Quantitative assessment of check dam system impacts on catchment hydrological response - a case in the Loess Plateau, China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tian Wang ◽  
Zhanbin Li ◽  
Jingming Hou ◽  
Shengdong Cheng ◽  
Lie Xiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Chinese Loess Plateau ◽  
Check Dam ◽  
Hydrological Response ◽  
Small Catchment ◽  
Check Dams ◽  
Maximum Discharge ◽  
The Impact

<p>The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of check dams on <strong>c</strong>atchment hydrological response in a small catchment on the Chinese Loess Plateau by applying a GAST (GPU Accelerated Surface-water and Transport model) numerical model at 2 m resolution DEM. The results showed that check dams significantly increase the so-called runoff lag times (lag to generation, lag to peak and lag to end of runoff) at the channel outlet compared to catchments without check dams. Furthermore, the peak runoff discharge at the catchment outlet without check dams decreased by 93.0% compared to with check dams. The total outlet discharge, surface water stored, and infiltration were respectively 20.1%, 74.9% and 5.0% of the total precipitation in the check dam catchment, while 75.4%, 22.6% and 2.0% in the system without check dams. Installation of check dams also altered the spatial water distribution of maximum discharge, moving the occurrences of maximum discharge further upstream and, thus, increasing safety downstream. Channel connectivity was found to have a direct relationship with peak discharge and with discharge volume at the basin mouth. In conclusion, implementing check dams significantly and effectively mitigated flood processes and increased runoff infiltration upstream.</p>

scholarly journals Physics-Based Simulation of Hydrologic Response and Sediment Transport in a Hilly-Gully Catchment with a Check Dam System on the Loess Plateau, China

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Honglei Tang ◽  
Qihua Ran ◽  
Jihui Gao
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Distributed Model ◽  
Check Dam ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Engineering Structures ◽  
Small Catchment ◽  
Check Dams ◽  
Water Redistribution ◽  
Physics Based Simulation

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.

scholarly journals Structural Connectivity of Sediment Affected by Check Dams in Loess Hilly-Gully Region, China

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 2644
Author(s):  
Leichao Bai ◽  
Juying Jiao ◽  
Nan Wang ◽  
Yulan Chen
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Structural Connectivity ◽  
Optimization Methods ◽  
Control Area ◽  
Chinese Loess Plateau ◽  
Check Dam ◽  
Chinese Loess ◽  
Check Dams ◽  
Discharge Canal ◽  
The Impact

Check dams play an irreplaceable role in soil and water conservation in the Chinese Loess Plateau region. However, there are few analyses on the connection between check dams and the downstream channel and the impact on structural connectivity and sediment interception efficiency. Based on a field survey, this study classified the connection mode between check dams and the downstream channel, and the actual control area percentage by discharge canal in dam land was used to quantitatively evaluate the degree of the structural connectivity of sediment between the check dam and the downstream channel. The analysis results show that the connection mode can be divided into eleven categories with different structural connectivity. The different connection modes and its combination mode of check dams and downstream channels in dam systems have a large difference, and the structural connectivity of the dam system is less than or equal to that of the sum of single check dams in a watershed. The degree of structural connectivity of a dam system will be greatly reduced if there is a main control check dam with no discharge canal in the lower reaches of the watershed. Compared with a single check dam, the structural connectivity of a dam system is reduced by 0–42.38%, with an average of 11.18%. According to the difference in connection mode and structural connectivity of check dams and dam systems in the four typical small watersheds, the optimization methods for connection mode in series, parallel and hybrid dam systems were proposed. The research results can provide a reference for the impact of a check dam on the sediment connectivity and the sediment interception efficiency in a watershed and can also guide the layout of a dam system and the arrangement of drainage facilities.

scholarly journals Check dam identification using multisource data and their effects on streamflow and sediment load in a Chinese Loess Plateau catchment

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 073697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Tian ◽  
Guangju Zhao ◽  
Xingmin Mu ◽  
Fei Wang ◽  
Peng Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Sediment Load ◽  
Chinese Loess Plateau ◽  
Check Dam ◽  
Chinese Loess

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

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

<p>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.</p>

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

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

<p>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 26<sup>th</sup>, 2017 (named “7·26” 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 ‘7·26’ extreme rainstorm was approximately 2.03×10<sup>4 </sup>t·km<sup>-2</sup>, which was 5 times that in the second erosive rainfall in 2017 (4.15×10<sup>3 </sup>t·km<sup>-2</sup>) and 11-384 times that in 2018 (0.53×10<sup>2 </sup>t·km<sup>-2</sup> - 1.81×10<sup>3 </sup>t·km<sup>-2</sup>). Under the ‘7·26’ extreme rainstorm, the amount of soil erosion in the Chabagou watershed above Caoping hydrological station was 4.20×10<sup>6</sup> 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 1.11×10<sup>6</sup> tons, accounting for 26.36% of the total soil erosion amount. In contrast, 3.09×10<sup>6</sup> tons of sediment was inputted to the downstream channel, and the sediment deposition in the channel was 2.23×10<sup>6</sup> tons, accounting for 53.15% of the total amount of soil erosion. The amount of sediment transport at the hydrological station was 8.60×10<sup>5</sup> tons. The sediment delivery ratio (SDR) under the “7·26” 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.</p>

Late Quaternary landscape evolution in a small catchment on the Chinese Loess Plateau

2011 ◽  
Vol 234 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 159-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitta Schütt ◽  
Manfred Frechen ◽  
Philipp Hoelzmann ◽  
Georg Fritzenwenger
Keyword(s):  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Landscape Evolution ◽  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Chinese Loess Plateau ◽  
Small Catchment ◽  
Chinese Loess ◽  
The Chinese Loess Plateau
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