DECISION-MAKING PROCESS ON THE DANUBE AND THE PLATTE1

ABSTRACT: Two case studies highlighting the institutional arrangements and decision-making processes used to attempt to allocate water on large scale river systems in two countries are presented. In both cases the implementation of river plans has been blocked by conflicts between those who wish to use water for irrigation, hydropower, or municipal purposes and those who wish to maintain instream flows for fish and wildlife. To date conflict has blocked the implementation of a large hydropower scheme on the Danube River, downstream from Vienna, Austria, and the construction of municipal and agricultural projects, as well as the relicensing of an existing hydropower facility on the Platte River in Nebraska. Analysis of the decision-making processes and institutional settings of both cases led to the identification of problem areas and development of recommendations that would support the achievement of compromise solutions for management.     

IMPROVED RIVER BASIN UTILIZATION THROUGH SYSTEMS ANALYSIS1

ABSTRACT. Theoretical and practical results are summarized for a study to determine optimal water resource allocation in a proposed water conservancy district. The area of this district, which covers several river basins, contains a large number of existing and proposed facilities such as reservoirs and diversions. The operation of all of these facilities was to be determined along with the sizing of the proposed facilities in order to optimize given objective functions. Related efforts in optimal river basin utilization were surveyed, and linear programming was selected as an expedient optimization technique. The problem is formulated by identifying time stages which together constitute a repetitive cycle such as a year. With these stages, it is possible to associate operational and capacity variables with network components, which are branches and nodes. Objective functions are assembled for the component variables. Constraint equations are written in terms of the variables to reflect network nodal continuity, capacity restrictions, and adjudications such as water rights. A numerical example is considered in which the existing and proposed facilities are aggregated to produce a small, tractable number of facilities. This paper examines the example results and suggests future improvements for models of this type.     

四川省水电行业环境监理试点工作实践与探讨

长期以来,我国对水电工程建设的环境管理实行环境影响评价和"三同时"制度,主抓环保审批和竣工验收两个环节,在工程施工阶段的环境管理相对薄弱,因此在水电资源开发的同时,也带来了一定程度的环境污染和生态破坏。为实现水电开发与环境保护的协调可持续发展,本文作者以某梯级电站为例,结合所参与的水电建设项目,对水电建设环境监理进行梳理和探讨,以期为水电建设项目环境监理的发展提供一定的理论及技术支持。     

USING COMPUTED STREAM FLOW IN WATERSHED ANALYSIS1

Modifications in the computed climatic water budget have made it possible to achieve good agreement between computed and measured stream flow on both a monthly and annual basis in basins without appreciable winter snow cover. Comparisons of computed and measured stream flow in 28 basins on the Delmarva peninsula show that for some basins the agreement is excellent (regression line essentially equals unity), for other basins the regression line has a slope of one but it is displaced above or below the y=x line, while for other basins, the slope of the regression line differs appreciably from unity. Study of the basins where agreement between computed and measured values is only fair to poor reveals that the patterns of disagreement can be used to provide information on the water holding capacity in the root zone of the soil, on the quantity of deep aquifer recharge within the basin, or on the effect of human modifications within the basin. The technique should also reveal the quantity of interbasin transfers or other consumptive uses within the basin. The water budget, thus, becomes a useful tool to study hydrologic characteristics or their changes over time within a basin.     

去学水电站生态流量泄放措施优化研究

水电站的建设会造成坝址下游河段减水,对水环境和水生生物造成不利影响,因此电站生态流量的确定和泄放措施的可行性对于维护河流生态环境至关重要。以硕曲河去学水电站为例,基于可行性研究阶段提出的生态流量泄放措施方案,采用数学模型和理论分析方法,从生态流量取水水温、泄洪洞事故条件下生态流量保证率以及水资源的合理高效利用等方面进一步对生态流量泄放方案进行了优化比选。提出的优化方案提高了生态流量取水口的布置高程,在泄洪洞之外单独布置生态泄放系统,并增设生态流量发电机组等。对比分析表明,该优化方案在改善生态流量的下泄水温、提高生态流量泄放保证率、合理高效利用水能资源等方面具有较大优势。本研究为水电工程中生态流量泄放措施保障等方面提供了科学依据和技术参考。     

