Assessment of environmental flows under limited data availability: case study of the Acheloos River,Greece

Abstract

The lower course of the Acheloos River is an important hydrosystem in Greece, heavily modified by a cascade of four hydropower dams upstream, which is now being extended by two more dams in the upper course. The design of the dams and hydropower facilities that are in operation has not considered any environmental criteria. However, in the last 50 years, numerous methodologies have been proposed to assess the negative impacts of such projects to both the abiotic and biotic environment, and to provide decision support towards establishing appropriate constraints on their operation, typically in terms of minimum flow requirements. In this study, seeking a more environmentally-friendly operation of the hydrosystem, we investigate the outflow policy from the most downstream dam, examining alternative environmental flow approaches. Accounting for data limitations, we recommend the basic flow method, which is parsimonious and suitable for Mediterranean rivers, whose flows exhibit strong variability across seasons. We also show that the wetted perimeter–discharge method, which is an elementary hydraulic approach, provides consistent results, even without using any flow data. Finally, we examine the adaptation of the proposed flow policy (including artificial flooding) to the real-time hydropower generation schedule, and the management of the resulting conflicts.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Guest editor M. Acreman

Citation Efstratiadis, A., Tegos, A., Varveris, A., and Koutsoyiannis, D., 2014. Assessment of environmental flows under limited data availability: case study of the Acheloos River, Greece. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (3–4), 731–750.     

Peak discharge increase in hyperconcentrated floods

The peak of river floods usually decreases in the downstream direction unless it is compensated by freshwater inflow from tributaries. In the Yellow River (China) the opposite is regularly observed, where the peak discharge of river floods increases in the downstream direction (at a rate far exceeding the contribution from tributaries). This flood peak discharge increase is probably related to rapid morphological changes, to a modified bed friction, or to a combination of both. Yet the relative role of these processes is still poorly understood. This paper aims to analyze the relative contribution of bed erosion and friction change to the peak discharge increase, based on available data and a recently developed numerical model. Using this high-resolution, fully coupled morphodynamic model of non-capacity sediment transport, two hyperconcentrated floods characterized by downstream peak discharge increase are numerically reproduced and analyzed in detail. The results reveal that although erosion effects may contribute to the downstream discharge increase (especially in case of extreme erosion), for most cases the increase must be mainly due to a reduction in bed friction during peak discharge conditions. Additionally, based on the concept of channel storage reduction, the effects of decreasing bed friction and (very strong) bed erosion can be integrated in explaining the peak discharge increase.     

泥浆在地层中的渗透特性试验研究

保持开挖孔（槽）的稳定性是泥浆在地下连续墙、钻孔灌注桩及泥水盾构工法等工程中最重要的作用,是通过泥浆在地层表面形成泥皮,使得泥浆压力平衡地层的土水压力实现的。其中,泥皮的形成是泥浆在地层中的渗透问题。为了探讨泥浆在地层中的渗透规律,采用多组性质不同的泥浆在多种渗透性不同的地层中开展泥浆在地层中的渗透试验,系统地展示了泥浆在地层中不同的渗透现象。渗透完成后泥浆颗粒在地层表面的堆积形态可以分为：泥皮型、泥皮+渗透带型、无泥皮或渗透带3种类型,并且泥浆在地层中的渗透曲线的类型与泥浆颗粒在地层表面的堆积形态的类型有一定的对应关系。泥浆在地层中的渗透试验过程中渗透流量的大小,不仅可以反映泥浆的渗透类型,还可以作为判断是否形成泥皮的标准。     

长江口悬沙浓度变化的同步性和差异性

近年来长江流域入海沙量呈现阶梯性减小趋势,三峡水库蓄水后加剧了这一减小趋势,并通过传递效应影响河口悬沙浓度变化。基于长江口1950-2013年悬沙浓度数据,结果表明：① 长江口南支河段及口外海域悬沙浓度为减小趋势,且越向海域减幅越小,同时与流域入海沙量减幅差距加大;② 北支优势流变化不大,但悬沙浓度为减小趋势,主要为南支和海域大环境悬沙浓度减小所致;③ 拦门沙河段悬沙浓度的峰值区域因径流减小、潮流相对增强,2003-2012年较1984-2002年期间峰值位置向口内上溯约1/6经度,上溯距离洪季 > 年均 > 枯季;④ 1999-2009年南槽进口悬沙浓度减小,主要是再悬浮和滩槽交换引起的悬沙浓度增量小于流域和海域悬沙浓度锐减引起的减量,中段该作用相反,悬沙浓度为增加趋势;⑤ 北槽进口由于分流分沙比减小、流域和海域悬沙浓度减小及再悬浮量减小等综合影响下,1999-2012年逐年的8月份悬沙浓度呈减小趋势,中段越堤沙量作用明显高于外部坏境引起的减小量,为增加趋势。     

