Temporal Variations of Water Discharge and Sediment Load of Huanghe River,China

Based on the data from gauging stations, the changes in water discharge and sediment load of the Huanghe （Yellow） River were analyzed by using the empirical mode decomposition （EMD） method. The results show that the periodic oscillation of water discharge and sediment load of the Huanghe River occurs at the interannual, decadal, and multi-decadal scales, caused by the periodic oscillations of precipitation, and E1 Nifio/Southern Oscillation （ENSO） af- fects water discharge by influencing precipitation distribution and contributes to periodic varations in precipitation and water discharge at interannual timescale. The water discharge and sediment load of the Huanghe River have decreased since the 1960s under the influence of precipitation and huamn activities, and human activities attribute more than precipitation to the reduction in the water discharge and sediment load, furthermore, water abstraction and water-soil conservation practices are the main causes of the decrease in water discharge and sediment load, respectively. The reduction in sediment load has directly impacted on the lower reaches of the Huanghe River and the river delta, causing considerable erosion of the river channel in the lower reaches since the 1970s along with River Delta changing siltation into erosion around 2000.

Daily and Monthly Suspended Sediment Load Predictions Using Wavelet Based Artificial Intelligence Approaches

In the current study, the efficiency of Wavelet-based Least Square Support Vector Machine （WLSSVM） model was examined for prediction of daily and monthly Suspended Sediment Load （SSL） of the Mississippi River. For this purpose, in the first step, SSL was predicted via ad hoc LSSVM and Artificial Neural Network （ANN） models; then, streamflow and SSL data were decomposed into sub- signals via wavelet, and these decomposed sub-time series were imposed to LSSVM and ANN to simulate discharge-SSL relationship. Finally, the ability of WLSSVM was compared with other models in multi- step-ahead SSL predictions. The results showed that in daily SSL prediction, LSSVM has better outcomes with Determination Coefficient （DC）=o.92 than ad hoc ANN with DC=o.88. However unlike daily SSL, in monthly modeling, ANN has a bit accurate upshot. WLSSVM and wavelet-based ANN （WANN） models showed same consequences in daily and different in monthly SSL predictions, and adding wavelet led to more accuracy of LSSVM and ANN. Furthermore, conjunction of wavelet to LSSVM and ANN evaluated via multi-step-ahead SSL predictions and, e.g., DCLssVM=0.4 was increased to the DCwLsSVM=0.71 in 7- day ahead SSL prediction. In addition, WLSSVM outperformed WANN by increment of time horizon prediction.

Sediment Load in Runoff Under Laboratory and Field Simulated Rainfall

Soil erosion is one of the most important problems in the Loess Plateau of China affectingsustainable agriculture. Near Luoyang (Henan Province, China), field plots were constructed tomeasure soil erosion rates under conventional tillage practices using field-simulated rainfall.Field rainfall experiments were carried out to compare previous results from laboratoryrainfall simulations on the same soil for interrill conditions. Although in the laboratoryexperiments, a strong correlation was found between the stream power of the runoff water andthe unit sediment load, this sediment transport equation overestimated the field rainfallsimulation results. Another sediment transport equation derived by Nearing et al. for rillerosion was in better agreement with the results of the field experiments, although it alsooverestimated these values. The measured sediment load values during the field rainfallsimulations were also lower than those found during field experiments on the same soil but witha loosened surface layer. This difference indicates the importance of soil physical conditionof surfce like soil structure and aggregate size, which may contribute to the discrepancybetween the field and laboratory experiment results.

Local vs. cross station simulation of suspended sediment load in successive hydrometric stations: heuristic modeling approach

The present paper aims at modeling suspended sediment load(SSL) using heuristic data driven methodologies, e.g. Gene Expression Programming(GEP) and Support Vector Machine(SVM) in three successive hydrometric stations of Housatonic River in U.S. The simulations were carried out through local and cross-station data management scenarios to investigate the interrelations between the SSL values of upstream/downstream stations. The available scenarios were applied to predict SSL values using GEP to obtain the best models. Then, the best models were predicted by SVM approach and the obtained results were compared with those of GEP. The comparison of the results revealed that the SVM technique is more capable than the GEP for modeling the SSL through the both local and cross-station data management strategies. Besides, local application seems to be better than cross-station application for modeling SSL. Nevertheless, the cross-station application demonstrated to be a valid methodology for simulating SSL, which would be of interest for the stations with lack of observational data. Also, the prediction capability of conventional Sediment Rating Curve(SRC) method was compared with those of GEPand SVM techniques. The obtained results revealed the superiority of GEP and SVM-based models over the traditional SRC technique in the studied stations.

