Variations in the effective and bankfull discharge for suspended sediment transport due to dam construction

A varied class method is applied to calculate the effective discharges and their variations after the Three Gorges Dam(TGD)construction based on the mean daily flow discharge and suspended sediment concentration field data from 1981 to 2016.For comparison,the bankfull discharges are also determined according to the cross-section profiles and flow discharge-stage relations.Our results show that a bimodal effective discharge curve usually exists at the fixed sites,which generates two effective discharges(Q_(e1) and Q_(e2))within the moderate flow range.Under the quasi-equilibrium circumstances of the pre-dam period,effective discharges are closely related to the mean annual runoff,with a narrow range of regional variations in occurrence frequency.Our analyses draw the conclusion that the relatively higher unsaturation degrees of the pre-dam effective discharges caused by dam interception and riverbed coarsening are the primary cause of the increase in effective discharges from Yichang to Shashi,while the more frequent low and medium discharges due to flow regulation drive the decrease in effective discharges from Jianli to Datong.The slightly elevated flood levels and descending bankfull levels collaboratively result in the decrease of bankfull discharges from Yichang to Shashi,while the lowered bed elevation causes the increase in bankfull discharges from Luoshan to Datong.Overall,the bankfull discharge in the Middle and Lower Yangtze River is larger than effective discharge and approaches the 1.5-year recurrence interval discharge.

Variation in reach-averaged bankfull discharge in the Yellow River Estuary in recent years

The Yellow River Estuary(YRE)alternatively experienced channel aggradation and degradation during the period 1990-2016.To study the variation in flood discharge capacity during the process of river bed evolution,bankfull characteristic parameters were investigated on the basis of measured hydrological data and surveyed cross-sectional profiles,which was crucial for comprehending the processes and the key factors to cause these rapid changes.A reach-averaged method was presented in this study in order to calculate the characteristic bankfull parameters in the YRE,and this method integrated the geometric mean using the logarithmic transformation with a weighted mean based on the distance between the two successive sections.The reach-averaged bankfull parameters in the tail reach of the Yellow River Estuary(the Lijin-Xihekou reach)during the period 1990-2016 were then calculated.Calculated results indicated that the adoption of a concept of reach-averaged bankfull discharge was much more representative than the cross-sectional bankfull discharge,and the results also indicated that bankfull discharges decreased during the process of channel aggradation,and increased during the process of channel degradation.Finally,an empirical formula and a delayed response function were established between the reach-averaged bankfull discharge and the previous 4-year average fluvial erosion intensity during flood seasons,and both of them were adopted to reproduce the reach-averaged bankfull discharges,and calculated results showed high correlations(R^(2)>0.8)of these two methods.

Downstream Decreasing Channel Capacity of a Monsoon-dominated Bengal Basin River: A Case Study of Dwarkeswar River, Eastern India

Downstream changes in channel morphology and flow over the ephemeral Dwarkeswar River in the western part of the Bengal Basin, eastren India were investigated. The river stretches from the Proterozoic Granite Gneiss Complex to the recent Holocene alluvium, forming three distinctive geomorphological regions across the river basin: the pediplane and upper and lower alluvial areas. Sixty cross-sections from throughout the main trunk stream were surveyed and the bankfull width, depth, cross-sectional area, and maximum depth were measured. Sediment samples from each location were studied and the flow velocity, stream power, Manning’s roughness coefficient, and shear stress were estimated. The results show that the bankfull channel cross-section area, width, width-to-depth ratio, and channel capacity increased between the beginning and middle of the river. Thereafter, the size of the river started to decrease in the lower alluvial area. This was characterized by gentle gradients, cohesive bank materials with grass cover, and channel switching. Within the lower part of the river, the channel capacity was observed to diminish as the drainage area increased. This increased the bankfull flow frequency and accelerated large floodwater losses in the floodplain via overbank flows and floodways.