Comparing the hydrological response of regulated vs. not regulated mountain torrents in the Mediterranean semi-arid environment: a case study in Southern Italy

<p>In the Mediterranean semi-arid environment (e.g., in Southern Italy and Spain), headwaters are characterized by local factors, such as steep slopes, low drainage areas and heavy and short-duration rainstorms, which make the torrents prone to flash floods, soil erosion and landslides. The construction of check dams has contributed to mitigate the runoff and erosion rates, but the effectiveness of these structures has been rarely assessed. In these contexts, the availability of studies monitoring the mitigation effect of check dams on the hydrological response of torrents at the watershed scale over a long time could help developing new management strategies. To this aim, this study proposes an assessment of the multi-decadal runoff and erosion rates in two headwaters of torrents in Southern Italy, using a modeling approach. The first torrent (Vacale, 12.5 sq. km) is regulated by check dams built in &#8216;1950-1960, while the second torrent (Serra, 13.7 sq. km) is not regulated. Both catchments experienced an increase in forest cover up to the 70%, while the agricultural land decreased by about 30% of the total area after the construction of the control works until now. The hydrological response of the two headwaters has been simulated using the widely applied Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) model for runoff and peak flow, coupled with the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) to model sediment yield. To this purpose, 10 heavy rainfall-runoff events occurred between 1956 and 1971 were modeled. The peak flows and sediment yields of the regulated watershed were compared with the corresponding simulations at the undisturbed torrent. To summarize the results of this modeling experience, the changes in land cover resulted in a noticeable decrease in flood peak discharge (on average -53%) in both torrents, while the torrent with check dams showed a significant reduction of eroded sediment for each event (on average -9%) compared to the unregulated headwater. These findings help supporting a better understanding on the impact of control works and land use changes on the hydrological responses of Mediterranean torrents, indicating the most effective strategy to mitigate flash flood hazards and heavy erosion risks in similar environmental contexts.</p><p>Acknowledgement: This research was funded by ERDF/Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities-State Research Agency (AEI) /Project CGL2017-84625-C2-1-R; State Program for Research, Development and Innovation Focused on the Challenges of Society.</p>

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Anthropogenic Reservoirs of Various Sizes Trap Most of the Sediment in the Mediterranean Maghreb Basin

Water ◽

10.3390/w10070927 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 927 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mahrez Sadaoui ◽

Wolfgang Ludwig ◽

François Bourrin ◽

Yves Bissonnais ◽

Estela Romero

Keyword(s):

Arid Zones ◽

Anthropogenic Pressure ◽

Sediment Retention ◽

Natural Sediment ◽

Sediment Yields ◽

Sediment Fluxes ◽

Erosion Rates ◽

Riverine Sediment ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

The Impact

The purpose of this study is to obtain a spatially explicit assessment of the impact of reservoirs on natural river sediment fluxes to the sea in the Mediterranean Maghreb Basin (MMB), a region where both mechanical erosion rates and the anthropogenic pressure on surface water resources are high. We combined modeling of riverine sediment yields (sediment fluxes divided by the drainage basin area) and water drainage intensities in a 5’ × 5’ grid point resolution (~10 km × 10 km) with a compilation of existing reservoirs in the area, and calculated sediment trapping based on average water residence time in these reservoirs. A total number of 670 reservoirs could be assembled from various sources (including digitization from Google maps), comprising large-scale, small-scale and hillside reservoirs. 450 of them could be implemented in our modeling approach. Our results confirm that natural sediment yields are clearly above the world average, with the greatest values for Morocco (506 t km−2 year−1), followed by Algeria (328 t km−2 year−1) and by Tunisia (250 t km−2 year−1). Including dams in the downstream routing of suspended sediments to the sea reduces the natural sediment flux in the entire MMB to the sea from 96 to 36 Mt km−1 year−1, which corresponds to an average sediment retention of 62%. Trapping rates are highest in the Tunisian basin part, with about 72%, followed by the Algerian (63%) and the Moroccan basin parts (55%). Small reservoirs and hillside reservoirs are quantitatively important in the interception of these sediments compared to large reservoirs. If we only considered the dams included in the widely used Global Reservoir and Dam (GRanD) database which comprises mainly large reservoirs sediment retention behind dams would account for 36% of the natural suspended particulate matter (SPM) flux to the Mediterranean Sea. Our data reveal negative correlation between sediment retention and natural erosion rates among the three Maghreb countries, which can be explained by the greater difficulties to build dams in steep terrains where natural sediment yields are high. Although the lowest sediment retention rates are found in the Moroccan part of the MMB, it is probably here where riverine sediment starvation has the greatest impacts on coastline dynamics. Understanding the impact of dams and related water infrastructures on riverine sediment dynamics is key in arid zones such as the MMB, where global warming is predicted to cause important changes in the climatic conditions and the water availability.

