Influence of Wetlands on Black-Creek Hydraulics
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 22, Issue 1
Abstract
The influence of wetlands on basin hydrology and channel hydraulics has been investigated for a small Canadian basin using the MIKE 11/NAM model of the Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI). The Black Creek basin has an area of , 15.6% of which consists of wetlands. The methodology involved long-term continuous simulation of the basin with and without the wetlands. The present analysis shows that on an annual basis, wetlands reduce the total runoff by less than 1% and increase the evapotranspiration by about the same amount. Overland flow decreases 21% and base flow increases by 15% due to wetland presence. Groundwater recharge also increases by 15%. During individual runoff events, wetlands reduce runoff by about 5% and 1% in terms of peak and volume, respectively. The 1:100-year flood under current conditions would become a 1:35-year flood if wetlands were removed. Wetlands can suppress the snow-melt-generated flood peaks by about 15–20% during spring freshet and summer floods by 1–5%. Wetlands also reduce the water level by 3–5 cm and 5–8 cm during spring freshet and summer storms respectively. Channel flow, water level, and velocity are influenced by the wetlands only during rare flood events.
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Acknowledgments
This study builds on various projects that the author carried out at the RVCA. However, the author conducted this study at his own initiative and at his own time—outside his official duties at RVCA. As such, the analyses and opinions presented in this paper are the author’s own and do not represent the position of RVCA in any way. The author is grateful to N. Howlader and T. Ducrocq for assisting with MIKE 11 model runs during the original RVCA projects. The author is also grateful to the editors and anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions, which have improved the quality and readability of this paper.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 22 • Issue 1 • January 2017
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 20, 2015
Accepted: Feb 18, 2016
Published online: Apr 26, 2016
Discussion open until: Sep 26, 2016
Published in print: Jan 1, 2017
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