Change in Sediment Load of the Yangtze River after Wenchuan Earthquake

On May 12, 2008, an earthquake of 8.0 magnitude on the Richter scale and its numerous aftershocks devastatingly hit Wenchuan County and its nearby region along the Longman Mountains in Sichuan Province, China. The heavy ruined area was up to 30,000km2 and 13% of its land surface was denuded by the extremely terrible quakes. The mountain collapses, landslides and debris flows induced by the earthquake not only scared the landscape at the immense scale, but also poured L66-billion-m3 sediment combined with offscourings and rubble into the Yangtze River and its breaches. This amount of sediments is 3 times more than the normal amount discharged into the Yangtze River, and will significantly increase sediment transportation of rivers and decrease storage capacities of reservoirs downstream. The dramatic increase in sediment load will imperil the engineering safety and impact the operation of the giant Three-Gorge Hydro-power Station if no proper prevention measures are taken.

Does reduced sediment load contribute to increased outbreaks of harmful algal blooms off the Changjiang Estuary?

Harmful algal blooms（HABs） have been increasingly frequent in coastal waters around the world over the last several decades. Accelerated coastal eutrophication, resulting from the increased anthropogenic loadings of nutrients, is commonly assumed to be the primary cause of this increase. However, although important,accelerated coastal eutrophication may not be the only explanation for the increasing blooms or toxic outbreaks in estuarine waters. Changes in riverine material fluxes other than nutrients, such as sediment load, may significantly affect biological activities and HAB incidence in estuarine and coastal waters. A case study off the Changjiang（Yangtze River） Estuary indicated that with the increasing riverine loadings of nutrients, the sediment load from the Changjiang River has been reduced by 70% over the past four decades. A comparison of long-term data revealed that the phytoplankton biomass maximum has expanded to a region of much lower salinity due to the drastic reduction in riverine sediment load and the subsequent improvement in light penetration in the Changjiang River plume. Furthermore, there was an apparent mirror-image relationship between the sediment load from the Changjiang River and the HAB incidence off the Changjiang Estuary over the past four decades, and the number of HAB incidents was significantly negatively correlated with the sediment load. Therefore, it is argued that the drastic decline in sediment load from the Changjiang River reduced turbidity in the Changjiang Estuary and thus contributed to the increased frequency of HABs in the buoyant discharge plumes.

Runoff and Sediment Load from the Right Bank Valleys of Mosul Dam Reservoir

Mosul Dam is a Multipurpose Project on the River Tigris in Iraq with 11.11 billion m3 storage capacity. It is used to store the water for irrigation, hydropower generation, and flood control. As in other dams in the world, this dam also have sedimentation problem. Sediment accumulation in its reservoir can effect the dam operation （pumping station, hydropower plants, and bottom outlets） and it will definitely shorten the life span of the dam. In this study, the SWAT （soil and water assessment tool） under （]IS （Geographical Information System） was applied to simulate the yearly surface rtmoff and sediment load for the main three valleys on the right bank of Mosul Dam Reservoir. The simulation considered for the twenty one years begin from the dam operation in 1988 to 2008. The resultant values of the average annual sediment load are 35.6~ 103, 4.9 ~ 103, and 2.2~ 103 ton, while the average values of sediment concentration are 1.73, 1.65, and 2.73 kg/m3 for the considered valleys one, two and three respectively. This implies that significant sediment load enters the reservoir from these valleys. To minimize the sediment load entering the reservoir, a check dam is to be constructed in suitable sites especially for valley one. The check dam can store the runoff water and trap the sediment load, and then the flow can be released to the reservoir.