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Assessing the impact of climate variability on maize using simulation modeling under semi-arid environment of Punjab, Pakistan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research ◽

10.1007/s11356-018-2884-3 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 25 (28) ◽

pp. 28413-28430 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Ishfaq Ahmed ◽

Muhammad Habib ur Rahman ◽

Shakeel Ahmed ◽

Jamshad Hussain ◽

Asmat Ullah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Variability ◽

Simulation Modeling ◽

Arid Environment ◽

The Impact ◽

Semi Arid

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Assessment of the impact on sediment quality from abandoned artisanal mine runoffs in a semi-arid environment (the Sonora River basin—Northwestern Mexico)

Environmental Earth Sciences ◽

10.1007/s12665-019-8131-5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 78 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Héctor M. Guzmán ◽

Agustín Gómez-Álvarez ◽

Jesús L. Valenzuela-García ◽

Martín A. Encinas-Romero ◽

Arturo I. Villalba-Atondo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

River Basin ◽

Sediment Quality ◽

Arid Environment ◽

Northwestern Mexico ◽

The Impact ◽

Semi Arid

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The Impact of Rangeland Condition and Trend to the Grazing Resources of a Semi-arid Environment in Kenya

Journal of Human Ecology ◽

10.1080/09709274.2005.11905769 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 143-147 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

P.N. Macharia ◽

W.N. Ekaya

Keyword(s):

Arid Environment ◽

Rangeland Condition ◽

The Impact ◽

Semi Arid

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The impact of unconfined mine tailings in residential areas from a mining town in a semi-arid environment: Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico

Chemosphere ◽

10.1016/j.chemosphere.2009.04.068 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 77 (1) ◽

pp. 140-147 ◽

Cited By ~ 82

Author(s):

Diana Meza-Figueroa ◽

Raina M. Maier ◽

Margarita de la O-Villanueva ◽

Agustín Gómez-Alvarez ◽

Alan Moreno-Zazueta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mine Tailings ◽

Arid Environment ◽

Residential Areas ◽

Mining Town ◽

The Impact ◽

Semi Arid

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Sediment Yield in Dam-Controlled Watersheds in the Pisha Sandstone Region on the Northern Loess Plateau, China

Land ◽

10.3390/land10111264 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 1264

Author(s):

Fabing Xie ◽

Guangju Zhao ◽

Xingmin Mu ◽

Peng Tian ◽

Peng Gao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Sediment Yield ◽

Water Conservation ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Sediment Yields ◽

Erosion Rates ◽

Soil Erosion Rate ◽

Check Dams ◽

Loss Control

Soil erosion has become the dominant environmental issue endangering sustainable development in agriculture and the ecosystem on the Loess Plateau. Determination of watershed soil erosion rates and sediment yields is essential for reasonable utilization of water resources and soil loss control. In this study, we employed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry to determine the sediment yields in 24 dam-controlled watersheds in the Pisha sandstone region of the northern Loess Plateau. High differences in total sediment were trapped before the check dams due to their running periods and sediment yields. The estimated specific sediment yield ranged from 34.32 t/(ha∙a) to 123.80 t/(ha∙a) with an average of 63.55 t/(ha∙a), which indicated that the Pisha sandstone region had an intense soil erosion rate. Furthermore, the modified Sediment Distributed Delivery (SEDD) model was applied to identify the erosion-prone areas in the watersheds, and the sediment retained in the check dams were used for model calibration. The performance of the model was acceptable, and the modeling results indicated that the steep Pisha sandstone was the major sediment source for the watersheds, accounting for approximately 87.37% of the sediment yield. Catchment area, erosive precipitation, and badland proportion were the key factors for sediment yield in the dam-controlled watersheds of the Pisha sandstone region, according to multiple regression analyses. These findings indicated that the modified SEDD model is very efficient in identifying spatial heterogeneities of sediment yield in the watershed but requires comprehensive calibration and validation with long-term observations. The Pisha sandstone region is still the key area of soil erosion control in the Loess Plateau, which needs more attention for soil and water conservation due to high sediment yield.

