Effects of a check dam system on the runoff generation and concentration processes of a catchment on the Loess Plateau

As an important soil and water conservation engineering measure,more than 100,000 check dams are constructed across the Loess Plateau;these dams play a vital role in reducing floods and sediment in the region.However,the effects of check dams on hydrologic process are still unclear,particularly when they are deployed as a system for watershed soil and water management.This study examined the watershed hydrologic process modulated by the check dam system in a typical Loess Plateau catchment.By simulating scenarios with various numbers of check dams using a distributed physically-based hydro-logical model,the effects of the number of check dams on runoff generation and concentration were analyzed for the study catchment.The results showed that the presence of check dams reduced the peak discharge and the flood volume and extended the flood duration;the reduction effect on peak discharge was most significant among the three factors.The system of check dams substantially decreased the runoff coefficient,and the runoff coefficient reduction rate was greater for rainstorms with shorter return periods than for rainstorms with longer return periods.The check dams increased the capacity of the catchment regulating and storing floods and extended the average runoff concentration time in the catchment that flattened the instantaneous unit hydrograph.This study reveals the influencing mech-anism of check dam system on the watershed hydrological process under heavy rainstorm conditions and provides a theoretical basis for evaluating the effects of numerous check dams on regional hydrology and water resources on the Loess Plateau.

Dynamic Modeling Framework of Sediment Trapped by Check-Dam Networks:A Case Study of a Typical Watershed on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Check-dam construction is an effective and widely used method for sediment trapping in the Yellow River Basin and other places over the world that are prone to severe soil erosion.Quantitative estimations of the dynamic sediment trapped by check dams are necessary for evaluating the effects of check dams and planning the construction of new ones.In this study,we propose a new framework,named soil and water assessment tool(SWAT)–dynamic check dam(DCDam),for modeling the sediment trapped by check dams dynamically,by integrating the widely utilized SWAT model and a newly developed module called DCDam.We then applied this framework to a typical loess watershed,the Yan River Basin,to assess the time-varying effects of check-dam networks over the past 60 years(1957–2016).The DCDam module generated a specific check-dam network to conceptualize the complex connections at each time step(monthly).In addition,the streamflow and sediment load simulated by using the SWAT model were employed to force the sediment routing in the check-dam network.The evaluation results revealed that the SWAT-DCDam framework performed satisfactorily,with an overestimation of 11.50%,in simulating sediment trapped by check dams,when compared with a field survey of the accumulated sediment deposition.For the Yan River Basin,our results indicated that the designed structural parameters of check dams have evolved over the past 60 years,with higher dams(37.14%and 9.22%increase for large dams and medium dams,respectively)but smaller controlled areas(46.03%and 10.56%decrease for large dams and medium dams,respectively)in recent years.Sediment retained by check dams contributed to approximately 15.00%of the total sediment load reduction in the Yan River during 1970–2016.Thus,our developed framework can be a promising tool for evaluating check-dam effects,and this study can provide valuable information and support to decision-making for soil and water conservation and check-dam planning and management.

Fast clogging problem of open check dams and a new type suggestion:curved footed type open check dam

Driftwood is one of the important physical components in mountainous rivers which causes severe hazards due to the clogging of bridges,culverts,and narrow sections during floods.Therefore,the understanding of driftwood dynamics and mitigation measures are crucial for managing wood in rivers.Open check dams are the most commonly used engineering measure for preventing driftwood from reaching downstream areas.Nevertheless,these open check dams frequently lose their sediment transport function when they are blocked by sediment and driftwood,especially during major flood events.This paper proposes a new type of open check dam for preventing from clogging.Thus,flume experiments were conducted to examine the influence of different types of open check dams on the characteristics of driftwood deposition.For the model with wood length(LWD)=16.5 cm,wood diameter(D)=15 mm,and wood number(N)=172,the highest trapping efficiency was observed with 90.1%and 87.2%retention rates for the classical debris flow breaker and curved footed open check dams,respectively.Laboratory tests showed that through this proposed design,woody debris blockage in a very short time was prevented from the accumulation of woods beside the dam.In addition to this,most of the sediment passed through the check dam and most of the driftwood got trapped.It can be briefly stated that the geometrical design of the structure plays an important role and can be chosen carefully to optimize trapping efficiency.By designing this type of open check dams in mountain river basins,it may provide a better understanding of the driftwood accumulation and basis for the optimal design of these structures.Further development of the solution proposed in this work can pave the way for designing different types of open check dams for effective flood management.

