Author(s): Matthias Schneider; Ianina Kopecki; Peter Baumann; Jeff A. Tuhtan
Linked Author(s): Matthias Schneider
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: The recent efforts of European governments aimed at the reduction of CO2 emissions are causing a marked increase in the contributions of wind and solar to the electricity market. It is expected that the larger proportion of volatile renewable energy produced by wind and photovoltaic installations will result in a commensurate increase in the demand of peak hydropower energy for grid stabilization and network balancing. This energy production results in a rapidly changing flow regime, or hydropeaking downstream of storage hydropower plant outlets without lower storage reservoirs. Major impacts of hydropeaking on macrozoobentho manifest themselves in a general reduction of region offering suitable habitat conditions. Wetted areas may have acceptable conditions during periods of base flow, but the extreme velocities which occur during hydropeaking can quickly render them inhabitable. The recently developed CASi Mi R-GIS is a rule-based ecohydraulic approach incorporating a unsteady flow analysis suitable for macrozoobenthos habitat modeling. Operating within the ESRI Arc GIS environment, the model allows the user to apply the native CASi Mi R fuzzy-logic engine for any combination of parameters relevant to the determination of habitat suitability. The model has been developed and tested in three morphologically diverse stretches of the Alpine Rhine upstream of Lake Constance. Simulations were performed for a variety of hydrological regimes and provide quantitative information on both habitat quality and availability under hydropeaking operations of different intensity. Special attention is given to colmation effects and their influence on macrozoobenthos habitat quality. Results of the benthos habitat simulations and findings related to future research needs are presented.
Year: 2012