Classifying the flow regimes of Mediterranean streams using multivariate analysis

Rivers in the Mediterranean region often exhibit an intermittent character. An understanding and classification of the flow regimes of these rivers is needed, as flow patterns control both physicochemical and biological processes. This paper reports an attempt to classify flow regimes in Mediterranean rivers based on hydrological variables extracted from discharge time series. Long‐term discharge records from 60 rivers within the Mediterranean region were analysed in order to classify the streams into different flow regime groups. Hydrological indices (HIs) were derived for each stream and principal component analysis (PCA) and then applied to these indices to identify subsets of HIs describing the major sources of variations, while simultaneously minimizing redundancy. PCA was performed for two groups of streams (perennial and temporary) and for all streams combined. The results show that whereas perennial streams are mainly described by high‐flow indices, temporary streams are described by duration, variability and predictability indices. Agglomerative cluster analysis based on HIs identified six groups of rivers classified according to differences in intermittency and variability. A methodology allowing such a classification for ungauged catchments was also tested. Broad‐scale catchment characteristics based on digital elevation, climate, soil and land use data were derived for each long‐term station where these data were available. By using stepwise multiple regression analysis, statistically significant relationships were fitted, linking the three selected hydrological variables (mean annual number of zero‐flow days, predictability and flashiness) to the catchment characteristics. The method provides a means of simplifying the complexity of river systems and is thus useful for river basin management. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of physico-geographical factors and climate variability on flow intermittency in the rivers of water surplus zone

Climate change is inevitably altering the hydrological regime of water bodies. The interest in changing behaviour of intermittent rivers is increasing in many countries. This research was focused on intermittent rivers (rivers which naturally, periodically cease to flow) in Lithuania. The purpose of this research was to provide an overview of flow intermittency phenomena according to available data in a historical period and to evaluate the impact of catchment geographical features and climate variability on zero-flow events. The calculated indices of flow intermittency showed that the selected rivers had very different flow regimes. The threshold for the separation of typically intermittent rivers from only occasionally intermittent ones was suggested. Multiple linear regression analysis defined the crucial role of catchment size and watercourse slope on the river cessation process in Lithuania. The applied non-parametric Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test revealed the significance of the relationship between precipitation (in June–September) and zero-flow duration. Flow intermittency phenomena in Lithuanian rivers were linked to a low-frequency teleconnection pattern (SCAND index). A methodology of estimating the relation between river intermittency and large-scale atmospheric circulation pattern (based on SCAND index) was created. The generated regression equations between flow intermittency indices and catchment characteristics might be useful for the estimation of zero-flows in ungauged river catchments. The main aspect of future investigations might be related to forecasting flow intermittency using modern hydrological models and climate scenarios as well as the defined relationships between zero-flow indices and physico-geographical features of river catchments.     

Measuring ecological change of aquatic macrophytes in Mediterranean rivers

A metric was developed for assessing anthropogenic impacts on aquatic macrophyte ecology by scoring macrophyte species along the main gradient of community change. A measure of ecological quality was then calculated by Weighted Averaging (WA) of these species scores at a monitoring site, and comparison to a reference condition score. This metric was used to illustrate the difficulties of developing aquatic macrophyte indices based on indicator species in Mediterranean rivers. The response of the metric to a nutrient gradient was examined within two different river typologies: the national typology designed for the Water Framework Directive and a typology that segregates the environmental variables to produce maximum species similarity within a river type. Both typologies showed the strong north-south climatic divide in Portugal, with southern rivers having long periods without rainfall and often without flowing water in the summer. Overall, the metric responded well to nutrient impacts however it performed poorly in some southern lowland river types. This was thought to be due to low numbers of aquatic macrophytes in temporary rivers. Non-aquatic species that establish in the river channel of temporary rivers may have to be included in indices to improve performance. Also, simple Weighted Averaging (WA) metrics may be insensitive to abundance changes and loss of rarer indicators in lowland Mediterranean rivers. More sophisticated methods of using WA are suggested, as well as further research into developing assessment methods specific to the character of Mediterranean rivers.     

