The changes in the lower Drava River water level, discharge and suspended sediment regime

Massive construction on the Drava River basin and on the river itself during the last centuries, as well as recent climate change and/or variability, has caused many different and possibly dangerous changes to its hydrological and ecological regime. Since 1975, numerous hydrotechnical works have been carried out on the 60-km long section of the Drava River from the Slovenian–Croatian border to the River Mura mouth. Three hydrotechnical power plants with three reservoirs and three long inlet and outlet canals have been built. Changes in water level, discharge and suspended sediment yield along the Drava River measured in Croatia, downstream of the three Croatian reservoirs, during the last 30–130 years are presented. The investigation focuses on changes that have occurred during the last thirty-odd years, caused by the anthropogenic influences on the Drava River watercourse and its catchment in Croatia and Hungary, and probably by climate change or variability. Methods of rescaled adjusted partial sums, statistical tests, as well as regression and correlation analyses are used to explain changes in water level, discharge and suspended sediment yield. There is evidence in the time series of decreases in the minimum, mean and maximum annual water levels, and minimum and mean discharges on the lower part of the Drava River. One of the main objectives of this study was to examine the effect of dams and reservoirs operation on the changes in the downstream suspended sediment regime. The amount of suspended sediment has been greatly reduced, which can cause serious consequences.     

长江流域水沙周期特征及可能影响原因

运用小波变换的方法研究了长江流域干流站(屏山站、宜昌站、大通站与汉口站)以及位于支流嘉陵江流域的北碚站近40年来月均流量与输沙率,研究认为:(1)水利工程(本文主要指水库)对下游河道输沙率的影响远远大于对流量的影响;(2)葛洲坝是低水头径流式发电站,对下游流量变化影响不大,虽然在建库初期对输沙率有一定影响,导致下游河床下切,但远未达到使输沙率固有的1年周期受到影响的程度;(3)三峡大坝的建设已经对下游输沙率产生严重影响,使其固有的1年周期消失,但三峡大坝下游河道输沙率对这种影响的响应与距三峡大坝的距离成反比,即愈往下游,输沙率受三峡大坝的影响愈小;(4)输沙率变化对水利工程影响的敏感程度受流域尺度的影响,流域尺度越大,其反应就愈迟钝,反之亦然。     

渭河上游水利水保措施的减水减沙效应分析

依据渭河上游实测水文资料和水利水保措施统计数据, 分析了流域水文要素和水利水保措施的变化规律。根据双累积曲线、 有序聚类、 Lee-Heghinan、 滑动T检验等方法, 结合流域内水利水保措施的变化, 将研究期分为基准期（1956 - 1981年）和措施期（1982 - 2016年）。采用水量平衡法, 分析还原了河流天然径流量和输沙量, 评价了水利工程取用耗水的减水减沙作用; 分别建立拟合了基准期和措施期年径流量、 年输沙量与年降水量的相关公式, 分析计算了措施期的减水减沙效应。结果表明： 基准期主要为水利工程减水减沙, 分别减水6.8%, 减沙3.9%; 措施期综合减水效应42.9%, 综合减沙效应76.5%, 水保措施减水减沙效应大于水利工程减水减沙效应, 综合减沙效应大于综合减水效应。     

Temporal and spatial variations in water discharge and sediment load in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi Rivers in Himalaya, India

The Alaknanda and Bhagirathi Rivers originate in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas (Garhwal) and result in high sediment yields causing flood hazards downstream of the Ganga River and high sediment flux to the Bay of Bengal. The rivers are perennial, since runoff in these rivers is controlled by both precipitation and glacial melt. In the present study, three locations in the upper reaches of the Ganga River were monitored for 1 yr (daily observations of, more than >1000 samples) for suspended sediment concentrations. In addition, more than one hundred samples were collected from various locations of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi Rivers at different periods to observe spatial and temporal variations in river suspensions. Further, multi-annual data (up to 40 yrs) of water flow and sediment concentrations were used for inferring the variations in water flow and sediment loads on longer time scales. In most previous studies of Himalayan Rivers, there has been a general lack of long term water flow and sediment load data. In the present study, we carried out high frequency sampling, considered long term discharge data and based on these information, discussed the temporal and spatial variations in water discharge and sediment loads in the rivers in the Himalayan region. The results show that, >75% of annual sediment loads are transported during the monsoon season (June through September). The annual physical weathering rates in the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi River basins at Devprayag are estimated to be 863 tons km⁻² yr⁻¹ (3.25 mm yr⁻¹) and 907 tons km⁻² yr⁻¹ (3.42 mm yr⁻¹) respectively, which are far in excess of the global average of 156 tons km⁻² yr⁻¹ (0.58 mm yr⁻¹).     

