Decadal Hydro-Morphodynamic Evolution of a Sandy Meander Bend Downstream of the Three Gorges Dam and Impact on Waterway Navigation
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Study Area, Data, and Methods
2.1. Study Area
2.2. Data
2.3. Method
3. Results
3.1. Hydrological Regimes
3.1.1. Annual Changes
3.1.2. Monthly Distribution
3.1.3. Water Level
3.2. River Geomorphology
3.2.1. Amount of Erosion and Deposition
3.2.2. Distribution of Erosion and Deposition
3.2.3. Role of Channel Regulation Works in River Course Evolution
4. Discussion
4.1. Response of Erosion and Deposition to Water and Sediment Conditions
4.2. Response of Water Level Change to Riverbed Evolution
4.3. Influence on Waterway Conditions and Countermeasures
4.3.1. Influence on Waterway Conditions
4.3.2. Countermeasures
5. Conclusions
- (1)
- Although the operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir has no obvious impact on the annual runoff and monthly distribution in the Wakouzi waterway, the annual suspended sediment discharge has significantly decreased by 85.8%, and the median and average sediment particle size has almost doubled. At the same time, the low water level has dropped significantly, and began to accelerate in the fifth year after the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir. With the increase of flow discharge, the water level drop shows a downward trend. The cumulative water level drop under the flow discharge of 10,000 m3/s is about 2.32 m, while it is 0.78 m under 25,000 m3/s.
- (2)
- Affected by the sharp decrease of sediment transport after the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir, the Wakouzi reach has been continuously scoured since 2004. By 2021, the accumulated scour of the flood channel was 6771 × 104 m3, with an annual scour intensity of about 398 × 104 m3. The scouring mainly occurs in low water channels, accounting for about 91.2%. The sand bars in the channel continue to be eroded and shrunk, and the local waterway regulation, consisting of five protection belts in the middle and upper areas of the sand bar, has not prevented flood water from cutting the unguarded area, and the surface of the sand bar has developed into a series of ditches, while the tail of the sand bar is upward scoured.
- (3)
- Since the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir, there has been good correlation between the accumulated scouring amount and the accumulated sediment discharge, as well as the accumulated water level drop. Therefore, considering the long-time clean water discharge of the Three Gorges Reservoir and sandy river bed, the Wakouzi waterway will be continuously scoured in the future, and the low water level may have a further drop.
- (4)
- Both the erosion and retreat of the sand bar and the decline of the low water level are unfavorable to the waterway conditions. Although the implemented partial waterway regulation works can maintain the integrity of the sand bar in the project area, the unguarded area will still evolve in an unfavorable trend for the waterway conditions. Therefore, for the meandering sandy reach at the downstream of a reservoir, a series of waterway regulation works aimed at guarding all the sand bars should be implemented to maintain better waterway conditions. This can provide a meaningful reference for the formulation of waterway regulation works in other similar river reaches.
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Data Type | Data Description | Year Range |
---|---|---|
Water level Flow discharge Sediment concentration | Daily averaged | 1991–2021 |
Suspended load gradation | Monthly and annual averaged | |
Section topography | Distance and altitude | 1991, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2001–2021 |
Planar topography | Scale 1:10,000 | 1993, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2021 |
Item | Period | Low Water Channel | Basic Channel | Bankfull Channel | Flood Channel |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scouring and silting volume (104 m3) | 1991–1996 | −47 | +4 * | +110 | +174 |
1996–2004 | −374 | −434 | −609 | −653 | |
2004–2013 | −3316 | −3477 | −3691 | −3691 | |
2013–2021 | −2859 | −2915 | −3078 | −3080 | |
2004–2021 | −6175 | −6392 | −6769 | −6771 | |
Intensity (104 m3/year) | 1991–1996 | −9 | +1 | +22 | +35 |
1996–2004 | −47 | −54 | −76 | −82 | |
2004–2013 | −368 | −386 | −410 | −410 | |
2013–2021 | −357 | −364 | −385 | −385 | |
2004–2021 | −363 | −376 | −398 | −398 |
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Ge, H.; Zhu, L.; Deng, C.; Jiang, L.; Long, R. Decadal Hydro-Morphodynamic Evolution of a Sandy Meander Bend Downstream of the Three Gorges Dam and Impact on Waterway Navigation. Water 2022, 14, 3126. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14193126
Ge H, Zhu L, Deng C, Jiang L, Long R. Decadal Hydro-Morphodynamic Evolution of a Sandy Meander Bend Downstream of the Three Gorges Dam and Impact on Waterway Navigation. Water. 2022; 14(19):3126. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14193126
Chicago/Turabian StyleGe, Hua, Lingling Zhu, Chunyan Deng, Ling Jiang, and Rui Long. 2022. "Decadal Hydro-Morphodynamic Evolution of a Sandy Meander Bend Downstream of the Three Gorges Dam and Impact on Waterway Navigation" Water 14, no. 19: 3126. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14193126