Water and Sediment Regulation by Cascade Dams at the Yellow River, China
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 28, Issue 11
Abstract
Sediment trap efficiency (), defined as the sediment trapped in a reservoir divided by the sediment flowing into the reservoir, or the sediment delivery ratio (), has been studied for small or ponded reservoirs, but for large reservoirs it is still not well understood even though it is important for predicting and managing reservoir sedimentation. In this case study, we analyzed the changes in water and sediment regime caused by the operation of two cascade dams (the Sanmenxia and Xiaolangdi Dams just upstream of the lower Yellow River) during 2000–2020. We found that more than 50% of the water discharge () entering and flowing out of the reservoirs was smaller than , while over 85% of the sediment was transported by larger discharges. Among different ranges of , the range transported the most sediment (30%–50%). Due to the Water and Sediment Regulation Scheme of the dams, the maximum sediment concentration of floods tended to lag behind the maximum water discharge. The longer the lag time, the greater the water volume released to the downstream, resulting in a higher SDR of floods. A calculation method for the SDR at the Xiaolangdi Reservoir during floods and flood seasons was proposed by considering the water retention time in the reservoir. The sedimentation delta in the Xiaolangdi Reservoir changed rapidly after the dam closure and gradually became stable, and its geometric changes also impacted sediment transport through the reservoir. This study may shed light on sediment transport through large reservoirs under the operation of water and sediment regulation.
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Data Availability Statement
The Yellow River Conservancy Commission provided most of the data used in this study, including daily water discharge and sediment concentration at Tongguan, Sanmenxia, and Xiaolangdi Stations and the pool level at the two reservoirs. The authors have no right to share these data. The annual sedimentation volumes in the two reservoirs, the capacity and longitudinal profile of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir, and the average medium diameter of suspended sediment at the three stations are from the annual Yellow River Sediment Bulletin, which is available at http://www.yrcc.gov.cn/nishagonggao/.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U2243218 and 52079095). The Yellow River Conservancy Commission is sincerely thanked for sharing the data. We thank the editors and the reviewers for their constructive suggestions, which considerably improved the paper.
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Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 28 • Issue 11 • November 2023
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© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Feb 27, 2023
Accepted: Jun 23, 2023
Published online: Aug 28, 2023
Published in print: Nov 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Jan 28, 2024
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