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Assessment of check dams’ role in flood hazard mapping in a semi-arid environment

Geomatics Natural Hazards and Risk ◽

10.1080/19475705.2019.1692079 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 2239-2256 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mehdi Sepehri ◽

Ali Reza Ildoromi ◽

Hossein Malekinezhad ◽

Afshin Ghahramani ◽

Mohammad Reza Ekhtesasi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Flood Hazard ◽

Arid Environment ◽

Hazard Mapping ◽

Check Dams ◽

Semi Arid

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Modelling Small-Scale Storage Interventions in Semi-Arid India at the Basin Scale

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13116129 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 6129

Author(s):

Robyn Horan ◽

Pawan S. Wable ◽

Veena Srinivasan ◽

Helen E. Baron ◽

Virginie J. D. Keller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Resource Management ◽

Large Scale ◽

Data Availability ◽

Small Scale ◽

Catchment Scale ◽

Check Dams ◽

Basin Scale ◽

The Impact ◽

Availability Assessment ◽

Semi Arid

There has been renewed interest in the performance, functionality, and sustainability of traditional small-scale storage interventions (check dams, farm bunds and tanks) used within semi-arid regions for the improvement of local water security and landscape preservation. The Central Groundwater Board of India is encouraging the construction of such interventions for the alleviation of water scarcity and to improve groundwater recharge. It is important for water resource management to understand the hydrological effect of these interventions at the basin scale. The quantification of small-scale interventions in hydrological modelling is often neglected, especially in large-scale modelling activities, as data availability is low and their hydrological functioning is uncertain. A version of the Global Water Availability Assessment (GWAVA) water resources model was developed to assess the impact of interventions on the water balance of the Cauvery Basin and two smaller sub-catchments. Model results demonstrate that farm bunds appear to have a negligible effect on the average annual simulated streamflow at the outlets of the two sub-catchments and the basin, whereas tanks and check dams have a more significant and time varying effect. The open water surface of the interventions contributed to an increase in evaporation losses across the catchment. The change in simulated groundwater storage with the inclusion of interventions was not as significant as catchment-scale literature and field studies suggest. The model adaption used in this study provides a step-change in the conceptualisation and quantification of the consequences of small-scale storage interventions in large- or basin-scale hydrological models.

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Long Term Hydrodynamic Effects in a Semi-Arid Mediterranean Multilayer Aquifer: Campo de Cartagena in South-Eastern Spain

Water ◽

10.3390/w10101320 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1320 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Juan Domingo-Pinillos ◽

Javier Senent-Aparicio ◽

José García-Aróstegui ◽

Paul Baudron

Keyword(s):

Arid Environment ◽

Anthropogenic Activity ◽

Arid Environments ◽

Aquifer System ◽

Intensive Exploitation ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Hydrodynamic Effects ◽

Flow Transfer ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Campo De Cartagena

The Mediterranean basin contains many semi-arid environments where aquifers are subject to intensive exploitation, generally to meet irrigation demands. The Campo de Cartagena aquifer is a clear example from such a semi-arid environment, and its hydrodynamic effects have aroused great scientific interest. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the hydrodynamic effects that have occurred in the last century of anthropogenic activity in this aquifer system. This aquifer is subject to intensive exploitation and shows clear deficits in times of drought, with recharge by irrigation playing an important role. This study’s methodology includes groundwater modelling to reconstruct the transient evolution of the aquifer system during the last century, to generate water balances and to illustrate how the evolution of irrigation has, in many ways, changed the aquifer’s groundwater flow pattern. The results delineate the hydraulic communication of the aquifer stratums through specific geological structures, as well as the flow transfer from the Quaternary layer to the Mar Menor and the Mediterranean Sea. The reconstruction of the entire system’s temporal evolution shows a fragile water balance that is supported by surface-water contributions.

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