Non-capacity transport of non-uniform bed load sediment in alluvial rivers

Rivers often witness non-uniform bed load sedim ent transport. For a long tim e, non-uniform bed load transport has been assum ed to be at capacity regime determined exclusively by local flow. Yet whether the capacity assumption for non-uniform bed load transport is justified remains poorly understood. Here, the relative time scale of non-uniform bed load transport is evaluated and non-capacity and capacity models are compared for both aggradation and degradation cases with observed data. As characterized by its relative time scale, the adaptation of non-uniform bed load to capacity regime should be fulfilled quickly. However, changes in the flow and sedim ent inputs from upstream or tributaries hinder the adaptation. Also, the adaptation to capacity regime is size dependent, the finer the sediment size the slower the adaptation is, and vice versa. It is shown that the capacity model may entail considerable errors compared to the non-capacity model. For modelling of non-uniform bed load, non-capacity modelling is recommended, in which the temporal and spatial scales required for adaptation are explicitly appreciated.

Determination of influential parameters for prediction of total sediment loads in mountain rivers using kernel-based approaches

It is important to have a reasonable estimation of sediment transport rate with respect to its significant role in the planning and management of water resources projects. The complicate nature of sediment transport in gravel-bed rivers causes inaccuracies of empirical formulas in the prediction of this phenomenon. Artificial intelligences as alternative approaches can provide solutions to such complex problems. The present study aimed at investigating the capability of kernel-based approaches in predicting total sediment loads and identification of influential parameters of total sediment transport. For this purpose, Gaussian process regression(GPR), Support vector machine(SVM) and kernel extreme learning machine(KELM) are applied to enhance the prediction level of total sediment loads in 19 mountain gravel-bed streams and rivers located in the United States. Several parameters based on two scenarios are investigated and consecutive predicted results are compared with some well-known formulas. Scenario 1 considers only hydraulic characteristics and on the other side, the second scenario was formed using hydraulic and sediment properties. The obtained results reveal that using the parameters of hydraulic conditions asinputs gives a good estimation of total sediment loads. Furthermore, it was revealed that KELM method with input parameters of Froude number(Fr), ratio of average velocity(V) to shear velocity(U*) and shields number(θ) yields a correlation coefficient(R) of 0.951, a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency(NSE) of 0.903 and root mean squared error(RMSE) of 0.021 and indicates superior results compared with other methods. Performing sensitivity analysis showed that the ratio of average velocity to shear flow velocity and the Froude number are the most effective parameters in predicting total sediment loads of gravel-bed rivers.

Sediment Load of Asian Rivers flowing into the Oceans and their Regional Variation

Study of the major Asian rivers discharge to the ocean reveals variations of their water discharges and sediment loads, and local characteristics of river sediment concentrations. On the basis of this, the Asian rivers fall into three regions, including Eurasia Arctic, East Asia, Southeast and South Asia Regions. The Eurasia Arctic Region is characterized by the lowest sediment concentration and load, while the East Asia Region is of the highest sediment concentration and higher sediment load, and the South-East and South Asia Region yields higher sediment concentration and highest sediment load.The sediment loads of these regions are mainly controlled by climate, geomorphology and tectonic activity. The Eurasia Arctic rivers with large basin areas and water discharge, drain low relief which consists of tundra sediment, thus causing the lowest sediment load. The East Asia rivers with small basin areas and lowest water discharges, drain extensive loess plateau, and transport most erodible loess material, which results in highest sediment concentration. The SE and South Asia rivers originating from the Tibet Plateau have large basin areas and the largest water discharges because of the Summer Monsoon and high rainfall influence, causing the highest sediment load.In Asia, tectonic motion of the Tibet Plateau plays an important role. Those large rivers originating from the Tibet Plateau transport about 50% of the world river sediment load to ocean annually, forming large estuaries and deltas, and consequently exerting a great influence on sedimentation in the coastal zone and shelves.