Assessment of precipitation and drought variability in the Weihe River Basin,China

The amount and distribution of precipitation play crucial roles in the occurrence of drought in the Weihe River Basin (WRB), China. Using the precipitation data (1960–2010) of 21 meteorological stations, the spatial and temporal characteristics of short-, medium-, and long-term droughts on 3-, 6-, and 12-month time scales, respectively, were examined using the theory of runs and the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). The trends of the drought characteristics were analyzed by a modified Mann-Kendall (MMK) test method. Furthermore, comparative analysis of the SPI at different time scales was conducted. The results showed that (1) the main drought type was moderate drought, which occurred frequently in July and October; (2) the drought intensity and frequency were highest in the 1990s, and the drought severity and drought duration in the northwest was more serious than that in the east; (3) an increasing trend of short droughts appeared mainly in the spring and fall; an increasing trend of medium droughts mainly occurred in the 1990s and that of long-term droughts were mainly presented in the northwest region of the WRB; (4) SPI-3 can better reflect precipitation in the current month, SPI-6 has an advantage in characterizing drought persistence, and SPI-12 performs well in capturing extraordinary droughts; and (5) it was also observed that there is a strong relation between the precipitation distribution and drought zones in the basin, and the drought conditions changed continuously with the seasons depending upon the amount and spatial distribution of precipitation .     

Characteristics analysis and model prediction of sea-salt water intrusion in lower reaches of the Weihe River,Shandong Province,China

Marine sedimentary strata are widely distributed in the coastal zone of the study area, and are rich in brine resources. The exploitation of underground water resources often first caused the intrusion of salt water in the marine strata. Based on the analysis of sea-salt water intrusion feature, the sea-salt water intrusion is divided into four stages: The occurrence and development stage(1976–1985), the rapid development stage(1986–1990), the slow development stage(1990–2000) and the stable development stage(2000–2015). Based on the comparative analysis of the relationship between seawater intrusion and influencing factors, this paper presents that the groundwater exploitation and the brine resources mining are the main control factors of sea-salt water intrusion. On this basis, we have established a numerical model of the sea-salt water intrusion. Using this model, we predicted the development trend of the sea-salt water intrusion. The results show that if the current development of groundwater and brine is maintained, the sea-salt water intrusion will gradually withdraw; once development of brine stops, sea-salt water will invade again. This provides the scientific basis for the rational exploitation of groundwater and the prevention of sea-salt water intrusion.     

渭河源区典型小流域水沙演变规律分析

根据渭河源区清源河典型小流域实测水文资料,分析了流域水文要素的年内和年际变化规律,流域降水、径流和泥沙主要集中在汛期,5-9月降水量占全年的78.5%,5-10月径流占全年的78.7%,5-8月输沙量占全年的88.9%。受上游修建水库、水土保持等人类活动的影响,流域汛期径流和泥沙1997-2013年比1980-1996年均减少了5.9%。流域面平均降水量、平均流量、平均输沙量年际变化不稳定,总体呈减少趋势,序列最大可能变异点分别为1995年、1994年和1997年。建立了流域年降水量与年径流深、次降水量P+Pa与次径流深相关模型,相关系数达到0.902和0.860。以年最大洪峰流量为参数,分别建立了流域年径流量与年输沙量、次径流量与次输沙量关系模型,相关系数达到0.835和0.917,公式模拟值与实测值接近,误差较小,可以作为以径流推算泥沙的重要依据。通过定性定量分析人类活动对流域径流、泥沙的影响程度,对区域抗旱防洪减灾、水资源管理、小流域治理及生态环境保护具有重要意义。     