Flow intermittence controls leaf litter breakdown in a French temporary alluvial river: the “drying memory”

The inputs and breakdown of terrestrial leaf litter in streams is a fundamental ecological process that sustains in-stream foodwebs and secondary production. In temporary rivers, litter breakdown is reduced during dry phases, but the long-term effect of alternating drying and wetting cycles on litter breakdown is still poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that leaf litter breakdown (LLB) in temporary rivers is primarily controlled by flow permanence (the number of flowing days over a given period expressed in %), and that drying events affect LLB during leaf fall periods through reduction of microbial activity and the modification of aquatic invertebrate assemblages. LLB rates (k), microbial activity and invertebrate assemblages were determined in winter at ten cross-sections scattered along a flow permanence gradient on the temporary Albarine River, France. Results demonstrated that summer drying events affected the breakdown process for up to 6 months after flow has resumed in the river. LLB rates decreased exponentially with decreasing flow permanence, and with increasing drying event duration and frequency. These exponential relationships were observed for flow permanence variables calculated for the river for both 24-years and 1-year time periods prior to the experiment. A decrease in flow permanence from 100 to 85% led to a four-fold decrease in leaf litter breakdown rate. Microbial activity, which typically did not differ between cross-sections, failed to explain the between-cross-section differences in k. By contrast, invertebrate assemblages and, shredders, in particular, decreased exponentially with decreasing flow permanence and with increasing drying event duration and frequency.     

CHARACTERISTICS AND REGULATION OF WANDERING RIVERS

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Experimental study on the influence of river flow confluences on the open channel stage–discharge relationship

ABSTRACT

Accurate assessment of stage–discharge relationships in open channel flows is important to the design and management of hydraulic structures and engineering. Flow junctions commonly occur at the confluence of natural rivers or streams. The effect of flow junctions on the stage–discharge relationship at mountain river confluences was found by measuring velocity fields and water levels in experimental models. The results show that the backwater and accumulation–separation at flow junctions affect the flow structures and patterns in the channel; also, flow confluences may induce complex flow characteristics of backwater and flow separation at river junctions, indicating potential submerged flooding disasters within the confluence zone. The impacts of flow junctions on the stage–discharge relationship are investigated for two physical confluence models built from river confluence prototype systems in southwest China. The results show that the presence of tributary river inflows tends to increase the water level of the main river. This is important for flood control, flood-risk evaluation and engineering (e.g. hydropower station construction) in mountain rivers. Finally, a comparative quantitative analysis based on flow motion equations is conducted to evaluate the stage–discharge relationship in both uniform and regular confluence systems. The results indicate that more accurate prediction can be made when taking into account the flow non-uniformity induced by flow separation, backwater and distorted bed in the junction region.     

Ecohydrology and water resources management: a pilot study in Trinidad

Abstract

An area of rainforest in Trinidad (10°N, 61°W) is remarkably rich in biodiversity, and receives the highest amount of rainfall in the island due to its orography and the dominant northeast trade winds. However, a year-round transfer of water from its pristine rivers is likely in the future, with ecological consequences. The results of a pilot study are presented, based on a simple, and graphical, segment-scale multi-objective methodology for the estimation of the optimal instream flow of the 13 rivers in this area. This methodology is based on a dimensionless ecohydrological factor, Δ, which enables the required hydraulic mean depth at a river cross-section to be expressed in terms of the average species length at maturity for a target group of amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and reptiles. Moreover, the methodology considers the socio-economic cost of ecological degradation brought about by streamflow abstraction, as well as the economic benefit of the same. An example illustrates the estimation of optimal instream flow for a value of Δ and, thereby, the corresponding optimal river intake operating rule, based on the hydraulic characteristics of a 0.1 km segment of one of the rivers, for the 20-year average dry (January—May) and wet (June–December) seasons. The limitations of the pilot study, and areas for further research, are also highlighted with a hope that it will ultimately evolve into a decision-making tool for water resources management.     

