Planning for the Subernarekha river system in eastern India

The study describes the systems studies carried out to plan a river basin in order to determine the nature and size of water storage facilities and releases for irrigation and industrial uses, and the associated cropping pattern. The model has been formulated in the framework of a linear programming model for a specific target year. This model is developed in the context of planning the Subernarekha river basin. The results are discussed and these provide information and insight suggesting the need for more disaggregated analysis of interaction between irrigation and related agroeconomic parameters.     

基于水质模拟的水质在线监测站点布设研究

随着水质监测连续化的需求增加,河流水质在线监测站布设成为不可忽视的问题。本文采用水文模拟模型HSPF对台湾淡水河流域进行水量水质联合模拟。水文模拟以9个测站比对,纳什效率系数多数大于0.7;相关系数r皆大于0.7。水质模拟以27个测站比对,生化需氧量、氨氮、悬浮固体、溶氧的修正平均百分误差多数小于25%。基于水质变化率和水质超标率提出水质敏感河段概念,并以此确定为补充布设水质在线监测站点的优先河段。研究指出,淡水河流域水质在线监测站目前仍缺乏且位置不尽合理,应优先补充三峡河的三峡大桥、景美溪的宝桥、基隆河的江北桥水质在线监测站。     

森林植被改善对鄱阳湖流域径流和输沙过程的影响

以河流基流为切入点,研究流域植被调节径流、水土保持等微观作用影响大中型河流湖泊径流过程和水沙过程宏观效应的机理。鄱阳湖流域60年来天然降水没有发生趋势性变化。流域森林覆盖率由34.73%上升到63.00%,植被质量改善,赣江等入湖河流基流增加83 m~3/s,河流输沙量减少。2000年以后和2000年以前相比较,枯水期降水径流系数增大,年流量过程平坦化,一定程度上减小洪灾风险,有利于水资源利用和生态环境保护。2001年以后进入鄱阳湖泥沙平均每年减少1 007×10~4t;出湖泥沙增加314×10~4t。因此,鄱阳湖入江水道由淤积转变为冲刷,但出湖流量过程没有趋势性变化。     

Geomorphic diversity as a river management tool and its application to the Ganga River,India

Understanding of geomorphic processes and the determination of geomorphic diversity in catchments are prerequisites for the sustainable rehabilitation of river systems and for reach‐scale assessment of river health. The Ganga River system in India is a large, complex system consisting of several long tributaries, some >1,000 km, originating from 2 distinct hinterlands—the Himalaya to the north and the cratons to the south. Traversing through a diverse climatic regime across the Plain and through precipitation zones ranging from 600 mm/year near Delhi to 1,200 mm/year in the eastern plains, the Ganga River system has formed very diverse landform assemblages in 3 major geomorphic domains. We have recognized 10 different river classes for the trunk river from Gangotri (source) to Farakka (upstream of its confluence with the Brahmaputra) based on (a) landscape setting, (b) channel and active floodplain properties, and (c) channel planform parameters. The mountainous stretch is characterized by steep valleys and bedrock channels and is dominated by large‐scale sediment production and transport through hill slope processes. The alluvial part of the river is characterized by 8 different river classes of varying reach lengths (60–300 km) many of which show sharp transitions in landscape setting. We have highlighted the application of this approach for the assessment of habitat suitability, environmental flows, and flood risk all of which have been significantly modified during the last few decades due to large‐scale anthropogenic disturbances. We suggest that the diversity embedded in this geomorphic framework can be useful for developing a sustainable river management programme to “work with” the contemporary character and behaviour of rivers.     

Estimating discharge in gravel‐bed river using non‐contact ground‐penetrating and surface‐velocity radars

Discharge measurement is a critical task for gravel‐bed channels. Under high‐flow conditions, the elevation of the riverbed changes significantly by intensive torrential flow. The stage–discharge relations commonly used for stream discharge estimation may no longer be adequate. The contact‐type velocity measuring is also subject to measurement errors and/or instrument failures by the high‐flow velocities, driftwood, stumps, and debris. This study developed a new real‐time method to estimate river discharge in gravel‐bed channels. A systematic measuring technology combining ground‐penetrating radar and surface‐velocity radar was employed. The rating curves representing the relations of water surface velocity to the channel cross‐sectional mean velocity and flow area were established. Stream discharge was then deduced from the resulting mean velocity and flow area. The proposed method was examined in a steep gravel‐bed reach of the Cho‐Shui River in central Taiwan. The estimated stream discharge during three flood events were compared to the prediction by using the stage–discharge relation and the index‐velocity method. The proposed method of this study is capable of computing reasonable values of discharge for an entire flood hydrograph, whereas the other two methods tend to produce large extrapolation errors. Moreover, when the computed discharge is used in 2D flood flow simulation, the proposed method demonstrates better performance than the commonly used stage–discharge and index‐velocity methods.     

