A multiple criteria decision‐making approach to estimate minimum environmental flows based on wetted perimeter

Minimum environmental flows in rivers provide a certain level of protection for the aquatic environment. The relationship between wetted perimeter and discharge can be used to define the minimum environmental flows by the slope method (SM), or curvature method (CM), especially for cases with poor understanding of the aquatic ecosystem. SM and CM derived inconsistent values of minimum environmental flows. It was not clear which method better defined minimum environmental flow. Moreover, the computation and optimization procedures are both time consuming and error‐prone, especially for complicated wetted perimeter–discharge relationships. In this study, flow regulation for rivers was regarded as a multiple criteria decision‐making problem, with the objectives of minimum river discharge and maximum wetted perimeter. Ideal point methods (IPMs) with the scaling coefficient r = 1 (IPM1) and r = 2 (IPM2) were used to solve this model to determine optimal environmental flows. IPM was simple in computation, especially when the wetted perimeter–discharge relationship was given as scattered data pairs. Meanwhile, it was applicable to a wider range of wetted perimeter–discharge relationship than SM and CM. Environmental flows estimated by IMP1 are the same as that by SM. The analytical results for environmental flows using SM, CM, IPM1 and IPM2 were compared for wetted perimeter–discharge relationship expressed as power or logarithmic function. It showed that CM is not a good method to define environmental flows. SM with unity slope and IMP1 were recommended. CM, SM and IPM were examined for the determination of environmental flows in a river in North Xinjiang, China. Environmental flows for different transects of the studying river reach were estimated to be 21% of the mean annual flow by SM or IPM1, which provided the satisfactory wetted perimeter, water depth and average velocity for aquatic organisms. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.