Hydrogeomorphic Characterization of the Huallaga River for the Peruvian Amazon Waterway
Publication: Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 150, Issue 2
Abstract
The concession of the Peruvian Amazon Waterway (PAW) project seeks to strengthen commercial transport between Brazil and Peru by using four rivers: Amazon, Ucayali, Marañón, and Huallaga, in which the Peruvian Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MTC) was in charge of developing the Terms of Reference (TOR). At the end, the TOR did not specify the methodology for the hydrogeomorphic characterization of rivers. The PAW project was designed to meet specific geometric characteristics to ensure navigable conditions: minimum water depth of 2.44 m (8 ft) and channel width ranging from 44 to 56 m, approximately. The zones where the river bottom limits the layout and dimensions of the navigation channel are called shallow zones (SZs). Based on the PAW project’s TOR, the EIA-d (Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment) study was carried out using 14 SZs that required dredging 3.87 million m3 of sediments. In 2019, the EDI (Definitive Engineering Study) described 24 SZs with a total dredging volume of 4.39 million m3 of sediments. The number and locations of SZs and the volume of required dredging changed significantly, revealing a lack of understanding of meandering (i.e., Ucayali and Huallaga) and anabranching (i.e., Marañón and Amazon) river processes. This study presents an integral methodology for the hydrogeomorphic characterization of the meandering Huallaga River (the river with 56% of the total estimated volume to dredge) by using remote sensing and field measurements (hydrodynamic, sediment transport, and bathymetry). Geological confinement of river dynamics, together with the presence of anabranching structures, promote stable SZs. In regions where meandering rivers tend to develop ancient and modern geomorphic structures, SZs are temporarily and highly dependent of river dynamics. The present hydrogeomorphic characterization of the Huallaga River will support the Peruvian government to inform their technical guidelines (TOR), especially for infrastructure projects (e.g., PAW) in Amazonian rivers.
Practical Applications
Several river-related engineering projects lack a broad and comprehensive view to understand a river’s spatial and temporal dynamics. One of these projects is the Amazon Waterway (Hidrovía Amazónica in Spanish) which sought to strengthen commercial transport between Brazil and Peru using four rivers: Amazon, Ucayali, Marañón, and Huallaga. The Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Environmental Impact Study (EIA) did not specify the methodology for understanding river dynamics; however, the focus was mainly concentrated on the need to develop dredging activities. During the EIA evaluation stage, more than 400 technical observations were presented, several related to fluvial geomorphology. This article presents a synthesis of how proper river studies should be carried out and how river dynamics is related to aquatic biodiversity, highlighting the importance of understanding rivers before developing infrastructure projects.
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Data Availability Statement
The field data generated for this study along the Huallaga River can be provided upon request by emailing Dr. Abad at [email protected].
Acknowledgments
Thanks to the DAR and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (Grant GBMF7711, PI Abad) for funding the river characterization project in the Amazon River Basin. Thanks to CITA’s research assistants (Bryan Santillan, Flor Fuentes, Mishel Melendez, Lynn Marin) for helping out during the field collection campaign. Thanks to Dr. Lucas Dominguez and Dr. Francisco Latosinski from the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina for discussion on hydrogeomorphic measurements along the Huallaga River. Thanks to the two anonymous reviewers and the editor Andrew Kennedy for providing insightful comments and suggestions.
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Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 150 • Issue 2 • March 2024
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© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Apr 9, 2023
Accepted: Nov 27, 2023
Published online: Dec 29, 2023
Published in print: Mar 1, 2024
Discussion open until: May 29, 2024
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