Check dam extraction from remote sensing images using deep learning and geospatial analysis:A case study in the Yanhe River Basin of the Loess Plateau,China

Check dams are widely used on the Loess Plateau in China to control soil and water losses,develop agricultural land,and improve watershed ecology.Detailed information on the number and spatial distribution of check dams is critical for quantitatively evaluating hydrological and ecological effects and planning the construction of new dams.Thus,this study developed a check dam detection framework for broad areas from high-resolution remote sensing images using an ensemble approach of deep learning and geospatial analysis.First,we made a sample dataset of check dams using GaoFen-2(GF-2)and Google Earth images.Next,we evaluated five popular deep-learning-based object detectors,including Faster R-CNN,You Only Look Once(version 3)(YOLOv3),Cascade R-CNN,YOLOX,and VarifocalNet(VFNet),to identify the best one for check dam detection.Finally,we analyzed the location characteristics of the check dams and used geographical constraints to optimize the detection results.Precision,recall,average precision at intersection over union(IoU)threshold of 0.50(AP_(50)),IoU threshold of 0.75(AP_(75)),and average value for 10 IoU thresholds ranging from 0.50-0.95 with a 0.05 step(AP_(50-95)),and inference time were used to evaluate model performance.All the five deep learning networks could identify check dams quickly and accurately,with AP_(50-95),AP_(50),and AP_(75)values higher than 60.0%,90.0%,and 70.0%,respectively,except for YOLOv3.The VFNet had the best performance,followed by YOLOX.The proposed framework was tested in the Yanhe River Basin and yielded promising results,with a recall rate of 87.0%for 521 check dams.Furthermore,the geographic analysis deleted about 50%of the false detection boxes,increasing the identification accuracy of check dams from 78.6%to 87.6%.Simultaneously,this framework recognized 568 recently constructed check dams and small check dams not recorded in the known check dam survey datasets.The extraction results will support efficient watershed management and guide future studies on soil erosion in the Loess Plateau.

Flood risk assessment of check dams in the Wangmaogou watershed on the Loess Plateau of China

Check dams have been widely used in China’s Loess Plateau region due to their effectiveness in erosion and flood control.However,the safety and stability of the check dam decrease with the operation process,which increases the probability of dam failure during flood events and threatens local residents’ life and property.Thus,this study simulated flood process of the check dam failure in the Wangmaogou watershed in Yulin City,Shaanxi Province,China,calculated different types of inundation losses based on the flood inundation area within the watershed,and determined the number of key flood protection check dams by classifying the flood risk levels of the check dams.The results showed that 5 dams in the watershed were subject to overtopping during different rainfall return periods,which was related to their flood discharge capacity.Dam failure flood process showed a rapid growth trend followed by slow decrease,and the time of flood peak advanced with increase in the return period.After harmonization of evaluation scales,the magnitude of flood inundation losses can be ranked as:economic losses(212.409 million yuan) > life losses(10.368 million yuan) > ecological losses(6.433 million yuan).The risk value for both individual dams and the whole dam system decreases as the return period increases.The number of key flood protection check dams in the Wangmaogou watershed was 2,3,3,3,4,and 5 for floods with return periods of 10,20,30,50,100,and 200 years,respectively.The results provided a theoretical basis for the safe operation and risk evaluation of check dams in the Loess Plateau Hills watershed.

Sediment sources and their impacts on a check dam-controlled watershed, Loess Plateau, China

Soil erosion is a major issue in Loess Plateau,China,and quantitative analyses of sediment sources are crucial for soil erosion control.In this study,a combination of flood couplet analysis and composite fingerprint identification was used for historical reconstructions of soil erosion in sediment source areas in Loess Plateau.Each flood couplet was constructed based on sediment 137Cs activity,and past soil erosion was calculated using soil bulk density and storage capacity curves.The contribution rates of the sediment sources were calculated using the fingerprinting method,and the amount of erosion in the sediment source areas was estimated.The best fingerprint combination(Cr,Ni,V,and TOC)enabled a 97.2%recognition of sediment sources from 29 flood events(1956–1990)in the Loess Plateau.The contribution rates of gullies,farmland,grassland,and shrubland were 44.89%,26.38%,10.49%,and 18.24%,respectively.These four land use types contributed 1,227,751,512,and 279 tons of sediments,respectively.Re-vegetation decreased soil erosion(1966–1983),whereas deforestation increased soil erosion(1956–1965 and 1984–1990).Rational soil and water conservation measures on slopes and check dam construction in gullies are therefore suggested to mitigate erosion.

