Estimating the sediment trap efficiency of intermittently dry reservoirs: lessons from the Kruger National Park,South Africa

The assessment of sediment yield from reservoir siltation requires knowledge of the reservoir's sediment trap efficiency (TE). Widely used approaches for the estimation of the long‐term mean TE rely on the ratio of the reservoir's storage capacity (C) to its catchment size (A) or mean annual inflow (I). These approaches have been developed from a limited number of reservoirs (N ≤ 40), most of them located in temperate climate regions. Their general applicability to reservoirs receiving highly variable runoff such as in semi‐arid areas has been questioned. Here, we examine the effect of ephemeral inflow on the TE of 10 small (≤ 280 × 10³ m³), intermittently dry reservoirs located in the Kruger National Park. Fieldwork was conducted to determine the storage capacity of the reservoir basins. The frequency and magnitude of spillage events was simulated with the daily time step Pitman rainfall–runoff model. Different runoff scenarios were established to cope with uncertainties arising from the lack of runoff records and imperfect input data. Scenarios for the relationship between water and sediment discharge were created based on sediment rating curves. Taking into account uncertainties in hydrological modelling, uncertainties of mean TE estimates, calculated from all scenarios (N = 9), are moderate, ranging from ±6 to ±11% at the 95% confidence level. By comparison, estimating TE from the storage capacity to catchment area (C/A) ratio induces high uncertainty (ranges of 35 to 65%), but this uncertainty can be confined (15 to 33%) when the latter approach is combined with hydrological modelling. Established methods relying on the storage capacity to mean annual inflow (C/I) ratio most probably lead to an overestimation of the TE for the investigated reservoirs. The approach presented here may be used instead to estimate the TE of small, intermittently dry reservoirs in semi‐arid climate regions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

MODELLING THE LONG-TERM COURSE OF NON-FLUSHED RESERVOIR SEDIMENTATION AND ESTIMATING THE LIFE OF DAMS

An analysis of hydrologic and geodetic data from numerous reservoirs lying in different climatic zones, has allowed the two main phases in filling the reservoir during its life to be distinguished, firstly silting of an originally deep reservoir, and secondly silting of a reservoir which has become shallow or initially was not deep. During the first phase, the reservoir plays a role as an accumulator of sediment, so that its trap efficiency for total mineral material is much reduced, and its trap efficiency for suspended load decreases to zero. This phase ends when the mean depth reaches a critical value which is specific for each reservoir. During the second phase, shallowing of the reservoir is much slower, and over short time periods it can play a role as a net exporter of sediment. A general model of reservoir sedimentation is proposed and is tested by data on the long-term and seasonal courses of siltation in selected reservoirs in the Vistula drainage basin, Poland. The rate of sedimentation is analysed for both phases of siltation, and the useful lifetime of a reservoir, which corresponds to the first phase of siltation, has been computed according to a methodology proposed.     

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…     

RESERVOIR CAPACITY DEPLETION ON ACCOUNT OF SEDIMENTATION

l 1NTRODUCTIONAs the sediment cAned by the river gets dePositOd in the reservoir, there is a pro gressive reduction in itscaPacity to hold water. For examPle the Zuni reservoir on river Zuni, a tributary of the little ColoradO atBlack rock, New Mexico, U.S.A., lost aboat 75% caPacity in just 20 years. Sindlary, just in l0 years theIchari reservoir on river Tons, a tribUtary of river Yamuna (Inda), reduced to about l5% of its originalcaPacity. Thus, at the planning stage, one must …     

Assessment of sediment yield estimations for large watershed areas: a case study for the Seyhan,Demirköprü and Hirfanlı reservoirs in Turkey

Abstract

Analyses of data from reservoir surveys and sediment rating curves are compared to predict sediment yield in three large reservoir watershed areas in Turkey. Sediment yield data were derived from reservoir sedimentation rates and suspended sediment measurements at gauging stations. The survey data were analysed to provide the volume estimates of sediment, the time-averaged sediment deposition rates, the long-term average annual loss rates in the reservoir storage capacity, and the long-term sediment yield of the corresponding watershed areas. Four regression methods, including linear and nonlinear cases, were applied to rating curves obtained from gauging stations. Application of the efficiency test to a power function form of a rating curve with nonlinear regression yielded the highest efficiency values. Based on the analysis of the sediment rating curves, sediment load fluxes were calculated by using average daily discharge data at each gauging station. Comparison of these two sediment yield values for each reservoir showed that the sediment yields from the suspended sediment measurements, SY_GS, are 0.99 to 3.54 times less than those obtained from the reservoir surveys, SY_RS. The results from the reservoir surveys indicate that all three reservoirs investigated have lost significant storage capacity due to high sedimentation rates.     

