Reconstruction and effects of a failure of a typical check dam system under an extreme rainstorm on the Loess Plateau, China

Check dams are among of the most widespread and effective engineering structures for conserving water and soil in the Loess Plateau since the 1950s, and have significantly modified the local hydrologic responses and landforms. A representative small catchment was chosen as an example to study the influences of check dams. A physics-based distributed model, the Integrated Hydrology Model (InHM), was employed to simulate the impacts of check dam systems considering four scenarios (pre-dam, single-dam, early dam-system, current dam-system). The results showed that check dams significantly alter the water redistribution in the catchment and influence the groundwater table in different periods. It was also shown that gully erosion can be alleviated indirectly due to the formation of the expanding sedimentary areas. The simulated residual deposition heights (Δh) matched reasonably well with the observed values, demonstrating that physics-based simulation can help to better understand the hydrologic impacts as well as predicting changes in sediment transport caused by check dams in the Loess Plateau.

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Development of check-dam systems in gullies on the Loess Plateau, China

Environmental Science & Policy ◽

10.1016/j.envsci.2003.12.002 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 79-86 ◽

Cited By ~ 162

Author(s):

Xu Xiang-zhou ◽

Zhang Hong-wu ◽

Zhang Ouyang

Keyword(s):

Loess Plateau ◽

Check Dam ◽

The Loess Plateau

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A laboratory study on the relative stability of the check-dam system in the Loess Plateau, China

Land Degradation and Development ◽

10.1002/ldr.740 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 17 (6) ◽

pp. 629-644 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

X. Z. Xu ◽

H.-W. Zhang ◽

G.-Q. Wang ◽

Y. Peng ◽

O. Y. Zhang

Keyword(s):

Loess Plateau ◽

Laboratory Study ◽

Relative Stability ◽

Check Dam ◽

The Loess Plateau

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Do land use change and check-dam construction affect a real estimate of soil carbon and nitrogen stocks on the Loess Plateau of China?

Ecological Engineering ◽

10.1016/j.ecoleng.2017.01.036 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 101 ◽

pp. 220-226 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Chun Liu ◽

Zhongwu Li ◽

Yuting Dong ◽

Xiaodong Nie ◽

Lin Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Soil Carbon ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Dam Construction ◽

Check Dam ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Soil Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen Stocks

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Effects of a check dam system on the runoff generation and concentration processes of a catchment on the Loess Plateau

10.5194/ismc2021-64 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Shuilong Yuan ◽

Chen Li ◽

Zhanbin Li ◽

Zeyu Zhang

Keyword(s):

Loess Plateau ◽

Peak Discharge ◽

Runoff Coefficient ◽

Check Dam ◽

Return Periods ◽

Runoff Generation ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Hydrologic Process ◽

Check Dams ◽

Soil And Water

As important soil and water conservation engineering measures, there are more than 100,000 check dams constructed on the Loess Plateau; these dams play a vital role in reducing floods and sediment in watersheds. However, the effects of check dams on hydrologic process are still unclear, particularly when they are deployed as a system for watershed soil and water management. This study examined the watershed hydrologic process modulated by the check dam system in a typical Loess Plateau catchment. By simulating scenarios with various numbers of check dams using a distributed physical-based hydrological model, the effects of the number of check dams on runoff generation and concentration were analyzed for the study catchment. The results showed that the presence of check dams reduced the peak discharge and the flood volume and extended the flood duration; the reduction effect on peak discharge was most significant among the three factors. The system of check dams substantially decreased the runoff coefficient, and the runoff coefficient reduction rate was greater for rainstorms with shorter return periods than for rainstorms with longer return periods. The check dams increased the capacity of the catchment regulating and storing floods and extended the average runoff concentration time in the catchment that flattened the instantaneous unit hydrograph. This study reveals the influencing mechanism of check dams on the hydrological process of a watershed under heavy rainstorm conditions and provides a theoretical basis for evaluating the effects of numerous check dams on regional hydrology and water resources on the Loess Plateau.

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Soil erosion and sediment interception by check dam in watershed under extreme rainstorm on the Loess Plateau, China

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-1227 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

leichao bai

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Sediment Deposition ◽

Delivery Ratio ◽

Construction Technology ◽

Check Dam ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Check Dams ◽

Hydrological Station ◽

Extreme Rainstorms

The magnitude of soil erosion and sediment reduction efficiency of check dams under extreme rainstorms are long-standing concerns. This paper aims to use check dams to deduce the amount of soil erosion under extreme rainstorms in watersheds and to identify the difference of sediment intercepting efficiency of different types of check dams. Based on the sediment deposition of 12 check dams with 100% sediment intercepting efficiency and sub-catchment clustering by taking 12 check dams-controlled catchments as standard separately, the amount of soil erosion caused by an extreme rainstorm event on July 26th, 2017 (named &#8220;7&#183;26&#8221; extreme rainstorm) was deduced in the Chabagou watershed in the hill and gully region of the Loess Plateau. The differences of sediment intercepting efficiency among check dams in the watershed were analysed according to the field observation 17 check dams. The results showed that the average erosion intensity under the &#8216;7&#183;26&#8217; extreme rainstorm was approximately 2.03&#215;104 t&#183;km-2, which was 5 times that in the second erosive rainfall in 2017 (4.15&#215;103 t&#183;km-2) and 11-384 times that in 2018 (0.53&#215;102 t&#183;km-2 - 1.81&#215;103 t&#183;km-2). Under the &#8216;7&#183;26&#8217; extreme rainstorm, the amount of soil erosion in the Chabagou watershed above Caoping hydrological station was 4.20&#215;106 tons. The sediment intercepting efficiencies check dams with drainage canals (including the destroyed check dams) and with drainage culverts was 6.48% and 39.49%, respectively. The total actual sediment amount trapped by the check dam was 1.11&#215;106 tons, accounting for 26.36% of the total soil erosion amount. In contrast, 3.09&#215;106 tons of sediment was inputted to the downstream channel, and the sediment deposition in the channel was 2.23&#215;106 tons, accounting for 53.15% of the total amount of soil erosion. The amount of sediment transport at the hydrological station was 8.60&#215;105 tons. The sediment delivery ratio (SDR) under the &#8220;7&#183;26&#8221; extreme rainstorm was 0.21. The results indicated that the amount of soil erosion was huge, and the sediment intercepting efficiency of check dams was greatly reduced under extreme rainstorms. It is necessary to strengthen the management and construction technology standards of check dams to improve the sediment intercepting efficiency and flood safety in the watershed.

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