Author(s): Fengran Xu, Baoligao Baiyin, Xingru Chen, Huanhuan Deng
Linked Author(s): Baoligao Baiyin
Keywords: Sediment flushing, suspended sediment concentration, fish, impact assessment, yellow river
Abstract: To reduce reservoir sedimentation and deliver sediment to the downstream rivers, sediment flushing has been conducted annually by multi-reservoir operations along the Yellow River since 2002. Deceased fishes often appear during the period of reservoir sediment flushing. To explore the quantitative impact of suspended sediment on carp (Cyprinus carpio), suspended sediment concentration-exposure duration model (SEV model) was applied. In 2009, it was assessed to have no lethal effect during the sediment flushing of Xiaolangdi Reservoir. While in 2010, the fish mortality rate is assessed to be less than 20%. With data from experiments that have carps exposed in different sediment concentrations, it is analyzed that the SEV model tends to underestimate the acute impact of high sediment concentration (>25kg/m3). By refitting the regression model with experimental data, SEV model was revised to evaluate the impact of sediment on carp in the Yellow River. This research could promote further understanding of quantitative principles of impact of sediment on fishes, and provide scientific basis for river sediment management and eco-friendly reservoir sediment flushing operation
Year: 2017