How Run-of-River Operation Affects Hydropower Generation and Value

Regulated rivers in the United States are required to support human water uses while preserving aquatic ecosystems. However, the effectiveness of hydropower license requirements nationwide has not been demonstrated. One requirement that has become more common is “run-of-river” (ROR) operation, which restores a natural flow regime. It is widely believed that ROR requirements (1) are mandated to protect aquatic biota, (2) decrease hydropower generation per unit flow, and (3) decrease energy revenue. We tested these three assumptions by reviewing hydropower projects with license-mandated changes from peaking to ROR operation. We found that ROR operation was often prescribed in states with strong water-quality certification requirements and migratory fish species. Although benefits to aquatic resources were frequently cited, changes were often motivated by other considerations. After controlling for climate, the overall change in annual generation efficiency across projects because of the change in operation was not significant. However, significant decreases were detected at one quarter of individual hydropower projects. As expected, we observed a decrease in flow during peak demand at 7 of 10 projects. At the remaining projects, diurnal fluctuations actually increased because of operation of upstream storage projects. The economic implications of these results, including both producer costs and ecologic benefits, are discussed. We conclude that regional-scale studies of hydropower regulation, such as this one, are long overdue. Public dissemination of flow data, license provisions, and monitoring data by way of on-line access would facilitate regional policy analysis while increasing regulatory transparency and providing feedback to decision makers.     

新安江流域生态补偿财政支出效率研究

在水环境保护长期受到高度重视的背景下,开展流域生态补偿试点是我国保护流域水环境的重要手段。目前我国多为政府主导型流域生态补偿,补偿资金全部来源于财政资金,提高财政支出效率可以让有限的财政资金发挥其最大效用。为明确流域生态补偿试点中的财政支出效率,本文以我国首个跨省界流域生态补偿试点——新安江流域生态补偿试点为案例对象,构建流域生态补偿财政支出效率评价模型,并建立评价指标体系。通过选取试点在2012—2017年的生态补偿财政支出进行效率测算与效率评价,结果显示,财政支出纯技术效率6年均值处在0.9以上的高水平,总体表现较好,但仍有改进空间;规模效率值较低是造成财政支出效率表现不佳的主要原因,生态补偿财政资金的配置规模急需完善。建议提高财政资金的管理水平,有针对性地实施生态补偿项目,建立流域和区域相结合的流域治理体系。     

Evaluating the Applicability of a Two‐dimensional Flow Model of a Highly Heterogeneous Domain to Flow and Environmental Management

Two‐dimensional simulation of highly heterogeneous domains, especially those with disparate length scales, roughness conditions, and geometries, often leads to challenges such as long computation times and numerical instability. Simulation of challenging domains is often needed to guide flood management and environmental regulation agencies in operation and potential domain modifications. This work evaluates the ability of a two‐dimensional unsteady hydrodynamic model to represent long‐duration transient flows over a domain with highly heterogeneous roughness, geometric characteristics, and length scales through bed roughness representation. The domain includes 13 km of Cache Creek and the 14.5 km² Cache Creek Settling Basin, which traps both sediment and mercury. Calibration under different bed roughness methods, validation, and modeling results of bathymetric modification scenarios are presented. The modeling approach's performance supports its application as a tool for management of similar domains, such as settling basins, leveed floodplains, and reservoirs. Accurate representation of flow dynamics can also inform environmental management that involves transport of sediments, nutrients, and heavy metals. This study found that a two‐dimensional unsteady flow model can accurately represent long‐duration transient flow in a large settling basin with highly heterogeneous characteristics without parsing of the domain or flow events simulated.     