Quantifying River‐Groundwater Interactions of New Zealand's Gravel‐Bed Rivers: The Wairau Plain

New Zealand's gravel‐bed rivers have deposited coarse, highly conductive gravel aquifers that are predominantly fed by river water. Managing their groundwater resources is challenging because the recharge mechanisms in these rivers are poorly understood and recharge rates are difficult to predict, particularly under a more variable future climate. To understand the river‐groundwater exchange processes in gravel‐bed rivers, we investigate the Wairau Plain Aquifer using a three‐dimensional groundwater flow model which was calibrated using targeted field observations, “soft” information from experts of the local water authority, parameter regularization techniques, and the model‐independent parameter estimation software PEST. The uncertainty of simulated river‐aquifer exchange flows, groundwater heads, spring flows, and mean transit times were evaluated using Null‐space Monte‐Carlo methods. Our analysis suggests that the river is hydraulically perched (losing) above the regional water table in its upper reaches and is gaining downstream where marine sediments overlay unconfined gravels. River recharge rates are on average 7.3 m³/s, but are highly dynamic in time and variable in space. Although the river discharge regularly hits 1000 m³/s, the net exchange flow rarely exceeds 12 m³/s and seems to be limited by the physical constraints of unit‐gradient flux under disconnected rivers. An important finding for the management of the aquifer is that changes in aquifer storage are mainly affected by the frequency and duration of low‐flow periods in the river. We hypothesize that the new insights into the river‐groundwater exchange mechanisms of the presented case study are transferable to other rivers with similar characteristics.     

The formation of an anabranching planform in a sandy floodplain by increased flows and sediment load

Anabranching rivers evolve in various geomorphic settings and various river planforms are present within these multi‐channel systems. In some cases, anabranches develop meandering patterns. Such river courses existed in Europe prior to intensive hydro‐technical works carried out during the last 250 years. Proglacial stream valleys, inherited from the last glaciation, provided a suitable environment for the development of anabranching rivers (wide valleys floors with abundant sand deposits). The main objective of the present study is to reconstruct the formation of an anabranching river planform characterized by meandering anabranches. Based on geophysical and geological data obtained from field research and a reconstruction of palaeodischarges, a model of the evolution of an anabranching river formed in a sandy floodplain is proposed. It is demonstrated that such a river system evolves from a meandering to an anabranching planform in periods of high flows that contribute to the formation of crevasse splays. The splay channels evolve then into new meandering flow paths that form ‘second‐order’ crevasses, avulsions and cutoffs. The efficiency of the flow is maintained by the formation of cutoffs and avulsions preventing the development of high sinuosity channels, and redirecting the flow to newly formed channels during maximum flow events. A comparison with other anabranching systems revealed that increased discharges and sediment loads are capable of forming anabranching planforms both in dryland and temperate climate zones. The sediment type available for transport, often inherited from older sedimentary environments, is an important variable determining whether the channel planform is anabranching, with actively migrating channels, or anastomosing, with stable, straight or sinuous branches. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling hydrological connectivity of tropical floodplain wetlands via a combined natural and artificial stream network