Quantifying Whitewater Recreation Opportunities in Cataract Canyon of the Colorado River,Utah: Aggregating Acceptable Flows and Hydrologic Data to Identify Boatable Days

The structural norm approach was combined with the Potential for Conflict Index to define recreation streamflow needs for the Colorado River in Utah and Colorado. An online survey was completed by 128 commercial and non‐commercial boaters, who evaluated a range of flows for whitewater boating. For the Cataract Canyon reach, respondents rated the quality of their recreation experience of specific flows, describing the quality of boating opportunities across the full range of historical streamflows. Ranges for both acceptable and optimum flows were defined, as well as thresholds for unacceptable flows. These ranges were then evaluated against historical hydrologic records to quantify the timing, frequency, and duration of days when defined whitewater flows exist across different year types (i.e. average boatable days). Results indicated that on average, a total of 257 boatable days existed in dry years, and 353 total boatable days occurred in dry‐typical years. In wet and wet‐typical years, 362 and 365 total boatable days respectively, occurred on average. Results of the boatable days' analysis indicated that over the 23‐year period of record, whitewater boating opportunities occurred nearly every day of the year in all but the driest year types. Results from this study provide resource managers with information which can be used in the development of annual operating plans for the Colorado River Basin and help managers understand how changes in flow impact the quality of recreational opportunities. This application demonstrates the value of analysing boatable days on any river where recreation management is a priority. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Importance of Shallow‐Low Velocity Habitats to Juvenile Fish in the Middle Mississippi River

Habitat management is a crucial aspect of fisheries management. Without knowledge of habitat associations, fisheries scientists are unable to effectively make habitat conservation or restoration recommendations. This becomes especially prominent when trying to manage commercially harvested populations and protect threatened or endangered species. To determine juvenile fishes habitat associations in the Middle Mississippi River, we analysed mini‐trawl catch data of six common juvenile fish species: blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), channel shiner (Notropis wickliffi), freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens), paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), and shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus). Overall, we conducted 2251 mini‐trawl sampling efforts between 2002 and 2013, resulting in the capture of 23,742 target specimens. Catch per unit effort was evaluated by structural habitat (i.e. velocity, depth, and substrate). Overall, these data suggest that juvenile fish species are more prevalent in shallow water and slower velocities. Ultimately the information garnered during this evaluation should be incorporated when considering habitat modifications, especially those modifications that impact the availability of shallow‐low velocity habitats. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Benchmarking Fluvial Dynamics for Process‐Based River Restoration: the Upper Rhine River (1816–2014)

Multi‐temporal analysis of river‐floodplain processes is a key tool for the identification of reference conditions or benchmarks and for the evaluation of deviations or deficits as a basis for process‐based river restoration in large modified rivers. This study developed a methodology for benchmarking fluvial processes at river segment level, focusing on those interrelations between morphodynamics (aggradation, erosion, channel shift) and vegetation succession (initial, colonization, transition) that condition habitat structure. Habitat maps of the free‐flowing Upper Rhine River downstream from Iffezheim dam (France–Germany border) were intersected with a geographic information system‐based approach. Patches showing trajectories of anthropization, changeless, progression and regression allowed for the identification of natural and human‐induced processes over almost 200 years. Before channelization, the riverine system was characterized by a shifting habitat mosaic with natural heterogeneity, high degree of surface water connectivity and equilibrium between progression and regression processes. On the other hand, the following 175 years of human interventions led to severe biogeomorphologic deficits evidenced by loss of natural processes and habitat heterogeneity, hydrological disconnection between the river and its floodplain and imbalance of progression versus regression dynamics. The main driving forces of change are found in hydromorphological impacts (channelization, regulation and hydropower plant construction). Regression processes are now almost absent and have to be the objective of process‐based river restoration measures for the studied river‐floodplain system. A sustainable view on water management and river restoration should aim at a more resilient riverine system by balancing the recovery of natural processes with societal needs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

新形势下做好长江入河排污口管理的思考

从长江流域水质现状、入河污染物排放基本情况及国家关于长江经济带绿色发展的总体要求出发,分析了长江水资源保护面临的形势;从长江入河排污口区划、审批、监管及基础工作方面,对入河排污口管理现状进行了简要总结,并对存在的问题进行了梳理。基于长江入河排污口管理面临的形势,提出了长江委强化长江入河排污口管理的总体思路和重点工作,可以为新形势下做好长江入河排污口管理提供参考。