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．     

Variability of the useful life of reservoirs in tropical locations: A case study from the Burdekin Falls Dam,Australia

Large dam construction for irrigation, hydropower, water supply, and flood control in tropical to sub-tropical areas increased markedly after 1950. Many of the dams built during this period have filled with sediment and no longer perform to their original design specifications; in many cases, forecast dam life was greatly overestimated. This study investigates the useful life of Burdekin Falls Dam (BFD), northeastern Australia and compares the findings with other tropical reservoirs. Using two independent methods it is estimated that between 61 and 65 million m³ of sediment has been deposited in the reservoir over the 24 years of operation through 2011. This sediment volume equates to an average of 0.15% of capacity lost per year since construction was completed. If current sediment loads/climate regimes persist, reservoir capacity will be reduced by 50% after 345 years. However, the useful life of the BFD reduces to just 276 years when drawdown data are considered; these data show reservoir use would be affected once 40% of storage was filled with sediment, with a 60% drawdown return period of 1 in 15 years. When compared to similar large tropical to sub-tropical reservoirs, the BFD has a slightly longer reservoir useful life than dams in India and a much longer half-life than for both similar-sized and larger dams in China, Brazil, and Iran. Properties of the BFD that promote a longer useful life include a lower trap efficiency, relatively low annual sediment load delivered to the reservoir, limited sediment deposition behind the dam wall (and uniform distribution of deposited sediment), and the export of highly turbid annual floodwaters before settling and deposition of any remaining sediment within the reservoir.     

Incorporating inflow uncertainty into risk assessment for reservoir operation

An attempt of using stochastic hydrologic technique to assess the intrinsic risk of reservoir operation is made in this study. A stochastic simulation model for reservoir operation is developed. The model consists of three components: synthetic generation model for streamflow and sediment sequences, one-dimensional delta deposit model for sediment transport processes in reservoirs, and simulation model for reservoir operation. This kind of integrated simulation model can be used to simulate not only the inflow uncertainty of streamflow and sedimentation, but also the variation in operation rules of reservoirs. It is herein used for the risk assessment of a reservoir, and the simulation is performed for different operation scenarios. Simulation for the 100-year period of sediment transport and deposition in the river-reservoir system indicates that the navigation risk is much higher than that of hydropower generation or sediment deposition in the reservoir. The risk of sediment deposition at the river-section near the backwater profile is also high thereby the navigation at the river-segment near this profile takes high risk because of inadequate navigation depth.     

Prediction of Density Flow Plunging Depth in Dam Reservoirs: An Artificial Neural Network Approach

Experimental findings and observations indicate that plunging flow is related to the formation of bed load deposition in dam reservoirs. The sediment delta begins to form in the plunging region where the inflow river water meets the ambient reservoir water. Correct estimation of dam reservoir flow, plunging point, and plunging depth is crucial for dam reservoir sedimentation and water quality issues. In this study, artificial neural network (ANN), multi‐linear regression (MLR), and two‐dimensional hydrodynamic model approaches are used for modeling the plunging point and depth. A multi layer perceptron (MLP) is used as the ANN structure. A two‐dimensional model is adapted to simulate density plunging flow through a reservoir with a sloping bottom. In the model, nonlinear and unsteady continuity, momentum, energy, and k–ε turbulence equations are formulated in the Cartesian coordinates. Density flow parameters such as velocity, plunging points, and plunging depths are determined from the simulation and model results, and these are compared with previous experimental and model works. The results show that the ANN model forecasts are much closer to the experimental data than the MLR and mathematical model forecasts.     

Evaluation and modification of some empirical and semi-empirical approaches for prediction of area-storage capacity curves in reservoirs of dams

The storage capacity of reservoirs is gradually reduced due to sediment accumulation that causes changes in the area-storage capacity (ASC) curves.Establishing these curves and predicting their future change is an important issue for planners,designers and operators of dams.Many empirical and semiempirical approaches have been suggested for establishing and predicting the future changes for these curves.In this study four empirical and semi-empirical methods were evaluated and three of them were modified to be used for the prediction of changes in the ASC curves due to sedimentation,based on the existing sedimentation survey data for 11 reservoirs in the USK For evaluation,these approaches were reviewed and used to determine sedimentation depth and establishing the ASC curves for the Mosul dam reservoir (MDR),which is the biggest hydraulic structure on the River Tigris in northern Iraq.MDR started operating in 1986 with a storage capacity of 11.11 km3 and a water surface area 380 km2 at normal operation stage (330 m a.s.l.).The results obtained from these methods were evaluated using observed bathymetric survey data that had been collected in 2011 after 25 years of the operation of the dam.The evaluation results showed three methods had presented more accurate results for estimating water depth or sedimentation depth at dam site with percentage error about 1.06-3.30％.Whilst for establishing ASC curves,one method presented good agreement result with survey data.Furthermore,ASC and sedimentation depths at dam site of MDR for periods 50,75,100 and 125 years were estimated using the modified approaches and the area reduction method.The results of the modified methods provided reasonable agreement when compared with the area reduction method proposed by the U.S.Bureau of Reclamation and the agreement became better with an increase in time period.     