Applications of AnnAGNPS Model for Sediment and Nutrient Loadings for Funiu Mountain Area, China

The main goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of AnnAGNPS(Annualized AGricultural NonPoint Source)pollution model,in calculating runoff,sediment loading and nutrient loadings for Funiu Mountain area.Most of the model input parameters were sourced from Luanchuan Forest Ecology Station(LFES)in Funiu Mountain area.The data on 23 storms in 2018 was used to calibrate the model and the data on 33 storms in 2019 for validation.The whole evaluation consisted of determining the coefficient of determination(R^(2)),Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency(E),and the percentage volume error(VE).Results showed that the runoff volumes were underpredicted by 5.0%with R^(2) of 0.93(P<0.05)during calibration and underpredicted by 5.3%with R^(2) of 0.90(P<0.05)during validation.But sediment loading was able to produce a moderate result.The model underpredicted the daily sediment loading by 15.1%with R^(2) of 0.63(P<0.05)during calibration and 13.5%with R^(2) of 0.66(P<0.05)during validation.Nitrogen loading was overpredicted by 20.3%with R^(2)=0.68(P<0.05),and phosphorus loading performance was slightly poor with R^(2)=0.65(P<0.05)during validation.In general,the model performed well in simulating runoff compared to sediment loading and nutrient loadings.

Assessment of Sediment Load of Langtang River in Rasuwa District, Nepal

This paper assesses the sediment load of the glacier fed Langtang River, Nepal from April 2014 to March 2015. Water samples were collected from the centre of the river with a frequency of two samples per each sampling day using the Depth Integration Technique (DIT) on daily basis in the monsoon season, weekly in the pre- and post-monsoon seasons and bi-monthly in the winter season. Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) is calculated from the water samples using filtration followed by oven-drying, and a rating curve is used to calculate daily discharge of the Langtang River. The annual sediment yield is 109,276.75 tons and 37.69, 11.52 and 5.54 tons of sediment is transported per day in the pre-monsoon, post-monsoon and winter seasons, respectively. There is a very high value of 872.86 tons per day in the monsoon season, which contributes the highest sediment load among all of the seasons comprising 83% of the total sediment transport. Diurnal cycle of sediment discharge is clearly seen with higher sediment discharge during the evening than the morning and reaching maximum values of 41.1 kg·s-1 and 61.5 kg·s-1, respectively. A clock-wise hysteresis loop has been obtained for discharge and sediment discharge where sediment flux is higher in the early monsoon than in the late monsoon for a corresponding discharge.

Impact of the Iron Gates on the Sediments with an Emphasis on the Area of the Future Belene Nuclear Power Plant

The present investigation has been fulfilled with a view to the future nuclear power station constriction near the Belene Island.Sediment loads and sediment transportation are important factors for the technical water supply of the nuclear station Belene.The paper deals with change of suspended sediment load at Bulgarian part of the Danube River downstream of the Iron Gates.Recent data on suspended sediment loads for the hydrometric gauge station at Svishtov have been collected,computed and presented.The results obtained discover the time variability of the sediment loads,climate change and the anthropogenic impact on the suspended sediments.The tendency of alteration and inter-annual variability of the suspended sediments are investigated and characteristics of average annual,monthly and maximal values are shown.In the material archive granulometric data are presented for this part of the Bulgarian stretch before the Iron Gates construction in the conditions of the natural sediment regime.There are statistical parameters of the studied characteristics of the river turbidity and discharge before and after the anthropogenic impact.The increase of the absolute minimal turbidity has been determined after the Iron Gate I as a result of activation of the bed processes and hydro-morphological changes.

Sediment-Loading Processes in a Forested Catchment: Modeling and Observations

In order to investigate sediment-loading processes in a catchment, the daily time series of river discharge and sediment load were applied to a semi-distributed model, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The time series of discharge and sediment load were obtained by monitoring the river stage and water turbidity of the Oikamanai River, Hokkaido, Japan, in the rainfall season (April-November) of 2011-2014. The catchment is forested (ca 90% area) but underlain by the Neogene sedimentary rocks with currently active faults and forest soils with tephra layers, which tend to frequently produce slope failure such as landslide and bank collapse by rainfall or snowmelt. The water turbidity, T, in ppm was converted into suspended sediment concentration, SSC, in g/L by applying the linear relationship between T and SSC. The acquisition of the time series of discharge, Q (m3/s) and sediment load, L (=Q·SSC in g/s) of the river allowed us to distinguish the fluvial sediment transport, accompanied by slope failure in the upstream, from that under no slope failure. The SWAT was used to simulate soil erosion and identify the region prone to the soil erosion in the Oikamanai River basin. The model’s results showed a satisfactory agreement between daily observed and simulated sediment load as indicated by the high Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency. This evidences that the upper mountainous region of the catchment provides a main sediment source, accompanied by slope failure.

