Riverbed deformation and its response to human intervention on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River

The operation of the world's largest hydropower dam, the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), has significantly influenced the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (YR). However, research has not been conducted on the impact of local engineering projects on the evolution of the tidal channel of the...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:River research and applications 2022-02, Vol.38 (2), p.222-234
Main Authors: Wei, Xu, Heqin, Cheng, Shuwei, Zheng, Yuehua, Jiang, Quanping, Zhou, Guoqiang, Yang, Huaizhi, Yan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquatic birds
Canyons
Construction industry
Deformation
Deformation effects
Elevation
Engineering
Evolution
human intervention
Hydroelectric dams
Hydroelectric power
local engineering
lower reach
Project engineering
River beds
riverbed accumulation
Riverbeds
Rivers
Sediment
Sediments
TGD
Thalweg
Water depth
Waterfowl
Yangtze River
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The operation of the world's largest hydropower dam, the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), has significantly influenced the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (YR). However, research has not been conducted on the impact of local engineering projects on the evolution of the tidal channel of the YR. This study used historical water depth and level data to analyze the factors influencing riverbed deformation in the Nanjing reach of the tidal channel of the YR. Moreover, the effect of local engineering projects on riverbed deformation in the study area was quantitatively analyzed. Our results indicated that between 1998 and 2013, ~78.26 × 106 m3 of sediment accumulated in the study area. The goose‐head bifurcated section of this reach exhibited the most significant change in riverbed deformation during this period. Between 1998 and 2013, 46.97 × 106 m3 of sediment accumulated in this section, the riverbed elevation increased by 1.01 m, and the thalweg increased by 2.78 m. Quantitative analysis of the volume of sediment accumulated in the near‐bank area indicated that revetment engineering accounted for >40% of the accumulation. The results of this study provide a more accurate understanding of channel deformation in the lower reaches of the YR. Moreover, the results will improve the prediction accuracy of river channel evolution and assist in channel regulation and future local engineering construction projects.
ISSN:1535-1459
1535-1467
DOI:10.1002/rra.3899