Experimentation and Modeling of Reach-Scale Vegetative Flow Resistance due to Willow Patches
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 149, Issue 7
Abstract
Reach-scale experiments simulating the physical characteristics of natural woody plants are required for the improved modeling of flow resistance in channels with instream and floodplain vegetation. The first aim of this study was to investigate the flow resistance caused by patches of foliated woody vegetation at low volumetric blockage factors (4% to 10%) under emergent conditions, as most studies on the effect of patchiness are limited to submerged aquatic plants. Experiments with nature-like willow patches were performed in a reach-scale outdoor flume, where the density and layout of the patches were altered. The bulk friction factors were based on the friction slopes, calculated using the water surface slopes and velocity heads measured by a set of high-accuracy pressure sensors under several flow conditions. Compared to unvegetated conditions, the patches increased the bulk friction factor by 1.7–5.5 times, depending on the patch density and blockage factor. The second aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of four momentum-based models in estimating the bulk friction factors in flows with such flexible patches. For this process, a methodological approach suited for patchy woody vegetation at reach scale was developed to determine the input parameters required in each model. Estimation results using the newly modified and parameterized formulas compared favorably to the experimental data, demonstrating more reliable performance for models explicitly addressing the reconfiguration of vegetation. Overall, this study provides a practical methodology for estimating flow resistance caused by complex distributions of woody riverine vegetation.
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Data Availability Statement
All data shown in this article are available from the corresponding author upon request. The database consists of the water level and discharge data as well as the channel geometry data measured by the total station.
Acknowledgments
This study was carried out under the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) Research Program (No. 20220178) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea, with additional funding from Maa-ja vesitekniikan tuki ry (No. 33271), and Academy of Finland (No. 330217). The reach-scale experiments were performed at the River Experiment Center of KICT (KICT-REC), and the drag force measurement of willow specimens was conducted at the Ice Tank of Aalto University, Finland. We are very grateful to the measurement teams at KICT-REC and Aalto University.
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Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 149 • Issue 7 • July 2023
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© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Mar 29, 2022
Accepted: Jan 19, 2023
Published online: Apr 25, 2023
Published in print: Jul 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Sep 25, 2023
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