Influence of Tea Plantations, Forest and Mixed Farming on Stream Flow and Sediment Loads, Case of Sondu Miriu River Basin, Kenya

The changing patterns of land cover and land use in the tropical river basin over time are critical. The hydrological phenomena at basin and sub basin scale are affected positively or negatively by dynamics of the land cover and land use patterns. Hence identifying causes and driving factors aid in taking appropriate measures to avert the impacts. This study determined the influences of sub basins dominated by tea plantations, forests and agricultural land uses in terms of streamflow and sediment flux variability in Sondu Miriu River Basin in Kenya, East Africa. Field-based investigations were conducted through sampling of flow velocities, turbidity and TSSC obtained from existing River Gauging Stations established within the three sub basins. The sub basin dominated by mixed farming land cover exhibits high turbidity approximately 620 NTU and high levels of total suspended sediment concentration (TSSC) of the order of 630 mg/l in wet seasons. The turbidity levels and TSSC were low in sub basins dominated by forest and tea plantations with approximately mean value of 17 - 29 NTU and 0.019 g/l. The sediment loads in sub basin dominated by mixed farming in the pre planting season in January to February were about 900 tonnes/day higher than that in crop growing season. In sub basins dominated by forest cover and tea plantations, sediment loads were low ranging between 2 - 7 tonnes/day. The relationship between stream flows and area under tea plantations, forests and mixed farming ranged between R2 of 0.025 and 0.16. Tea plantations and forests influence the stream flows and sediment yields in long term duration while in mixed farming variations were observed seasonally. The strong relationships between rainfall and stream flows at the sub basins ranging between R2 of 0.84 and 0.97 revealed the significance of rainfall in hydrologic response of the Sondu Miriu River Basin.

Development of All-Weather and Real-Time Bottom-Mounted Monitor of Bed Load Quantity

Quantity of bed load is an important physical parameter in sediment transport research. Aiming at the difficulties in the bed load measurement, this paper develops a bottom-mounted monitor to measure the bed load transport rate by adopting the sedimentation pit method and resolving such key problems as weighing and desilting, which can achieve long-time, all-weather and real-time telemeasurement of the bed load transport rate of plain rivers, estuaries and coasts. Both laboratory and field tests show that this monitor is reasonable in design, stable in properties and convenient in measurement, and it can be used to monitor the bed load transport rate in practical projects.

Erosion Rates in Dam Catchments in Jordan—Effects of Topography, Geology, and Urbanizations

Erosion as a natural process produces soils, which are very important natural resources for the fest land plant- and animal kingdoms. Loss of the soil cover reduces agricultural production, biodiversity, and the role of soil as a filter for infiltrating water to replenish the groundwater. It also threatens the food supplies. The knowledge of erosion rates of rocks and terrains is important for developing proactive measures to protect soils from erosion and loss. In this study, erosion rates of catchment areas were calculated based on dams’ catchment extensions and the sediment loads transported by flood flows into dams’ lakes. The study results show that the chemically, via floodwater, transported quantities of materials are negligible compared to the solid materials transported by the water. It calculates erosion rates ranging from 0.013 to 0.212 mm/yr (13 - 212 m/106 yr) for the different catchment areas. Erosion rates in Jordan are, generally, higher than those calculated for the different parts of the world ranging from 2.5 to 60 m/106 yr. This fact can be explained by the very steep topography, calcareous rock cover of the catchment areas and the barren rock exposures.

Response of delta sedimentary system to variation of water and sediment in the Yellow River over past six decades

