scholarly journals Operating Effects of the Three Gorges Reservoir on the Riverbed Stability in the Wuhan Reach of the Yangtze River

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 3353
Author(s):  
Zhi Yin ◽  
Hongbin Zhang ◽  
Guangming Tan ◽  
Yiwei Lyu ◽  
Zhiyong Feng ◽  
...  

Reservoir construction may modify the downstream flow and sediment transport, and correspondingly result in adjustments in morphodynamics of a river, especially riverbed instability. Based on hydrological datasets from 2003 to 2019 during the post-dam period using the topographic data of 57 fixed cross-sections in the Wuhan reach of the Yangtze River, we calculated the indexes representing the channel stability. Moreover, considering the effects of flow, sediment concentration, grain size of sediment, and water depth, we propose a method for calculating the equilibrium values of cumulative erosion and the lateral migrate intensity of thalweg in this paper, and the method combines with the delayed response model (DRM) to comprehensively analyze the variations in the longitudinal and lateral stabilities of the riverbed. The results revealed that the channel has been obviously eroded in the downstream reach, resulting in a 76% decrease in sediment discharge after the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). Specifically, in the past 17 years, the cumulative erosion in the Wuhan reach of the Yangtze River reached 1.72 m, while the bankfull depth increased by 1.87 m. The lateral migrate intensity of thalweg increased in response to Coriolis force, with an increase of 22.3%. Taken together, the results show that the proposed formula can effectively simulate the variation process of channel stability, and it also quantifies the extent of the influence weight of interannual flow and sediment regimes. The morphodynamics adjustments in the channel stability of our studied reach were closely related to the previous five-year flow and sediment regimes, implying that channel evolution may lag behind the changes in flow and sediment discharges.

2014 ◽  
Vol 501-504 ◽  
pp. 2001-2006
Author(s):  
Ya Liu ◽  
Li Zheng ◽  
Cheng Tao Huang ◽  
Zhao Biao Huang ◽  
Lin Liu

After impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir, Jingjiang reach, in the middle of the Yangtze River, has gradually shown a series of atypical fluvial features, adversely affecting the maintenance of waterways. Citing the Laijiapu Waterway, a meandering segment in the lower Jingjiang for example, this paper compared the fluvial features of the channel before and after the impoundment, summed up its navigation-obstructing features, and proposed guarding the point bar on the convex bank and channel bar in the widening section as a key to maintaining the stability of the navigation channels.


2013 ◽  
Vol 779-780 ◽  
pp. 1613-1618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Hua Yang ◽  
Xiao Qiang Liu ◽  
Hong Qian Zhang

Reservoir regulation and reservoir sedimentation make conditions of flow and sediment under the dam change greatly after impoundment of the Three Gorges Project. This paper analyzes change trend and abrupt change situation of incoming water and sediment and studies characteristics of new flow and sediment of Yichang Station after impoundment of the Three Gorges with Mann-Kendall nonparametric rank test method. The result indicates that operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir has leveled runoff process and shortened dry season and extended median water period. After operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir, annual sediment runoff and monthly sediment runoff of some months changed suddenly and sediment runoff reduced sharply in Yichang Station. Sediment entering the middle and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River decreases substantially and it almost can be regarded as clean water discharge. Intorduction After operation of 175m normal water level of the Three Gorges Reservoir, total storage capacity of the reservoir is about 43 billion m3. Most of incoming sediment in the upstream is intercepted and deposited inside the reservoir and clean water and muddy water containing non-bed sand discharges. Change of water and sediment conditions destroys balance of downstream river and causes bed-rebuilding of downstream channels. And this results in a serious of long-term and long distance changes, such as on-way recovery of sand content, undercutting of bed scour, expansion of bank erosion and decline of water table, etc.[1-. Yichang Station controls a drainage area of 1005501km2 in upstream of the Yangtze River and is a major flood source for the middle and the lower reach of the Yangtze River. Thus, water regime information of Yichang Station is significant to flood control of the middle and the lower reach of the Yangtze River, regulation of the Three Gorges Reservoir, construction of water conservancy project all across the Yangtze River, industrial and agricultural production and shipping, etc. On account of this, this article analyzes data about coming water and sediment of Yichang Station to support characteristics of new flow and sediment of Yichang Station after impoundment of the Three Gorges with Mann-Kendall nonparametric rank test method.


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