淤地坝与check dam的差异及其英文译法

淤地坝是黄土高原重要水土流失治理工程措施,对减少入黄泥沙、增加耕地面积发挥了重要作用。关于淤地坝英文翻译,普遍采用check dam,然而其并不能真实反映黄土高原水土保持工程建设实际情况,因此,笔者从目的、功能、尺寸等方面,系统对比黄土高原淤地坝与国外check dam的差异。在此基础上,建议采用淤地坝汉语拼音“Yudiba dam”表达这类大量分布在黄土高原可在拦截泥沙、减少沟道侵蚀、增加耕地面积的水土保持工程措施,从而明确其与国外check dam的区分。

Failure mechanisms and risk mitigation of check dams on the Chinese Loess Plateau: A case study at the Gutun Gully

Loess is long-term aeolian dust deposition, characterized by loose structure, concentrated participle distribution and unstable mineral composition, and thus easy to cause extensive collapsibility and have general water sensitivity. To reveal the difference in water sensitivity between naturally intact(NI) loess and mechanically compacted(MC) loess used for the check dam, the transient water release and imbibition method(TRIM) was used to acquire the suction stress–expanded hydraulic characteristic curves for the NI and MC loess and explore possible approaches for formulating the potential of loess water sensitivity. Based on the Local Field of Safety(LFS) associated with slope stability, we constructed a finite element model of a check dam to depict its failure processes under different rainfall scenarios. The results revealed the strong water sensitivity in NI loess, while the MC loess retained a certain water-sensitive potential. This capacity depends on the ‘water sensitivity coefficient’ obtained from the suction-stress characteristic curve,which better presented the deformation potential of the two loess samples at different water content levels. In the context of LFS, we identified two failure patterns in the dam body that were involved in loess water sensitivity under hydromechanical conditions: rainfall erosion-induced shallow mudflow failure, and preferential-infiltration progressive failure. These patterns may provide new insights into dam-breakage mechanisms and potential chain effects of check dams on the Chinese Loess Plateau from the perspective of soil–water interactions, which is vital for predicting the position and timing of check dam failure, and mitigating risks.

Using Hydraulic Engineering Model Experiment to Study the Sediment Trapping Efficiency of Adjustable Check Dam

The construction of fully closed check dam (CD) is a conventional flood prevention mechanism implemented on rivers. Fully closed CDs trap large amounts of sediments in rivers to stabilize the river slopes and control erosion. However, fully closed CDs cannot selectively trap sediment and may easily overflow, causing them to losing their ability to mediate and hold sediments. Previous studies proposed the concept of “breathable CDs”. The researcher introduced metal slit dam (SD) that could be assembled and disassembled quickly and conveniently. Once a CD reaches maximum capacity, operators must ensure that the water channels of the dam are free from blockage. Moreover, they must inspect the internal accumulation conditions of the dam periodically or immediately following heavy typhoon rains. When necessary, either the sediment buildup in the upriver blockage must be cleared, or the transverse structure of the dam must be removed to allow fine particles to be discharged along with a moderate amount of water. These actions can free up the sediment-storing capacity of the dam for the next heavy typhoon rains. In addition, operators should also inspect the damages inflicted on the dam, such as erosion, wear and tear, and deformation conditions. Damaged components should be disassembled and repaired if possible, or recycled and reused. The present study performed channel tests to simulate closed CDs, SDs, steel pipe dam (SPDs), and steel pipe plus slit dam (SPSDs) for 50-year and 100-year frequency floods. Results were then analyzed to determine the sediment trapping (ST) effects of various CDs, the effects of “adjustable CDs”, and the changes of moderated riverbeds.

基于坝系相对稳定理论的韭园沟小流域高标准淤地坝坝系建设研究

高质量淤地坝建设是黄土高原水土保持高质量发展的重要工作内容之一,也是贯彻落实黄河流域生态保护和高质量发展重大国家战略的重要工作之一。介绍了1953年至今绥德水土保持科学试验站淤地坝试验和建设历程,以及坝系相对稳定理论的概念、内涵和坝系相对稳定系数的确定情况。以绥德站水土保持试验示范小流域——韭园沟小流域为例,进行坝系布局、淤地坝工程结构和坝系相对稳定分析,论证了要实现淤地坝高质量发展,实现坝系相对稳定是关键。