The ecological condition and biodiversity values of floodplain wetlands are highly dependent on the hydrological connectivity of wetlands to adjacent rivers. This paper describes a method for quantifying connectivity between floodplain wetlands and the main rivers in a wet tropical catchment of northern Australia. We used a one‐dimensional hydrodynamic model to simulate time‐varying water depths across the stream network (i.e. rivers, streams and man‐made drains). The timing and duration of connectivity of seven wetlands (four natural and three artificial) with the two main rivers in the catchment were then calculated for different hydrological conditions. Location and areal extent of the wetlands and the stream network were identified using high‐resolution laser altimetry, and these data formed key inputs to the hydrodynamic model. The model was calibrated using measured water depths and discharges across the floodplain. An algorithm was developed to identify contiguous water bodies at daily time steps, and this gave the temporal history of connection and disconnection between wetlands and the rivers. Simulation results show that connectivity of individual wetlands to both rivers varies from 26 to 365 days during an average hydrological condition. Location, especially proximity to a main river, and wetland type (natural stream or artificial drain) were identified as key factors influencing these levels of connectivity. Some natural wetlands maintain connection with the river for most or all of the year, whereas the connectivity of some artificial wetlands varies from 26 to 36 days according to their patterns of network connection to adjacent rivers – a result that has important implications for the accessibility of these types of wetland to aquatic biota. Using readily available river gauge data, we also show how connectivity modelling can be used to identify periods when connectivity has fallen below critical thresholds for fish movement. These connectivity patterns within the floodplain network are central to the setting of river flows that will meet environmental requirements for biota that use floodplain wetlands during their life history. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Meanders caused by hyperconcentrated water flow: An example from the loess plateau,China

This paper describes meandering alluvial rivers with mean annual suspended-sediment concentrations of more than 100 kgm^?3 on the Loess Plateau, China, and explains their formation as caused by the effect of hyperconcentrated water flow. When the river is dominated by hyperconcentrated flow, the rate of energy expenditure required for sediment transport declines significantly. Accordingly, the river channel adjusts itself to a lower channel gradient by increasing the river length, resulting in a meandering channel. Since the stable transportation of sediment by hyperconcentrated flow is dependent on river channel boundary conditions, the latter play an important role in the formation of meanders of this kind. The paper also discusses the conditions for the discrimination of meandering and braided rivers in this area.     

Improvement of surface run‐off in the hydrological model ParFlow by a scale‐consistent river parameterization

We propose an improvement of the overland‐flow parameterization in a distributed hydrological model, which uses a constant horizontal grid resolution and employs the kinematic wave approximation for both hillslope and river channel flow. The standard parameterization lacks any channel flow characteristics for rivers, which results in reduced river flow velocities for streams narrower than the horizontal grid resolution. Moreover, the surface areas, through which these wider model rivers may exchange water with the subsurface, are larger than the real river channels potentially leading to unrealistic vertical flows. We propose an approximation of the subscale channel flow by scaling Manning's roughness in the kinematic wave formulation via a relationship between river width and grid cell size, following a simplified version of the Barré de Saint‐Venant equations (Manning–Strickler equations). The too large exchange areas between model rivers and the subsurface are compensated by a grid resolution‐dependent scaling of the infiltration/exfiltration rate across river beds. We test both scaling approaches in the integrated hydrological model ParFlow. An empirical relation is used for estimating the true river width from the mean annual discharge. Our simulations show that the scaling of the roughness coefficient and the hydraulic conductivity effectively corrects overland flow velocities calculated on the coarse grid leading to a better representation of flood waves in the river channels.     

Inverse Modeling Approach to Allogenic Karst System Characterization

Allogenic karst systems function in a particular way that is influenced by the type of water infiltrating through river water losses, by karstification processes, and by water quality. Management of this system requires a good knowledge of its structure and functioning, for which a new methodology based on an inverse modeling approach appears to be well suited. This approach requires both spring and river inflow discharge measurements and a continuous record of chemical parameters in the river and at the spring. The inverse model calculates unit hydrographs and the impulse responses of fluxes from rainfall hydraulic head at the spring or rainfall flux data, the purpose of which is hydrograph separation. Hydrograph reconstruction is done using rainfall and river inflow data as model input and enables definition at each time step of the ratio of each component. Using chemical data, representing event and pre-event water, as input, it is possible to determine the origin of spring water (either fast flow through the epikarstic zone or slow flow through the saturated zone). This study made it possible to improve a conceptual model of allogenic karst system functioning. The methodology is used to study the Bas-Agly and the Cent Font karst systems, two allogenic karst systems in Southern France.     