In order to find out the variation process of water-sediment and its effect on the Yellow River Delta, the water discharge and sediment load at Lijin from 1950 to 2007 and the decrease of water discharge and sediment load in the Yellow River Basin caused by human disturbances were analyzed by means of statistics. It was shown that the water discharge and sediment load into the sea were decreasing from 1950 to 2007 with serious fluctuation. The human activities were the main cause for decrease of water discharge and sediment load into the sea. From 1950 to 2005, the average annual reduction of water discharge and sediment load by means of water-soil conservation practices were 2.02×10^9 m^3 and 3.41×10^8 t respectively, and the average annual volume by water abstraction for industry and agriculture were 2.52×10^10 m^3 and 2.42×10^8 t respectively. The average sediment trapped by Sanmenxia Reservoir was 1.45×10^8 t from 1960 to 2007, and the average sediment retention of Xiaolangdi Reservoir was 2.398×10^8t from 1997 to 2007. Compared to the data records at Huanyuankou, the water discharge and sediment load into the sea decreased with siltation in the lower reaches and increased with scouring in the lower reaches. The coastline near river mouth extended and the delta area increased when the ratio of accumulative sediment load and accumulative water discharge into the sea （SSCT） is 25.4-26.0 kg/m^3 in different time periods. However, the sharp decrease of water discharge and sediment load into the sea in recent years, especially the Yellow River into the sea at Qing 8, the entire Yellow River Delta has turned into erosion from siltation, and the time for a reversal of the state was about 1997.

Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Surface Runoff and Sediment Yield in the Little Ruaha River Catchment

Little Ruaha River catchment (6370 Km2) in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT), is one of the country’s most significant waterways due to its ecological composition and economic value. Regardless of its ecological and economical value, the regional hydrologic condition has been tremendously affected due to land uses alteration, influenced by different socio-economic factors. This study aimed to understand the associated impacts of the present Land Use Land Cover (LULC) change on the surface runoff and sediment yield in the Little Ruaha River Catchment. Hydrological modelling using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT Model) was done to quantify the impact of land use and land cover dynamics on catchment water balance and sediment loads. The calibration and validation of the SWAT model were performed using sequential uncertainty fitting (SUFI-2). The results showed that, for the given LULC change, the average annual surface runoff increased by 2.78 mm while average annual total sediment loading increased by 3.56 t/ha, the average annual base flow decreased by 2.68 mm, ground water shallow aquifer recharge decreased from 2.97 mm and a slight decrease in average annual ground water deep aquifer recharge by 0.14 mm. The model predicts that in the future, there will be a further increase in both surface runoff and sediment load. Such changes, increased runoff generation and sediment yield with decreased base flow have implications on the sustenance flow regimes particularly the observed reduced dry season river flow of the Little Ruaha River, which in turn cause adverse impacts to the biotic component of the ecosystem, reduced water storage and energy production at Mtera Hydroelectrical dam also increasing the chances of flooding at some times of the year. The study recommends land use planning at the village level, and conservation agricultural practices to ameliorate the current situation. Developing multidisciplinary approaches for integrated catchment management is the key to the sustainability of Little Ruaha River catchment.

Recent changing patterns of the Changjiang(Yangtze River) Estuary caused by human activities

To evaluate the controlling factors for coastline change of the Changjiang（Yangtze River） Estuary since 1974,we extracted the mean high tide line from multi-temporal remote sensing images that span from 1974 to 2014 at 2-year intervals.We chose 42 scenes to constrain the changing pattern of the Changjiang Estuary coastline,and implemented GIS technology to analyze the area change of the Changjiang（Yangtze） Subaerial Delta.Runoff,sediment discharge and coastal engineering were withal considered in the analysis of the coastline changes.The coastline has transgressed seaward since 1974,and a part of it presents inter-annual variations.The area of the Changjiang Subaerial Delta increased by 871 km2,with a net accretion rate of 21.8 km2/a.Based on the change of sediment discharge due to the major projects in the Changjiang River Basin,we divided the changing pattern of the coastline into three stages：the slow accretion stage（1974–1986）,the moderate accretion stage（1987–2002）,and the rapid accretion stage（2003–2014）.Liner regression analysis illustrated that there is a significantly positive correlation between the area changes and sediment discharge in the Chongming Eastern Shoal and Jiuduansha.This suggested that sediment load has a fundamental effect on the evolution of the Changjiang Estuary.Construction of Deep Waterway in the North Passage of the Changjiang River（1998–2010） led to a rapid accretion in the Hengsha Eastern Shoal and Jiuduansha by influencing the hydrodynamics in North Passage.Coastal engineering such as reclamation and harbor construction can also change the morphology of the Changjiang Estuary.We defined a contribution rate of area change to assess the impact of reclamation on the evolution of Changjiang Estuary.It turned out that more than 45.3% of area increment of the Changjiang Estuary was attributed to reclamation.