黄土高原梯田和淤地坝坡沟治理措施对产流产沙的协同效应

黄土高原地区的梯田和淤地坝措施发挥了重要的水土保持功能,然而现有的研究主要关注单个措施的减水减沙效应,对坡沟治理措施综合配置协同调控水沙过程的作用一直认识不清。因此,该研究为解析梯田和淤地坝措施对水沙过程的协同调控效应,构建了10个坡沟系统物理模型,设置了对照组(CO),单一措施组(梯田措施(T0),4种因淤地坝淤积导致坡沟区域的坡长缩短(L1、L2、L3和L4))和组合措施组(梯田与4种因淤地坝淤积导致坡沟区域的坡长缩短的综合配置(T1、T2、T3和T4)),进行降雨强度为90 mm/h的室内模拟降雨试验,量化不同试验方案下坡沟系统的产流产沙过程。结果表明:1)梯田措施和淤地坝淤积导致坡沟区域坡长缩短均有效调控了坡沟系统的产流产沙过程,梯田能分别减少46.30%~83.59%的径流总量和25.82%~82.41%的泥沙总量,淤地坝导致坡沟区域坡长缩短能分别减少7.87%~33.42%的径流总量和10.20%~30.57%的泥沙总量。2)不同试验方案下坡沟系统的产沙率和产流率之间满足线性关系,而累计产沙量和累计产流量满足幂函数关系。3)综合措施配置发挥了“1+1>2”的水土保持效益,其中协同效应随着坡沟区域坡长的减小而增加,对产流和产沙的协同效应均以坡长缩短4 m为最大,以缩短1 m为最小。研究结果可为黄土高原地区坡沟治理和科学配置防治措施提供理论参考和科技支撑。

淤地坝水毁灾害研究中的几个观念问题讨论

从系统理论的角度出发,给淤地坝的水毁灾害进行定义。对淤地坝水毁灾害的现状进行了总结,并将自然灾害中的两重性和共发性等基本概念引入淤地坝水毁的灾害研究中。认为从长时间尺度、大范围来看淤地坝的水毁并非是件坏事,这些概念的建立对于黄土丘陵沟壑区淤地坝的建设、淤地坝的水毁灾害研究、淤地坝水毁灾害的防治等都具有重要的意义。

黄土高原小流域淤地坝系统水收支过程的数值解析

黄土高原的淤地坝系统对各小流域水资源再分布发挥着重要的作用。为了分析淤地坝系统的年水收支过程,选取位于黄土高原北部六道沟流域的一座淤地坝系统为研究对象,基于实际的地理条件开发了该淤地坝系统水利计算模型。通过对观测地下水位数据的数值模拟,验证了模型的实用性。2006年的数值计算结果表明:地表径流量、蒸散发量、入渗量以及地下水流出量分别占淤地坝系统总来水量的36.0%、49.3%、11.6%及3.1%。由结果可知:淤地坝系统对水资源再分布的影响主要体现在减少地表径流,增加蒸发及入渗。研究为黄土高原北部淤地坝系统水文循环过程的研究提供了一种实用的数值计算方法。

韭园沟流域淤地坝坝系布局评价

淤地坝系的科学布局关系到流域的防洪安全,对淤地坝系布局进行评价,可以为流域坝系工程的规划、建设和设计工作提供理论依据。将黄土丘陵沟壑区韭园沟流域划分为1个主沟坝系单元和14个子坝系单元,选取了大型坝占总比、串联率、库容均衡度、稳定系数、侵蚀模数、洪量模数及保收率7个指标,采用AHP、IAHP、熵权法及组合权重法分别计算了各指标权重,依次对韭园沟坝系布局进行了评价。研究表明:(1)流域部分子坝系单元布局不合理,但全流域坝系布局合理;(2)IAHP法和组合权重法在计算权重时更客观,评价结果较为合理;(3)4种方法中,大型占总比权重系数均达到最大,表明骨干坝对坝系布局有决定性影响;(4)当骨干坝控制全流域50%以上,库容均衡度达0~20万m^3/km^2,稳定系数达到1/25~1/20,洪量模数0~10万m^3/km^2,骨干坝串联个数低于2.5座/km时,坝系布局基本合理。

黄土高原地区淤地坝坝系相对稳定研究

本文阐述了淤地坝坝系相对稳定的内涵和标准,在此基础上分析了天然聚湫和不同类型地区的坝系相对稳定系数,并初步探讨了不同类型地区洪量模数、土壤侵蚀模数和稳定系数的关联性,研究表明流域洪量模数、土壤侵蚀模数均与坝系稳定系数呈较好的线性关系,坝系相对稳定系数随流域洪量模数和土壤侵蚀系数的增大而增大。且以延安市淤地坝建设为例,分析研究了坝系相对稳定的骨干坝与中小型坝的配置比问题。

