A practical framework for scenario-based optimal decision-making on water-deficient river ecological restoration in mining areas

Mining activities may cause serious damages to the river ecological environment in mining areas. It has been realized that challenging is faced for optimal decision-making on the river ecological restoration resulting from system complexity, multi-objectives, long term restoration in which multiple stages may be needed to take, and difficulty in detailed process quan- tification. By analyzing and fully reflecting the differences between the central zone and surrounding zones of the restored river passing through the mining area, the comprehensive evaluation index systems of the central zone and surrounding zones are separately suggested firstly. Then a scenario-based optimization decision-making model for river ecological restoration in min- ing areas was established with taking advantages of spatial divisions and following procedure of first going through optimiza- tion by sub-region level, then optimizing by integration. Then, a framework for scenario-based optimal decision-making on water-deficient river ecological restoration in mining areas is proposed in which a multi-objective and multi-stage spatial division optimization method is considered to improve decision-making efficiency and enhance its practicability. It is indicated that this optimization framework is reasonable and practical, which is expected to offer reliable decision support in identifying the effective solutions on optimal management of the water-deficient river ecological restoration in mining areas. At the same time, it has implications in general land reclamation and ecological restoration in the mining areas.

Effects of logjams on river hydrodynamics under inundation conditions

Large wood in rivers can lead to accumulations in the river channel, affecting local flow structures, aquatic habitats, and the river’s topography. This plays a crucial role in the ecological restoration of the river. This paper presents flow field measurements downstream of six types of logjams at different flow velocities using acoustic Doppler velocimetry (ADV) for artificially designed engineered logjams. The results indicate that the presence of logjams reduces the flow velocity and increases the turbulent kinetic energy in the wake region, and as the distance downstream increases, the flow velocity and turbulence intensity in the wake region gradually return to the upstream level. The minimum values of normalized flow velocity under different conditions are located in the region of the bottommost logs. The differences in normalized flow velocity at various flow rates are not significant. Jets are less likely to be generated in logjams with larger and more concentrated projection areas, but the strength of the jet is influenced by the physical structure of the logjam (projection area, gap ratio). The flow distribution behind the logjam is primarily influenced by the proportion of the projected area in different regions. Changes in the vertical physical structure of the logjam have minimal effect on the lateral flow distribution. Flow velocity in the gap area (b0) at the bottom of different logjams is influenced by their physical structure. The larger the overall blockage area of the logjams, the larger the flow velocity in the bottom gap area will be. The flow velocity in the bottom gap area of a densely placed logjam is mainly influenced by the gap ratio. The velocity of flow in the gap area can impact the initiation and deposition of sediment near the logjam. However, the internal structure complexity of the logjam does not significantly affect river energy dissipation and flow attenuation. This study broadens the applicability of certain theoretical models and explores the impact of logjams on river ecology and channel geomorphology. The findings can serve as a theoretical foundation for ecological restoration, timber management, and logjam construction in rivers.