Variations of bank shift rates along the Yinchuan Plain reach of the Yellow River and their influencing factors

It is important to examine the lateral shift rate variation of river banks in different periods. One of the challenges in this regard is how to obtain the shift rate of river banks, as gauging stations are deficient for the study of river reaches. The present study selected the Yinchuan Plain reach of the Yellow River with a length of 196 km as a case study, and searched each point of intersection of 153 cross-sections (interval between two adjacent cross-sections was 1.3 km) and river banks in 1975, 1990, 2010 and 2011, which were plotted according to remote sensing images in those years. Then the shift rates for the points of intersection during 1975–1990, 1990–2010 and 2010–2011 were calculated, as well as the average shift rates for different sections and different periods. The results show that the left bank of the river reach shifts mostly to the right, with the average shift rates being 36.5 m/a, 27.8 m/a and 61.5 m/a in the three periods, respectively. Contemporarily, the right bank shifts mostly to the right in the first period, while it shifts to the left in the second and third periods, with the average shift rates being 31.7 m/a, 23.1 m/a and 50.8 m/a in the three periods, respectively. The average shift rates for the left and right banks during the period 1975–2011 are 22.3 m/a and 14.8 m/a, respectively. The bank shift rates for sections A, B and C are different. The shift rate ratio of the left bank in the three sections is 1:7.6:4.6 for shift to the left and 1:1.7:3.8 for shift to the right, while that of the right bank is 1:1.8:1.2 for shift to the left and 1:5.6:17.7 for shift to the right during the period 1975–2011. Obviously, the average shift rate is the least in section A, while it is maximum in section B for shift to the left and in section C for shift to the right. The temporal variation of the shift rate is influenced by human activities, while the spatial variation is controlled by the local difference in bank materials.     

1954-2011年间珠江入海水沙通量变化的多尺度分析

基于高要（西江）、石角（北江）和博罗（东江）水文站1954-2011 年的连续径流量和输沙率资料,采用Mann-Kendall 非参数秩次检验和小波分析的方法,分析珠江流域的入海水沙通量变化特征。结果显示：（1）1954-2011 年珠江的入海径流量没有明显变化趋势,但输沙率呈明显下降趋势,其间不同阶段的变化趋势不同：1954-1983 年珠江水沙均处于增长阶段,该阶段气候变化和人类活动对输沙的贡献率分别是70%和30%;1984-1993 年珠江水沙通量呈先降后升（1989 年是转折点）波动阶段,主要与气候变化有关;1994-2011 年珠江的水沙通量均呈下降趋势;气候变化和人类活动对输沙率下降的贡献率分别是20%和80%。（2）龙滩水库蓄水后的2007-2011 年与2006 年以前相比,珠江年均入海径流量减少了14%,而年均入海输沙率是减幅达到70%。这一时期水库蓄水和水土保持对输沙率减少的贡献率达到90%以上;（3）珠江的水沙通量变化具有明显年代际周期和年际周期变化特征,且不同子流域的周期有所不同。例如西江的径流量主要存在24 年和13 年的年代际周期以及4~7 年的年际周期,而输沙率主要存在16 年左右和10 年左右的年代际周期和4~7 年的年际周期;北江径流量主要存在12 年左右年代际周期和2 年左右以及8 年左右的年际周期和和输沙率年代际周期主要13-16 年,而年际周期是4~7 年和2~3 年;东江的径流和输沙率主要存在12 年左右年代际周期和2 年左右以及6 年左右的年际周期。这些年代际和年际变化周期与珠江流域降雨量的变化周期有较好关联性。     

Northern Adriatic phytoplankton response to short Po River discharge pulses during summer stratified conditions

A 275‐km‐long transversel Northern Adriatic profile from the mouth of the Po River (Italian Adriatic coast) to the Kvarner region (Croatian coastal island area) was investigated in three successive case studies in August 2008, 2009 and 2010. The short Po River pulses in August result in the surface advection of riverine water, nutrients and phytoplankton from the western to the eastern side of the Adriatic. This surface spreading exhibits inter‐annual variability depending on the riverine discharge in the preceding period. The Po River discharge pulse in August 2010 in particular resulted in an extraordinary tongue‐like advection of riverine water, nutrients, and phytoplankton towards the Eastern Adriatic coast. The phenomenon was detected using both satellite imagery and classical oceanographic measurements. In the advective water, toxic dinoflagellates were most abundant in August 2010, when the influence of the Po was greatest.     