宁夏典型流域淤地坝系运行风险评价

病险坝会严重地威胁到人民生命和经济财产安全,因此淤地坝运行风险的识别和研究尤为重要。选取宁夏西吉县车路沟坝系为研究对象,分别提取并建立一套相对完整的单坝及坝系运行风险评价指标体系,结合改进层次分析法计算指标权重,对各坝7个暴雨重现期下的运行风险及坝系300年一遇情景下的运行风险进行了评价。结果表明:随着重现期的增加,车路沟、前咀骨干坝以及东庄湾中型坝的风险等级发生了不同程度的变化,需重点关注;当遭遇300年一遇暴雨时,西吉车路沟流域运行风险值由高到低依次是:王昭单元>前咀单元>流域坝系>大坪单元>盘路湾单元,各淤地坝单元以及流域坝系均处于运行安全状态。本研究整体上实现了单坝,淤地坝单元以及流域坝系的运行风险评价,为该地区的淤地坝安全预报预警提供一定的借鉴和参考。

建坝顺序对坝系拦沙效率影响的试验研究

模型试验是验证坝系规划方案可靠性的重要方法。该研究以黄土丘陵沟壑区典型小流域的降雨产沙条件为背景,采用模型试验的方法,对两种布坝顺序的拦沙效果进行了对比试验。模型和原型各降雨输沙要素之间的比例关系通过理论推导和试验率定相结合的手段确定。试验结果证实,在各淤地坝的坝址、坝高(或库容)、控制面积上的平均侵蚀模数等参数都确定的条件下,若按照先主后支、先下后上的方案布坝,则经历相同系列年的降雨以后,沟道坝系总的拦沙、淤地效益高,且有利于坝系实现相对稳定。

黄土洼古滑塌体引起的环境效应

滑塌是一种复合地质灾害,它改变地貌形态,并引起诸多环境效应。以陕北子洲县庞家沟黄土洼流域内的古滑塌体为研究对象,采用文献记载、野外调查、剖面分析等方法,对古滑塌体的形成原因、形态特征及其环境效应进行了分析。结果表明:黄土洼古滑塌体形成于1569年8月,是地震的次生灾害;古滑塌阻塞沟道,产生了侵蚀堆积地貌和堆积侵蚀地貌,塑造了平川地形,减轻了侵蚀强度;黄土洼天然坝淤地、后小滩沟和大嘴沟中,泥沙淤积后的沉积物中洪水旋回层具有"二元结构",其中"细淤泥层"对洪水具有指示作用;黄土洼天然坝淤地经过了440多年的淤积,其泥沙淤积最深厚度可达50 m,有效的阻止了水土流失,产生了积极的环境效应。研究结果为黄土洼古滑塌体的综合治理、天然坝系的保护和反演黄土高原近500年来沉积环境提供科学依据。

黄土高原丘陵沟壑区一副区小流域淤地坝系效益分析——以王茂沟小流域为例

淤地坝是水土保持治理的主要措施之一,特别是在水土流失最为严重的黄土丘陵沟壑区一副区,其效益更为突出。根据王茂沟流域淤地坝坝系的调查资料,分析了王茂沟流域坝系的蓄洪拦泥、增产、生态、社会效益。研究结果表明,黄土高原丘陵沟壑区的淤地坝坝系在防止沟道侵蚀、提高粮食产量、促进植被恢复及土地利用结构调整、促进农村产业结构调整、提高水资源利用率、便利交通、促进农村科技文化事业的发展等方面发挥着不可替代的作用。

黄土丘陵区淤地坝系对流域洪水过程影响与溃坝模拟

为科学认识黄土丘陵区淤地坝系对流域洪水过程的作用效果与溃坝洪水风险,本研究通过一维水动力模型MIKE 11和二维水动力模型MIKE 21耦合,模拟坝系连锁溃坝洪水过程。研究结果表明:①淤地坝系使流域出口洪峰、能峰和挟沙力分别减少75.76%、80.14%和92.47%;②淤地坝系一旦发生连锁溃坝,溃坝洪水洪峰是原始沟道洪水的3.35倍,增设溢洪道使连锁溃坝洪峰削减92.78%、坝前水深平均减小19.06%;③修建溢洪道使坝系连通,提高淤地坝系防洪能力,可将300年一遇洪水调控到10年一遇;④窄深式溢洪道能够更有效地调控坝系洪水过程,在溢洪道过水断面面积相同的情况下,随着溢洪道深度增加,流域出口洪峰流量逐渐减小。研究成果以期为黄土高原淤地坝系安全运行提供参考。