Analysis of trends in annual streamflow to the Arctic Ocean

There is increasing interest in the magnitude of the flow of freshwater to the Arctic Ocean due to its impacts on the biogeophysical and socio‐economic systems in the north and its influence on global climate. This study examines freshwater flow based on a dataset of 72 rivers that either directly or indirectly contribute flow to the Arctic Ocean or reflect the hydrologic regime of areas contributing flow to the Arctic Ocean. Annual streamflow for the 72 rivers is categorized as to the nature and location of the contribution to the Arctic Ocean, and composite series of annual flows are determined for each category for the period 1975 to 2015. A trend analysis is then conducted for the annual discharge series assembled for each category. The results reveal a general increase in freshwater flow to the Arctic Ocean with this increase being more prominent from the Eurasian rivers than from the North American rivers. A comparison with trends obtained from an earlier study ending in 2000 indicates similar trend response from the Eurasian rivers, but dramatic differences from some of the North American rivers. A total annual discharge increase of 8.7 km³/y/y is found, with an annual discharge increase of 5.8 km³/y/y observed for the rivers directly flowing to the Arctic Ocean. The influence of annual or seasonal climate oscillation indices on annual discharge series is also assessed. Several river categories are found to have significant correlations with the Arctic Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation, or the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. However, no significant association with climate indices is found for the river categories leading to the largest freshwater contribution to the Arctic Ocean.     

Implications of channel processes for juvenile fish habitats in Alpine rivers

We adopt a multidisciplinary approach toward the quantitative assessment of juvenile fish habitats in Alpine rivers using analytical modeling. The study focuses on braided and single-thread channel configurations together with their associated hydrodynamic patterns. A distinct difference between flows in these channels is the number and spatial arrangement of recirculation zones. These are due to the separation of flow from the river banks and result in a higher retention of flow in braided channels. Braided channels were also shown to provide more favourable shelter and nursing conditions for fish larvae and juveniles by mitigating high velocities during floods, by maintaining relatively shallow areas of flow, and by significant adjustments in the thermal regime. A historical analysis revealed a significant reduction of braided reaches along Alpine rivers that have most likely led to a significant degradation of the fish fauna.     

The Huanghe (Yellow) River: Recent changes and its countermeasures

Since the 1960s a series of large reservoirs have been built in the upper and middle reaches of the Huanghe River. Changes caused by these reservoirs include a decrease in flood discharge and sediment load to the lower reaches and conversely, an increase of the silt concentration in the river water. This accumulation of silt in the river channel is a serious problem in the lower Huanghe River and has caused abnormal and distorted flow courses in the river bed. These effects include: shrinkage of the river channel, frequent dewatering (i.e., zero flow) in the river-mouth area, and hanging rivers (i.e., a river channel elevated above its floodplain). The zero-flow portion of the river has gradually extended upstream for nearly the entire 700 km of the lower reach. Utilization of the floodplains for agriculture and temporary villages has become a major problem. To counter these changes and situations, new measures, new methodology, and new thinking must be adapted incorporating results from the recent works on sediment transport and accumulation. Water conservancy works (dams, pumping stations, siphon-intakes, etc.) are typically used for adjustment of river water and sediment discharges and for irrigation and hydro-power generation. Recently, they are also being used to conduct tests using the reservoir water/sediment mix to flush out sediments deposited in the channel bed and transport the sediment to places where it is needed or into the Bohai Sea. Additionally, the future of the new deltaic sub-lobe in the Bohai Sea (developed in 1996) and the present estuary needs to be considered with respect to future development.     

Airborne Thermal Remote Sensing for Estimation of Groundwater Discharge to a River

Traditional methods for studying surface water and groundwater interactions have usually been limited to point measurements, such as geochemical sampling and seepage measurement. A new methodology is presented for quantifying groundwater discharge to a river, by using river surface temperature data obtained from airborne thermal infrared remote sensing technology. The Hot Spot Analysis toolkit in ArcGIS was used to calculate the percentage of groundwater discharge to a river relative to the total flow of the river. This methodology was evaluated in the midstream of the Heihe River in the arid and semiarid northwest China. The results show that the percentage of groundwater discharge relative to the total streamflow was as high as 28%, which is in good agreement with the results from previous geochemical studies. The data analysis methodology used in this study is based on the assumption that the river water is fully mixed except in the areas of extremely low flow velocity, which could lead to underestimation of the amount of groundwater discharge. Despite this limitation, this remote sensing‐based approach provides an efficient means of quantifying the surface water and groundwater interactions on a regional scale.     