Spatio-temporal distribution of net-collected phytoplankton community and its response to marine exploitation in Xiangshan Bay

To explore the spatial-temporal distribution of the phytoplankton community and evaluate the combined effects of marine resource exploitation, net-collected phytoplankton and physical-chemical parameters were investigated in the Xiangshan Bay during the four seasons of 2010. A total of eight phyla, 97 genera, and 310 species were found, including 232 diatom species, 45 dinoflagellate species and 33 other taxa. The phytoplankton abundances presented a significant (P<0.001) seasonal difference with the average of 60.66×10⁴ cells/m³. Diatoms (mainly consisting of Coscinodiscus jonesianus, Cerataulina pelagica, Skeleto n ema costatum, and genus Chaetoceros) dominated the phytoplankton assemblage in all seasons. We found great spatio-temporal variation in community composition based on the multidimensional scaling and similarity analysis. Canonical correspondence analysis show that temperature, nutrition, illumination, and salinity were the main variables associated with microalgal assemblage. Compared with the previous studies, an increase in phytoplankton abundance and change in the dominant species coincided with increased exploitation activities in this bay (e.g. operation of coastal power plants, intensive mariculture, tidal flat reclamation, and industrial and agricultural development). The present findings suggest that the government should exercise caution when deciding upon developmental patterns in the sea-related economy.     

近50 a来新疆区域与天山典型流域极端洪水变化特征及其对气候变化的响应

以年极端洪水超标率来反映区域极端洪水, 分析了新疆区域极端洪水变化; 以年最大洪峰记录分析了天山山区主要河流极端洪水变化规律, 并用14站资料分析了天山山区气候变化特征, 讨论了天山主要河流极端洪水变化对区域气候变化的响应. 结果表明: 受气候变暖影响, 1957-2006年全疆极端洪水呈区域性加重趋势, 尤其南疆区域极端洪水明显加剧, 北疆区域也有加重趋势, 但相对较缓. 全疆及北疆、 南疆在20世纪90年代中期以来都处于洪水高发阶段. 近50 a来, 在新疆区域洪水呈加重趋势的变化背景下, 发源于天山南坡的托什干河和库玛拉克河年最大洪峰流量呈显著增加趋势, 发源于天山北坡的玛纳斯河与乌鲁木齐河年最大洪峰流量虽有增加, 但是变化趋势较缓. 以年最大洪峰流量发生转折年为界, 天山典型流域托什干河、 库玛拉克河、 玛纳斯河和乌鲁木齐河在20世纪90年代(或80年代)以来与前期相比, 呈现出相似的变化特征: 年最大洪峰流量明显增大, 年际间变化更加剧烈, 洪水年更频繁. 以年最大洪峰流量发生转折年份为界, 玛纳斯河、 托什干河和乌鲁木齐河后期的年最大洪峰集中日期较前期推迟2~9 d, 库玛拉克河却提前5 d. 玛纳斯河、 乌鲁木齐河和库玛拉克河后期的集中度较前期增加0.8%~8.3%, 托什干河减小1.1%. 1961-2010年, 新疆天山山区气温明显上升, 升温率为0.34 ℃·(10a)^-1, 1997年以后明显增暖; 天山山区降水显著增加, 增加速率15.6 mm·(10a)^-1, 同时极端降水强度增大、 频数增多. 近50 a来天山主要河流极端洪水变化与区域增温以及天山山区极端降水事件增多等有密切关系.     

高黏性铝土矿放矿流动性试验与微观力学研究

根据中铝洛阳铝矿实际情况,结合放矿力学理论、室内相似试验和离散元数值模拟技术,从宏观和微观两方面深入地研究了矿仓放矿机制以及影响矿石流动性的主要因素。颗粒流数值模拟再现了放矿过程中矿石颗粒间以及颗粒与仓壁间相互作用力的动态变化过程。根据研究结果,设计了一种全新的仓内悬垂式振动助流器,并进行了现场试验,取得了很好的助流效果。它不但很好地改善了矿石流动性,解决了困扰洛阳铝矿几十年的矿仓堵塞、卡斗、起拱问题,优化了矿石和仓壁间的力学关系,减小了仓壁所受的动态接触压力,而且也大幅提高了矿仓放矿效率及生产安全系数,降低了工人的劳动强度。