Author(s): Rollin H. Hotchkiss
Linked Author(s): Rollin H. Hotchkiss
Keywords: Reservoir sedimentation; Aggradation; Density currents; Sediment management
Abstract: This paper describes sedimentation problems common to upstream reaches of impounded reservoirs and their impacts on project benefits, the constructed environment, and the natural landscape. Large projects, defined as those where the ratio of storage capacity to average annual inflow exceeds 0.5, present special challenges for sediment management. Much of the deposited sediment is far from the dam and consists of coarser-grained materials, requiring a prohibitively high-energy input to transport them to the dam and beyond. And because storage capacity is large relative to the inflow, lowering the water surface to sluice sediment or draining the reservoir to flush sediment are not viable alternatives. Several strategies for management are mentioned and illustrated.
Year: 2004