregular stream geometry so that cross-sections and slopes of a stream may be simulated wherever, or as many as, needed. It provides the rational basis of efficient use, interpolation, and extrapolation of field data of irregular stream geometry for any studies to understand and control transport processes in streams. Stochastic modelings of motion of a single sediment particle, either in suspension or on the stream bed, help in understanding the complex mechanism governing sediment transport and, hence, improving techniques for calculating the spatial distribution and transport rate of sediment. For practical applications, however, the technique combining the stochastic and deterministic methods should be most effective.In the hydrology part, Markov and non-Markov models are presented which may be used to simulate streamflow data. Markov models, which dominated stochastic hydrology in the past, have short memories and, therefore, cannot preserve or simulate long-term persistence characterizing physiscal streamflows. Non-Markov models which are currently being developed, and may or may not belong to the Brownian domain, have very long or infinite memories.This paper is dedicated to the idea of coupling the stochastic and deterministic methods in hydraulics and hydrology, so that the two methods may contribute their strengths while complementing each other for their weaknesses.     

Forecast-skill-based simulation of streamflow forecasts

Streamflow forecasts are updated periodically in real time, thereby facilitating forecast evolution. This study proposes a forecast-skill-based model of forecast evolution that is able to simulate dynamically updated streamflow forecasts. The proposed model applies stochastic models that deal with streamflow variability to generate streamflow scenarios, which represent cases without forecast skill of future streamflow. The model then employs a coefficient of prediction to determine forecast skill and to quantify the streamflow variability ratio explained by the forecast. By updating the coefficients of prediction periodically, the model efficiently captures the evolution of streamflow forecast. Simulated forecast uncertainty increases with increasing lead time; and simulated uncertainty during a specific future period decreases over time. We combine the statistical model with an optimization model and design a hypothetical case study of reservoir operation. The results indicate the significance of forecast skill in forecast-based reservoir operation. Shortage index reduces as forecast skill increases and ensemble forecast outperforms deterministic forecast at a similar forecast skill level. Moreover, an effective forecast horizon exists beyond which more forecast information does not contribute to reservoir operation and higher forecast skill results in longer effective forecast horizon. The results illustrate that the statistical model is efficient in simulating forecast evolution and facilitates analysis of forecast-based decision making.     

Modelling daily suspended sediment of rivers in Turkey using several data-driven techniques / Modélisation de la charge journalière en matières en suspension dans des rivières turques à l'aide de plusieurs techniques empiriques

Abstract

The transport of sediment load in rivers is important with respect to pollution, channel navigability, reservoir filling, longevity of hydroelectric equipment, fish habitat, river aesthetics and scientific interest. However, conventional sediment rating curves cannot estimate sediment load accurately. An adaptive neuro-fuzzy technique is investigated for its ability to improve the accuracy of the streamflow—suspended sediment rating curve for daily suspended sediment estimation. The daily streamflow and suspended sediment data for four stations in the Black Sea region of Turkey are used as case studies. A comparison is made between the estimates provided by the neuro-fuzzy model and those of the following models: radial basis neural network (RBNN), feed-forward neural network (FFNN), generalized regression neural network (GRNN), multi-linear regression (MLR) and sediment rating curve (SRC). Comparison of results reveals that the neuro-fuzzy model, in general, gives better estimates than the other techniques. Among the neural network techniques, the RBNN is found to perform better than the FFNN and GRNN.     

CATCHMENT-WIDE ANALYSIS OF THE SEDIMENT REGIME WITH RESPECT TO RESERVOIR SEDIMENTATION

1 INTRODUCTIONIn Anstria reservoirs are frequentiy multi-purpose schemes, being used for power generation, floodprotechon and for wate suPPly downstream. These reservoirs have some adVerse imPaCts on theenvironment around the reservoir and also on the dOwnstream pat:. in rivers with mean annual discharge above 30 m3ls about 36 % of the total length of l884 lQn isimpounded, and only 35% remains as free flowing sections (Muhar, l992),. flooding has been, and continues to be, a serious pr…     

MULTIOBJECTIVE PROGRAMMING MODEL FOR SEDIMENT SLUICING AND POWER GENERATION IN RESERVOIR OPERATION

I. INTRODUCTIONReservoir operation study in planning stage is an important task for the water resourcesdevelopment design. In the past. much attention has been paid to making the most ot' floodcontol. power generation, navigation. and water supply, but less to the unfavorable effectsdue to reservoir sedimentation. According to the survey of 425 reservoirs in Japan with a total storage capacity of 13.2 billion mJ a volume of 825 million m3 of sediment was depositedby the end of 1979. This…     

MITIGATION OF SEDIMENTATION HAZARDS DOWNSTREAM FROM RESERVOIRS

1 INTRODUCTION Increasing attention is being given to sedimentation hazards downstream from reservoirs as dams built during the past century accumulate progressively greater volumes of sediment. The sediment storage both decreases reservoir capacity and operating efficiency of the dam, and creates a 搒ediment-shadow?downstream where sediment-starved flows commonly erode channel boundaries and create long-term channel instabilities. Numerous studies have documented downstream channel change…     

