Estimating Impacts of Dam Development and Landscape Changes on Suspended Sediment Concentrations in the Mekong River Basin’s 3S Tributaries
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 25, Issue 7
Abstract
The Mekong River Basin (MRB) is undergoing rapid dam development, which is altering the river suspended sediment concentration (SSC). In this study, we used satellite remote sensing records spanning 31 years to detect SSC changes (SSC prediction , ) due to dam development. We focused on the 3S basin of the MRB. We also used satellite data on nighttime lights, which reflect human settlement patterns, and land cover to explain SSC patterns. Our technique allowed for quantification of SSC changes due to dam construction (e.g., near basin outlet), reservoir sediment trapping (e.g., ), deforestation, and human settlement (e.g., near impacts). Our technique also demonstrated how the SSC of the 3S rivers compared to that of the Mekong mainstem over time (e.g., from to 100% greater). Our comprehensive analyses of SSC records with dam development indicate that SSC changes will continue with ongoing dam and landscape development in the MRB. From a hydrologic perspective, SSC monitoring will be imperative for effective sediment and water management. Our satellite-based approach answers critical sediment needs of improved monitoring and adaptive management throughout the MRB and other global locations for practitioners who are engaged in real-world management of their river basins.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This work was primarily funded by The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant No. DGE-1762114 to the first author. This work also benefitted from NASA Earth System and Science Fellowship Grant 80NSSC17K0379 to the second author and the NASA Water Applied Science Program (Grant NNX15AC63G) to the third author. The authors would like to thank MRC, Kel Markert of the NASA/USAID SERVIR program, and ADCP for providing in situ sediment data; Kensey Daly for assistance in retrieving land cover data; and Nishan Kumar Biswas for GIS assistance.
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Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 25 • Issue 7 • July 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 14, 2019
Accepted: Feb 14, 2020
Published online: May 11, 2020
Published in print: Jul 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Oct 11, 2020
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