Impact of human activity and climate change on suspended sediment load: the upper Yellow River, China

Fluvial suspended sediment has multi-fold environmental implications and the study of the variation in suspended sediment load (SSL) of rivers is important both in environmental earth sciences and in river environmental management. Based on data collected for the upper Yellow River of China in the past 50–60 years, the purpose of this study is to elucidate the impact of human activity and climate change on SSL, thereby to provide some knowledge for the improvement of the drainage basin management. The results show that the SSL of the upper Yellow River exhibited a remarkable decreasing trend. A number of reservoirs trapped a considerable amount of sediment, resulting in a reduction in SSL at Toudaoguai station, the most downstream station of the upper Yellow River. The analyses based on Mann–Kendall’U and double-mass plot indicate some turning points, which were caused by the Liujiaxia and Longyangxia Reservoirs, two major reservoirs on the upper Yellow River. The implementation of soil and water conservation measures reduced the runoff coefficient, and therefore, the intensity of soil erosion. The climate change also played a role in reducing sediment yield. The increase in air temperature enhanced the evapo-transpiration and reduced the runoff, by which the SSL decreased. The decreased frequency of sand-dust storms reduced the amount of wind-blown, sand and dust to the river reaches located in desert, also reducing the SSL. Seven influencing variables are selected to describe the changing human activity and climate. As some of the influencing variables are strongly inter-correlated, the principle component regression was used to establish the relationship between SSL and the influencing variables. The squared multiple correlation coefficient is R ² = 0.823. Some further research is suggested with the minerals and pollutants related with the SSL.     

Occurrence and hydrogeochemistry of fluoride in alluvial aquifer of Weihe River,China

Fluoride (F^?) has significant impacts on human health. High fluoride groundwater (up to 1.90 mg/L) has been found in upper confined aquifer underlying the first terrace of Weihe River during a hydrogeological investigation for water supply in 2005. To reveal the occurrence and hydrogeochemistry of high F^? groundwater, hydrogeochemical tools such as saturation index, ionic ratios and correlation analysis were used in this study. The study shows that the concentrations of most physiochemical parameters from phreatic water, influenced by intensive evaporation and anthropogenic activities such as unregulated sewage and excreta disposal and agricultural practices in the area, are higher than those of confined water. The F^? concentration in phreatic water is within the acceptable limits set by China and the World Health Organization (WHO), while that of upper confined water shows a decreasing trend northwestward as the Weihe River approaches, with F^? concentration in the first terrace beyond the national and the WHO standards. High F^? groundwater is observed in alkaline environment associated with high Na⁺, pH, HCO₃ ^? and low Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺. The enrichment of F^? is controlled by geologic and hydrogeological conditions, fluorine-bearing minerals presented in alluvial formations and their dissolution/precipitation under the alkaline environment along groundwater flow. Ion exchange, human activities and the mixing of different recharge waters may influence the enrichment of F^? as well.     

Suspended sediment dynamics and morphodynamics in the Yellow River, China

The Yellow River in China carries large amounts of sediments in suspension at concentrations up to several hundreds of kilograms per cubic metre; the sediment is composed mainly of silt. These high sediment concentrations influence the hydrodynamics (flow velocity and turbulence) which, in turn, determine the sediment concentration profile, whereas both the high sediment concentrations and pseudo-cohesive properties of silt determine the morphodynamics of the Yellow River. The effect of sediment on the hydrodynamics is analysed using the Richardson number and the Reynolds number to provide a framework to differentiate between various flow regimes in the Yellow River, which is calibrated and validated with Yellow River data. The flow may be sub-saturated (stable flow), super-saturated (unstable flow characterized by high deposition rates, caused by collapse of turbulence), or hyperconcentrated sub-saturated (stable flow because of hindered settling effects), depending on the Richardson number. Independent of this, the flow may be turbulent, transitional or laminar, depending on the Reynolds number. Analysis of these flow types improves understanding of the flow regimes and morphodynamics of the Yellow River. The morphodynamics of the Yellow River are also affected by pseudo-cohesive behaviour caused by shear dilatance, which results in increasing critical shear stress for erosion at decreasing grain-size. This pseudo-cohesive behaviour may be partly responsible not only for the high deposition rates which characterize the lower Yellow River, but also for mass erosion during river floods.     

