Author(s): Luiz Eduardo Domingos De Oliveira; Carlo Gualtieri; Johannes Gerson Janzen

Linked Author(s): Carlo Gualtieri

Keywords: Lateral cavity; Vegetation; Hydrocomplexity; Bioenergetics; Large Eddy Simulation (LES)

Abstract: In river engineering, lateral cavities are regions outside of the main flow connected by a single interface. Their occurrence in rivers influences the local biota due to the capture of sediments and, consequently, nutrients. The capture of the nutrients favors vegetation growth inside its volume, which alters the flow and function as habitat for the local biota. Hydrocomplexity (bioenergetic) metrics, such the biota's habitability using kinetic energy, describe the energy of the flow and thus the energy that aquatic biota must spend which is associated with the habitat quality. This numerical study aims to investigate the habitat quality in lateral cavities. The hydrodynamics of the model were calculated with Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and the velocity fields presented a single gyre. Furthermore, the assessed metric (M2) peaked at the interface confirming the complexity of the flow is that zone. Lastly, the study indicates the suitability of habitat for brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) inside the lateral cavity.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/978-90-833476-1-5_iahr40wc-p0719-cd

Year: 2023