Analysis of Daily Peaking and Run‐of‐River Operations with Flow Variability Metrics,Considering Subdaily to Seasonal Time Scales

Environmental flows are an important consideration in licensing hydropower projects as operational flow releases can result in adverse conditions for downstream ecological communities. Flow variability assessments have typically focused on pre‐ and post‐dam conditions using metrics based on daily averaged flow values. This study used subdaily and daily flow data to assess environmental flow response to changes in hydropower operations from daily peaking to run‐of‐river. An analysis tool was developed to quantify flow variability metrics and was applied to four hydropower projects. Significant differences were observed between operations at the 99% confidence level in the median flow values using hourly averaged flow datasets. Median daily rise and fall rates decreased on average 34.5 and 27.9%, respectively, whereas median hourly rise and fall rates decreased on average 50.1 and 50.6%, respectively. Differences in operational flow regimes were more pronounced in the hourly averaged flow datasets and less pronounced or nonexistent in the daily averaged flow datasets. These outcomes have implications for the development of ecology‐flow relationships that quantify effects of flow on processes such as fish stranding and displacement, along with habitat stability. Results indicate that flow variability statistics should be quantified using subdaily datasets to accurately represent the nature of hydropower operations, especially for daily peaking facilities.     

Large-Scale Effects of Timber Harvesting on Stream Systems in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, USA

Using Basin Area Stream Survey (BASS) data from the United States Forest Service, we evaluated how timber harvesting influenced patterns of variation in physical stream features and regional fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages. Data were collected for three years (1990–1992) from six hydrologically variable streams in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, USA that were paired by management regime within three drainage basins. Specifically, we used multivariate techniques to partition variability in assemblage structure (taxonomic and trophic) that could be explained by timber harvesting, drainage basin differences, year-to-year variability, and their shared variance components. Most of the variation in fish assemblages was explained by drainage basin differences, and both basin and year-of-sampling influenced macroinvertebrate assemblages. All three factors modeled, including interactions between drainage basins and timber harvesting, influenced variability in physical stream features. Interactions between timber harvesting and drainage basins indicated that differences in physical stream features were important in determining the effects of logging within a basin. The lack of a logging effect on the biota contradicts predictions for these small, hydrologically variable streams. We believe this pattern is related to the large scale of this study and the high levels of natural variability in the streams. Alternatively, there may be time-specific effects we were unable to detect with our sampling design and analyses.     

RIVER BASIN SIMULATION MODELS: GUIDELINES FOR THEIR USE IN WATER RESOURCES PLANNING1

ABSTRACT: Simulation models constructed to estimate the physical and economic performance of alternative river basin development configurations have been widely used since the start of the Harvard Water Program in the early 1960's. These models have proved useful in choosing from among several potential river basin configurations, since they can rapidly evaluate each configuration's expected performance. However, when dealing with large scale river basin development projects, in which over 50 or 100 alternative reservoirs, irrigation areas, and other components must be considered, it is sometimes quite difficult to effectively use a simulation model to rapidly identify those combinations of projects which best satisfy the development objectives. The purpose of this paper is to describe how a simulation model was used in the analysis of a complex river basin development project in Eastern Europe, and how the problems of scale were confronted and solved. The author's experience on this projet is used to derive a set of general guidelines which may be helpful in other simulation studies.     

Water Resources Modeling of the Ganges‐Brahmaputra‐Meghna River Basins Using Satellite Remote Sensing Data1

Nishat, Bushra and S.M. Mahbubur Rahman, 2009. Water Resources Modeling of the Ganges‐Brahmaputra‐Meghna River Basins Using Satellite Remote Sensing Data. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 45(6):1313‐1327. Abstract: Large‐scale water resources modeling can provide useful insights on future water availability scenarios for downstream nations in anticipation of proposed upstream water resources projects in large international river basins (IRBs). However, model set up can be challenging due to the large amounts of data requirement on both static states (soils, vegetation, topography, drainage network, etc.) and dynamic variables (rainfall, streamflow, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, etc.) over the basin from multiple nations and data collection agencies. Under such circumstances, satellite remote sensing provides a more pragmatic and convenient alternative because of the vantage of space and easy availability from a single data platform. In this paper, we demonstrate a modeling effort to set up a water resources management model, MIKE BASIN, over the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna (GBM) river basins. The model is set up with the objective of providing Bangladesh, the lowermost riparian nation in the GBM basins, a framework for assessing proposed water diversion scenarios in the upstream transboundary regions of India and deriving quantitative impacts on water availability. Using an array of satellite remote sensing data on topography, vegetation, and rainfall from the transboundary regions, we demonstrate that it is possible to calibrate MIKE BASIN to a satisfactory level and predict streamflow in the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers at the entry points of Bangladesh at relevant scales of water resources management. Simulated runoff for the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers follow the trends in the rated discharge for the calibration period. However, monthly flow volume differs from the actual rated flow by (?) 8% to (+) 20% in the Ganges basin, by (?) 15 to (+) 12% in the Brahmaputra basin, and by (?) 15 to (+) 19% in the Meghna basin. Our large‐scale modeling initiative is generic enough for other downstream nations in IRBs to adopt for their own modeling needs.     