水库拦沙对长江水沙态势变化的影响

为探讨水库建设对水沙变化态势的影响,通过引入来沙系数、输沙模数和流域水库调控系数,深入分析了长江水库拦沙对水沙态势变异的作用。长江干支流水沙参数与流域水库库容参数之间有重要关系,主要水文站年输沙量随流域累积库容增加而逐渐减少,来沙系数和输沙模数随流域水库调控系数成指数关系衰减,表明水库蓄水拦沙是长江水沙态势变异的主要因素。长江干支流输沙量衰减规律有一定差异,支流来沙系数和输沙模数衰减规律相对独立,而干流上游站衰减幅度大于下游水文站,且干流各站输沙模数的衰减规律比较接近。     

Temporal and spatial variations in water flow and sediment load in Narmada River Basin, India: natural and man-made factors

The Narmada River flows through the Deccan volcanics and transports water and sediments to the adjacent Arabian Sea. In a first-ever attempt, spatial and temporal (annual, seasonal, monthly and daily) variations in water discharge and sediment loads of Narmada River and its tributaries and the probable causes for these variations are discussed. The study has been carried out with data from twenty-two years of daily water discharge at nineteen locations and sediment concentrations data at fourteen locations in the entire Narmada River Basin. Water flow in the river is a major factor influencing sediment loads in the river. The monsoon season, which accounts for 85 to 95% of total annual rainfall in the basin, is the main source of water flow in the river. Almost 85 to 98% of annual sediment loads in the river are transported during the monsoon season (June to November). The average annual sediment flux to the Arabian Sea at Garudeshwar (farthest downstream location) is 34.29×10⁶ t year⁻¹ with a water discharge of 23.57 km³ year⁻¹. These numbers are the latest and revised estimates for Narmada River. Water flow in the river is influenced by rainfall, catchment area and groundwater inputs, whereas rainfall intensity, geology/soil characteristics of the catchment area and presence of reservoirs/dams play a major role in sediment discharge. The largest dam in the basin, namely Sardar Sarovar Dam, traps almost 60–80% of sediments carried by the river before it reaches the Arabian Sea.     

Natural radioactivity in sediment of Wei River,China

The concentrations of natural radionuclides in sediment of Wei River of China were measured using γ-ray spectrometry with the aim of estimating the radiation hazard as establishing a database for radioactivity levels of river sediment of China. The activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in sediment samples ranged from 10.4 to 39.9 Bq kg⁻¹, 15.3 to 54.8 Bq kg⁻¹ and 514.8 to 1,175.5 Bq kg⁻¹, respectively. The concentrations of these radionuclides were compared with the typical world values and the average activities of Chinese soil and Shaanxi soil. Radium equivalent activity (Ra_eq), external hazard index (H _ex) and representative level index (I _γr) were calculated for the samples to assess the radiation hazards arising due to the use of these sediment samples in the construction of dwellings. All the sediment samples have Ra_eq lower than the limit of 370 Bq kg⁻¹, H _ex less than unity and I _γr close to 1 Bq kg⁻¹. The overall mean outdoor terrestrial gamma dose rate is 64.8 nGy h⁻¹ and the corresponding outdoor annual effective dose is 0.079 mSv. None of the studied location is considered a radiological risk and sediment can be safely used in construction.     

