Daily Bank Erosion Rates in the Lower Yellow River Before and After Dam Construction

During the period of water impoundment and sediment detention of the Sanmenxia Reservoir, riverbank erosion processes played a key role in the channel evolution of the Lower Yellow River (LYR). However, research into bank erosion rates of the LYR has been neglected due to the lack of direct field mo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Water Resources Association 2014-10, Vol.50 (5), p.1325-1337
Main Authors: Xia, Junqiang, Li, Tao, Li, Xiaojuan, Zhang, Xiaolei, Zong, Quanli
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
bank erosion
bank stability coefficient
braided reach
daily erosion rate
dam construction
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics
Engineering geology
Exact sciences and technology
Hydrology
Hydrology. Hydrogeology
Lower Yellow River
Marine and continental quaternary
meandering reach
Rivers
Sediments
Soil erosion
Surficial geology
Water resources
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Summary:During the period of water impoundment and sediment detention of the Sanmenxia Reservoir, riverbank erosion processes played a key role in the channel evolution of the Lower Yellow River (LYR). However, research into bank erosion rates of the LYR has been neglected due to the lack of direct field monitoring. In this study, an indirect method is proposed to determine bank erosion rates at daily time scales by outlining a detailed calculation procedure using measured hydrological data. A total of 810 data points of daily bank erosion rates before and after the construction of Sanmenxia Dam was calculated at seven hydrometric sections along the LYR, with the corresponding values of the bank stability coefficient and the width‐to‐depth ratio also being calculated. Empirical relations were then developed to estimate the daily bank erosion rates, using these parameters at the sections. Temporal and spatial variability in daily bank erosion rates in the LYR before and after dam construction were also investigated, revealing that: (1) the bank erosion rates had a mean value of 16.7‐29.1 m/day in the braided reach, with a maximum value of 290.0 m/day, while they were relatively low in the meandering reach, with a mean value of 2.5 m/day; (2) the erosion rates before dam construction were slightly greater than those after dam construction, with the difference reaching 5‐10 m/day in the braided reach, decreasing in the transitional reach gradually, and being slight in the meandering reach.
ISSN:1093-474X
1752-1688
DOI:10.1111/jawr.12192