STABLE PROFILES OF PLUNGE BASINS1

The characteristics of scour holes were discussed including the problems created by them in relation to the hydraulic structures associated with their formation. The philosophy on the design and use of deflector buckets together with the need for plunge basins to dissipate the energy of the high velocity jets were reviewed. Laboratory observations were made to study the erosion of beds of gravel caused by water jets projected from spillway buckets. Flip buckets with 15, 30, 45 and 60 degrees exit angles were utilized. One-quarter inch and %-inch nominal size bed materials were used in the investigation. The gravel was placed in a large comprehensive scour basin to observe their behavior when subjected to the water jets. Besides the formula derived for the maximum depth of scour, a set of dimensionless equations were developed to describe the three-dimensional configuration of scour holes. The dimensions of stable plunge basins could be obtained from these profiles.     

Integrating flood hazard into site selection of detention basins using spatial multi-criteria decision-making

This study presents an innovative approach for the integration of flood hazard into the site selection of detention basins. The site selection process is conducted by taking into account multiple criteria and disciplines. Hydraulic modeling results derived from stormwater management model are employed by Technique for the Order of Prioritization by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to determine flood hazard score. The score generated by TOPSIS is used in a spatial multi-criteria decision-making site selection framework. Applying the framework, a suitability map is generated in which primary locations for detention basin placement are determined. The method is demonstrated through the case study of Darakeh River Catchment, which is located in northern Tehran, Iran. The presented framework can be easily utilized for site selection of other stormwater management techniques, such as low impact development and best management practices, due to its versatility.     

Assessment of Environmental Water Demands (EWD) of Forests for Two Distinct Indian Ecosystems

Sustainable use of water and land resources requires that these scarce resources be appropriately allocated among various competing human activities. Worldwide, there is a realization now that sustainable river basin management should be accorded the highest priority, because it deals not only with technical, but also with ecological and socioeconomic aspects, and thus calls for a multidisciplinary and integrated approach. However, most of the policy and planning documents have either remained silent, or have made only implicit reference to the importance of environmental water demand (EWD) and its quantification. Therefore, in the light of its importance, a methodology has been evolved in this article for quantifying EWD for various forested areas in two distinctly different Indian river basins: Brahmani (humid zone) and Sabarmati (dry zone). The article analyzes and discusses EWD estimates at three different spatial levels: river basins, states, and districts within them, and finally presents a comparative analysis of all these results. Findings of the present study will be immensely useful in understanding various ecological issues connected with water resource projects and proposals in these river basins.     

REGRESSION MODELS OF HERBICIDE CONCENTRATIONS IN OUTFLOW FROM RESERVOIRS IN THE MIDWESTERN USA, 1992–19931

ABSTRACT: Reservoirs are used to store water for public water supply, flood control, irrigation, recreation, hydropower, and wildlife habitat, but also often store undesirable substances such as herbicides. The outflow from 76 reservoirs in the midwestern USA, was sampled four times in 1992 and four times in 1993. At least one herbicide was detected in 82.6 percent of all samples, and atrazine was detected in 82.1 percent of all samples. Herbicide properties; topography, land use, herbicide use, and soil type in the contributing drainage area; residence time of water in reservoirs; and timing of inflow, release, and rainfall all can affect the concentration of herbicides in reservoirs. A GIS was used to quantify characteristics of land use, agricultural chemical use, climatic conditions, topographic character, and soil type by reservoir drainage basins. Multiple linear and logistic regression equations were used to model mean herbicide concentrations in reservoir outflow as a function of these characteristics. Results demonstrate a strong association between mean herbicide concentrations in reservoir outflow and herbicide use rates within associated drainage basins. Results also demonstrate the importance of including soils and basin hydrologic characteristics in models used to estimate mean herbicide concentrations.     