1999-2015年汛后小浪底水库典型支流口门淤积发展影响分析

支流作为水库综合效益发挥的重要组成部分,其河口泥沙大幅淤积会影响水库综合效益的发挥.选取多沙河流水库黄河小浪底库区畛水、石井两支流作为典型实例,在对1999-2015年汛后水库的来水来沙、水库调度、库区干支流淤积量与形态分析基础上,研究干支流淤积形态的变化,重点研究支流口门拦门沙坎抬升变化特征,结果表明：支流的分流及淤积与入库流量、含沙量及库区的淤积形态有关.入库流量越大,支流分流比小,支流淤积规模小;入库含沙量越大,支流分沙比越大,支流淤积规模越大.     

Forecasting sediment distribution in reservoirs during unstable conditions

A method for rapid estimation of slopes of deposited sediment in reservoirs during unstable conditions is presented. As the limiting factor determining sediment load in a reservoir is the sediment carrying capacity of a current flowing through a reservoir, it is arqued that the slope of deposited sediment must be a function of the latter. After deriving an equation relating sediment slope to stream power, the latter being regarded as representative of sediment carrying capacity, a comparison between calculated and observed sediment slopes for average annual conditions in two South African reservoirs are presented. Using this equation as basic guideline, a semi-empirical graph is then presented which relates sediment slope to a factor representing average stream power in reservoirs.     

A one‐dimensional process‐based approach to study reservoir sediment dynamics during management operations

A comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of erosion and sedimentation in reservoirs under different management conditions is required to anticipate sedimentation issues and implement effective sediment management strategies. This paper describes a unique approach combining fluvial geomorphology tools and morphodynamic modeling for analyzing the sediment dynamics of an elongated hydropower reservoir subjected to management operations: the Génissiat Reservoir on the Rhône River. Functional sub‐reaches representative of the reservoir morphodynamics were delineated by adapting natural river segmentation methods to elongated reservoirs. The segmentation revealed the link between the spatial and temporal reservoir changes and the variability of longitudinal flow conditions during reservoir management operations. An innovative modeling strategy, incorporating the reservoir segmentation into two sediment transport codes, was implemented to simulate the dynamics of erosion and sedimentation at the reach scale during historic events. One code used a bedload approach, based on the Exner equation with a transport capacity formula, and the other used a suspended load approach based on the advection–dispersion equation. This strategy provided a fair quantification of the dynamics of erosion and sedimentation at the reach scale during different management operations. This study showed that the reservoir morphodynamics is controlled by bedload transport in upper reaches, graded suspended load transport of sand in middle reaches and suspended load transport of fine sediments in lower reaches. Eventually, it allowed a better understanding of the impact of dam management on sediment dynamics. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prediction of sedimentation in reservoirs by combining catchment based model and stream based model with limited data

Estimation of sedimentation in reservoirs helps in the management and design of the reservoir's useful capacity. This research was done on the Awash River basin at the Koka Dam Reservoir in Ethiopia. The method applied was the loose integration of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT) model and Hydrologic Engineering Center-River Analysis System(HEC-RAS) model for the estimation of the sediment load reaching the reservoir. The SWAT model was used for the estimation of erosion at the catchment level,and the HEC-RAS model was applied to estimate the sediment transport in the river channel. The implemented method allows sedimentation in the floodplains and bed shear stress to be considered in the sediment modeling, which cannot be considered in the SWAT model. In addition, the river cross sectional properties and the hydrodynamic processes in the rivers were considered in the modeling process. The data used in this study are a combination of i) observed data collected by government agencies, ii) data available online in data repositories, and iii) data extracted from remote sensing in the Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission(SRTM) Digital Elevation Model(DEM). The calibration and validation of the SWAT model was done by using Sequential Uncertainty Fitting(SUIF-2) calibration and validation tools. The HEC-RAS model was calibrated by adjusting the roughness factor. The output from the integrated approaches gives better estimates of flow and sediment near the inlet to the reservoir, with coefficients of determination of 0.85 and 0.67, respectively, and Nash Sutcliffe coefficients of model fit efficiency of 0.90 and 0.62, respectively, for daily simulations.     