Seasonal and spatial dynamics of trace elements in water and sediment from Pearl River Estuary, South China

In this study, spatial and seasonal dynamics of trace elements (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, As) in water and sediments were examined in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), South China. The spatial variations of all the studied trace elements in sediments show the general decrease pattern from northwest to southeast side of the PRE, suggesting that the main sources of these trace elements may originate from terrestrial (rock and soil) weathering and human activities (e.g. agricultural, industrial and municipal wastewaters) via riverine inputs. The dissolved Cu, Pb, Cd, As, and Zn in PRE ranged from 0.34 to 3.26, 0.19 to 4.58, 0.0015 to 0.30, 0.16 to 8.18, 3.74 to 36.10 μg/L, respectively. There are obvious seasonal changes of dissolved trace elements in the PRE aquatic system. The maximum seasonal averages of all the dissolved trace elements excluding Zn were observed in summer, whereas dissolved Zn showed the minimum in this season. The overall spatial pattern of all the dissolved trace elements excluding Zn demonstrates decreasing trends from inshore to offshore, and the highest concentrations of dissolved Cu, Cd, As, and Zn appeared in the western part of PRE or the mouths of Pearl River, suggesting strong riverine and anthropogenic local inputs. PCA and correlation analysis show that the geochemical behavior of dissolved Cu and As are complicated and the dynamics of these two elements are controlled by various physicochemical parameters, whereas physicochemical parameters might play a relatively small role in the distributions of other studied trace elements.     

Mercury and methylmercury in water and sediment of the Sacramento River Basin, California

Mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (CH₃Hg⁺) concentrations in streambed sediment and water were determined at 27 locations throughout the Sacramento River Basin, CA. Mercury in sediment was elevated at locations downstream of either Hg mining or Au mining activities where Hg was used in the recovery of Au. Methylmercury in sediment was highest (2.84 ng/g) at a location with the greatest wetland land cover, in spite of lower total Hg at that site relative to other river sites. Mercury in unfiltered water was measured at 4 locations on the Sacramento River and at tributaries draining the mining regions, as well as agricultural regions. The highest levels of Hg in unfiltered water (2248 ng/l) were measured at a site downstream of a historic Hg mining area, and the highest levels at all sites were measured in samples collected during high streamflow when the levels of suspended sediment were also elevated. Mercury in unfiltered water exceeded the current federal and state recommended criterion for protection of aquatic life (50 ng/l as total Hg in unfiltered water) only during high streamflow conditions. The highest loading of Hg to the San Francisco Bay system was attributed to sources within the Cache Creek watershed, which are downstream of historic Hg mines, and to an unknown source or sources to the mainstem of the Sacramento River upstream of historic Au mining regions. That unknown source is possibly associated with a volcanic deposit. Methylmercury concentrations also were dependent on season and hydrologic conditions. The highest levels (1.98 ng/l) in the Sacramento River, during the period of study, were measured during a major flood event. The reactivity of Hg in unfiltered water was assessed by measuring the amount available for reaction by a strong reducing agent. Although most Hg was found to be nonreactive, the highest reactivity (7.8% of the total Hg in water) was measured in the sample collected from the same site with high CH₃Hg⁺ in sediment, and during the time of year when that site was under continual flooded conditions. Although Hg concentrations in water downstream of the Hg mining operations were measured as high as 2248 ng/l during stormwater runoff events, the transported Hg was found to have a low potential for geochemical transformations, as indicated by the low reactivity to the reducing agent (0.0001% of the total), probably because most of the Hg in the unfiltered water sample was in the mercury sulfide form.     

Environmental changes after ecological water conveyance in the lower reaches of Heihe River,northwest China

This paper analyzed the dynamic change of the groundwater level by 6 years’ monitoring in field monitoring and the change of vegetation by the field survey and satellite remote sensing after watering in the lower reaches of Heihe River. The findings indicated: (1) the groundwater level elevation and the plant growth are closely related to the volume and the duration of watering. In general, groundwater level elevates dramatically and plants are growing much more vigorously after watering; (2) Watering incidence on groundwater keeps extending with the watering times increasing; (3) Plants grew rapidly in 100–400 m away from the water channel after watering. Watering incidence on vegetation reached 1,000 m; (4) In terms of the function and structure of ecosystem after watering in the lower reaches of Heihe River, the ecological water conveyance does not still reach the goal of ecological restoration at a large spatial scale at present. In addition, in order to solve fundamentally the problem of ecological environment worsens in the lower reaches of Heihe River, some suggestions and countermeasures are put forward.