SPNM,A MODEL FOR PREDICTING SEDIMENT,PHOSPHORUS, AND NITROGEN YIELDS FROM AGRICULTURAL BASINS1

ABSTRACT: A model called SPNM from the words “sediment-phosphorus-nitrogen model” was developed for simulating agricultural contributions to water pollution. SPNM is designed to predict sediment, P, and N yields for individual storms on small basins and to route these yields through streams and valleys of large basins. Users need no computer programming experience because the model is a problem-oriented computer language. SPNM is useful in planning water resources projects and in research. Tests of the model on a watershed provided realistic results.     

Procedures for ensuring community involvement in multijurisdictional river basins: a comparison of the Murray-Darling and Mekong river basins

Community involvement is fundamental to the management of multijurisdictional river basins but, in practice, is very difficult to achieve. The Murray-Darling basin, in Australia, and the Mekong River basin in Southeast Asia are both cooperatively managed multijurisdictional river basins where the management authorities have expressed an aim of community involvement. In the Murray-Darling basin vigorous efforts have promoted a culture of community consultation throughout each of the state jurisdictions involved, although true participation has not necessarily been achieved. In the Mekong basin the community is much more diverse and the successes so far have been largely at the local level, involving action in subsections of the basin. These case studies suggest that community involvement in the form of community consultation across large multijurisdictional river basins is achievable, but more comprehensive participation is not necessarily possible.     

The integrated project AquaTerra of the EU sixth framework lays foundations for better understanding of river-sediment-soil-groundwater systems

The integrated project "AquaTerra" with the full title "integrated modeling of the river-sediment-soil-groundwater system; advanced tools for the management of catchment areas and river basins in the context of global change" is among the first environmental projects within the sixth Framework Program of the European Union. Commencing in June 2004, it brought together a multidisciplinary team of 45 partner organizations from 12 EU countries, Romania, Switzerland, Serbia and Montenegro. AquaTerra is an ambitious project with the primary objective of laying the foundations for a better understanding of the behavior of environmental pollutants and their fluxes in the soil-sediment-water system with respect to climate and land use changes. The project performs research as well as modeling on river-sediment-soil-groundwater systems through quantification of deposition, sorption and turnover rates and the development of numerical models to reveal fluxes and trends in soil and sediment functioning. Scales ranging from the laboratory to river basins are addressed with the potential to provide improved river basin management, enhanced soil and groundwater monitoring as well as the early identification and forecasting of impacts on water quantity and quality. Study areas are the catchments of the Ebro, Meuse, Elbe and Danube Rivers and the Brévilles Spring. Here we outline the general structure of the project and the activities conducted within eleven existing sub-projects of AquaTerra.     

RISK IN IRRIGATION WATER SUPPLY AND THE EFFECTS ON FOOD PRODUCTION1

ABSTRACT: This paper examines irrigation water supply deficit and associated risk indicators due to random climate events and potential effects on irrigated food production during the period 1996 to 2025 for seven river basins in the USA, China, and India. An integrated water and food model with global scope is applied for the analysis. The global climate regime during 1961 to 1990 is used to generate 30 climatic scenarios for the time period 1996 to 2025, and these scenarios are applied to the model in order to characterize the randomness of precipitation, runoff, and evapotranspiration, which affects both irrigation water supply and demand. The risk with random climate events is represented by reliability, variability, and vulnerability from different perspectives. Regarding irrigation water supply, Colorado will bear an increasingly unstable situation although the average water supply relative to the demand will maintain at a relatively high level; selected basins in China and India indicate that significantly lower levels of reliability and more deleterious affects from drought can be expected, but under a less variable condition due to assumed water storage increase. From 1996 to 2025, the effects of water deficits on irrigated food production are characterized with a nonlinear phenomenon and food production loss will be more sensitive to irrigation water supply deficit in the future. Future work following this paper needs to consider the impact of global climate change and the water quality of the irrigation return flow and result verification by local studies.