New proposed method for prediction of reservoir sedimentation distribution

Prediction of sediment distribution in reservoirs is an important issue for dam designers to determine the reservoir active storage capacity.Methods proposed to calculate sediment distribution are varied,and mainly empirical.Among all the methods currently available,only area-reduction and areaincrement methods are considered as the principal methods for prediction of sediment distribution.In this paper,data of 16 reservoirs in the United States are used to propose a new empirical method for prediction of sediment distribution in reservoirs.In the proposed method,reservoir sediment distribution is related to sediment volume and original reservoir characteristics.To validate the accuracy of the new proposed method,obtained results are compared with survey data for two reservoirs.The results of this investigation showed that the proposed method has an acceptable accuracy.     

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.     

Modeling uncertainties of reservoir flushing simulations

Every dam or barrage construction affects the watercourse and the retention of sediment that previously was carried by the river, which can lead to siltation of the reservoir and obstruction of water intakes over time, reducing their capacities. However, the information available regarding the effect of sediment and drawdown parameters, sediment management at reservoirs, as well as different equational approaches, is scarce. The current research aims to evaluate the effect of parameters associated with numerical modeling of sediment management in reservoirs considering scenarios with different drawdowns, transport equations, sediment size distributions, and thickness of the initial sediment layer. The case study of the Aimorés Hydropower Plant (HPP) is used, applying the Delft3D-FLOW model for two-dimensional modeling. All parameters influenced the volume of mobilized sediment, among which the initial layer thickness was the parameter that resulted in the greatest changes in simulated results. In general, the results show that the uncertainties in the input parameters outweigh the uncertainties between the techniques, which found large variations in results when evaluating the use of different transport equations. These results indicate the importance of proper estimation of model parameters for predicting effects with accuracy and the need for such studies before planning and management operations are evaluated to avoid environmental harm and energy waste.     

Historic and contemporary sediment transfer in an upland Pennine catchment,UK

A sediment budget for an upland catchment–reservoir system at Burnhope Reservoir, North Pennines, UK has been developed. This provides a framework for quantifying historic and contemporary sediment yields and drainage basin response to disturbance from climate change and human activities in the recent past. Bathymetric survey, core sampling, ¹³⁷Cs dating and aerial photographs have been used to assess sediment accumulation in the reservoir. The average reservoir sedimentation rate is 1·24 cm yr^?1 (annual sediment yield 33·3 t km^?2 yr^?1 ± 10%, trap efficiency 92%). Mean annual reservoir sedimentation over the 67 year period has been estimated at 592 t ± 10%. Inputs of suspended sediment from direct catchwater streams account for 54% of sediment supply to the budget (best estimate yield of 318 t yr^?1 ± 129%), while those from actively eroding reservoir shorelines contribute 328 t yr^?1 ± 92%. Sediment yield estimates from stream monitoring and reservoir sedimentation are an order of magnitude lower than those reported from South Pennine reservoirs of comparable drainage basin area. Analysis of historical rainfall series for the catchment shows fluctuations in winter and summer rainfall patterns over the past 62 years. From 1976 to 1998 there has been a diverging trend between winter and summer rainfall, with a large increase in winter and a gradual decrease in summer totals. Periods of maximum variation occur during the summer drought events of the late 1970s, early 1980s and mid‐1990s. Analysis of the particle size of core sediments highlights abrupt increases in sand‐sized particles in the top 20 cm of the core. Based on the ¹³⁷Cs chronology, these layers were deposited from the late 1970s onwards and relate to these diverging rainfall records and rapidly fluctuating reservoir levels. This provides evidence of potential sediment reworking within the reservoir by rapid water‐level rise after drought. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sediment settling in the Latian Dam in Iran

Among the difficulties that influence future dam operations,reservoir sedimentation is the most problematic for engineers.This study predicted the amount and pattern of sedimentation for use in estimation of the useful lifespan of reservoirs and identification of optimal locations for outlets and intakes at the initial stages of dam design.Hydrographic surveys of different dams can provide better insight into this phenomenon.Latian Dam in Iran has conducted hydrographic surveys during 7 time periods.The amount and process of sedimentation in this reservoir were determined,and predictions of distribution of sediments were validated by well-known,common methods.The formation of a delta in the reservoir was investigated for different time periods after operation.Future problems due to the impacts of sedimentation on dam operation and the useful lifespan of the reservoir were predicted.In addition,the study results may be used for developing empirical methods to predict sedimentation patterns in other reservoirs.     

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.