Similarity of rivers and their systems

Similarity criteria of rivers and river systems are studied. Zonal and azonal indicators of their similarity are established. The role of river system patterns in the changes of hydrographic and hydrologic characteristic of rivers in the passage from river heads to mouths is considered. The efficiency of applying fractal and indication analyses to river systems is examined. The extent and the scale effect of changes in various characteristics of the flow-channel systems are shown to depend on changes in river orders. The fractal dimension and the scale effects of their changes are correlated. A universal relationship between river orders, on the one hand, and river drainage area and river network density, on the other hand, was established. The root-mean-square error of the obtained formula, evaluated based on data on 274 watersheds, was 0.27, enabling it to be used in hydrological calculations under various landscape conditions.     

Measuring and modeling vertical gradients in suspended sediments in the Solimões/Amazon River

Accurately measuring sediment flux in large rivers remains a challenge due to the spatial and temporal cross‐sectional variability of suspended sediment concentrations in conjunction with sampling procedures that fail to accurately quantify these differences. This study presents a field campaign methodology that can be used to improve the measurement of suspended sediment concentrations in the Amazon River or similarly large rivers. The turbidity signal and Rouse model are together used in this study to define the spatial distribution of suspended sediment concentrations in a river cross‐section, taking into account the different size fractions of the sediment. With this methodology, suspended sediment fluxes corresponding to each sediment class are defined with less uncertainty than with manual samples. This paper presents an application of this methodology during a field campaign at different gauging stations along a 3,000‐km stretch of the Solimões/Amazon River during low water and flood periods. Vertical concentration profiles and Rouse model applications for distinctive sediment sizes are explored to determine concentration gradients throughout a cross‐section of the river. The results show that coupling both turbidity technology and the Rouse model may improve our understanding of the spatial distribution of different sediments fractions sizes in the Solimões/Amazon River. These data are very useful in defining a pertinent monitoring strategy for suspended sediment concentrations in the challenging context of large rivers.     

Detecting multi-scale riverine topographic variability and its influence on Chinook salmon habitat selection

Quantifying geomorphic conditions that impact riverine ecosystems is critical in river management due to degraded riverine habitat, changing flow and thermal conditions, and increasing anthropogenic pressure. Geomorphic complexity at different scales directly impacts habitat heterogeneity and affects aquatic biodiversity resilience. Here we showed that the combination of continuous spatial survey at high resolution, topobathymetric light detection and ranging (LiDAR), and continuous wavelet analysis can help identify and characterize that complexity. We used a continuous wavelet analysis on 1-m resolution topobathymetry in three rivers in the Salmon River Basin, Idaho (USA), to identify different scales of topographic variability and the potential effects of this variability on salmonid redd site selection. On each river, wavelet scales characterized the topographic variability by portraying repeating patterns in the longitudinal profile. We found three major representative spatial wavelet scales of topographic variability in each river: a small wavelet scale associated with local morphology such as pools and riffles, a mid-wavelet scale that identified larger channel unit features, and a large wavelet scale related to valley-scale controls. The small wavelet scale was used to identify pools and riffles along the entire lengths of each river as well as areas with differing riffle-pool development. Areas along the rivers with high local topographic variability (high wavelet power) at all wavelet scales contained the largest features (i.e., deepest or longest pools) in the systems. By comparing the wavelet power for each wavelet scale to Chinook salmon redd locations, we found that higher small-scale wavelet power, which is related to pool-riffle topography, is important for redd site selection. The continuous wavelet methodology objectively identified scales of topographic variability present in these rivers, performed efficient channel-unit identification, and provided geomorphic assessment without laborious field surveys.