Impacts of projected climate change on sediment yield and dredging costs

Changes in climate may significantly affect how sediment moves through watersheds into harbours and channels that are dredged for navigation or flood control. Here, we applied a hydrologic model driven by a large suite of climate change scenarios to simulate both historical and future sediment yield and transport in two large, adjacent watersheds in the Great Lakes region. Using historical dredging expenditure data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, we then developed a pair of statistical models that link sediment discharge from each river to dredging costs at the watershed outlet. Although both watersheds show similar slight decreases in streamflow and sediment yield in the near‐term, by Mid‐Century, they diverge substantially. Dredging costs are projected to change in opposite directions for the two watersheds; we estimate that future dredging costs will decline in the St. Joseph River by 8–16% by Mid‐Century but increase by 1–6% in the Maumee River. Our results show that the impacts of climate change on sediment yield and dredging may vary significantly by watershed even within a region and that agricultural practices will play a large role in determining future streamflow and sediment loads. We also show that there are large variations in responses across climate projections that cause significant uncertainty in sediment and dredging projections.     

Simulating streamflow on regulated rivers using characteristic reservoir storage patterns derived from synthetic remote sensing data

This study presents a method to estimate streamflow in rivers regulated by lakes or reservoirs using synthetic satellite remote sensing data. To illustrate the approach, the new reservoir routing method is integrated into the Hillslope River Routing model, and a case study is presented for the highly regulated river in the Cumberland River basin (46,400 km²). The study period is April–May 2000, which contains a significant flood event that occurred in 1–2 May 2000. The model is shown to capture storage/release characterises in eight reservoirs with a mean normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of 20% for entire simulation period and 27% for the May flood event. These errors are 69 and 75%, respectively, less than the NRMSE if reservoirs are not included in the model. Given the limitations of satellite missions, the impacts of the revisit cycles and operational periods are quantified. We used 26 observation sets of satellite altimetry over Cumberland River basin that are generated by considering both repeat cycles and satellite operation periods. For the revisit cycles, increasing the interval of repeat cycle leads to a corresponding increase of mean NRMSE from 27 to 59% as a result of sampling fewer flood events and smoothing of the change in storage signal as a result of longer intervals between visits. For the operation periods, the impact of data periods is limited because of the strong seasonal pattern of reservoir operations. Overall, the results suggest that the generalized routing model derived from reservoir stage observations can be used to simulate reservoir operating conditions, which can be used in forecasting hydrologic impacts of land cover or climate change. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

近20年来三峡水库泥沙淤积及其对库区的影响

泥沙问题是三峡工程建设与运行中的关键技术问题之一,只有妥善处理好泥沙问题,才能保证三峡工程长期有效使用,维持水库功能的全面发挥。本文首先结合实测水文、河道地形观测资料,对三峡水库运行近20年来的泥沙淤积特性及水库排沙比进行了较为全面的分析研究,并与已有研究成果进行了对比;其次,围绕防洪、航运以及坝前段的泥沙淤积等方面,进一步分析了水库淤积产生的影响。结果表明:三峡水库蓄水以来,在不考虑区间来沙的情况下,三峡水库共淤积泥沙20.484亿t,近似年均淤积1.102亿t,水库排沙比为23.6%,水库年均淤积量为原论证预测值的33%。其中,库区干流段累计淤积泥沙17.835亿m³(变动回水区冲刷0.694亿m³;常年回水区淤积18.529亿m³),淤积在水库防洪库容内的泥沙为1.648亿m³(干、支流分别淤积1.517亿m³和0.131亿m³),占水库防洪库容的0.74%,“十一五”攻关阶段研究得出的多年平均淤积量及排沙比较实测值均偏大,变动回水区冲淤则出现反向的...     

Comparative application of two mathematical models to predict sedimentation in Yermasoyia Reservoir,Cyprus

The Yermasoyia Reservoir is located northeast of the town of Limassol, Cyprus. The storage capacity of the reservoir is 13·6 × 10⁶ m³. The basin area of the Yermasoyia River, which feeds the reservoir, totals 122·5 km². This study aims to estimate the mean annual deposition amount in the reservoir, which originates from the corresponding basin. For the estimate of the mean annual sediment inflow into the reservoir, two mathematical models are used alternatively. Each model consists of three submodels: a rainfall‐runoff submodel, a soil erosion submodel and a sediment transport submodel for streams. In the first model, the potential evapotranspiration is estimated for the rainfall‐runoff submodel, and the soil erosion submodel of Schmidt and the sediment transport submodel of Yang are used. In the second model, the actual evapotranspiration is estimated for the rainfall‐runoff submodel, and the soil erosion submodel of Poesen and the sediment transport submodel of Van Rijn are used. The deposition amount in the reservoir is estimated by means of the diagram of Brune, which delivers the trap efficiency of the reservoir. Daily rainfall data from three rainfall stations, and daily values of air temperature, relative air humidity and sunlight hours from a meteorological station for four years (1986–89) were available. The computed annual runoff volumes and mean annual soil erosion rate are compared with the respective measurement data. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.