A multi-scale approach to modelling spatial and dynamic ecological patterns for reservoir's water quality management

With growing levels of urbanization and agriculture throughout the world, it is increasingly important that both research and management efforts take into account the effects of this widespread landscape alteration and its consequences for natural systems. Freshwater ecosystems, namely reservoirs, are particularly sensitive to land use changes. In this context, modelling can be very useful, for decision support, as an investigative tool to forecast the outcome of various scenarios, to guide current management in order to meet future targets and to develop integrated frameworks for management accordingly to the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The present paper examined the applicability of a holistic Stochastic-Dynamic Methodology (StDM), coupled with a Cellular Automata (CA) model, in capturing how expected changes at land use level will alter the ecological status of lentic ecosystems, namely at physicochemical and biological levels. The methodology was applied to Portuguese reservoirs located in the Douro's basin and illustrated with a series of stochastic-dynamic and spatial outputs taking into account expected scenarios regarding land use changes. Overall, the simulation results are encouraging since they seem to demonstrate the tool reliability in capturing the stochastic environmental dynamics of the selected metrics facing spatial explicit scenarios. The ultimate goal was to couple monitoring assessment and the described modelling techniques to ease management and decision making regarding the practical implementation of the WFD, both at the scale of the reservoir body and at the scale of the respective river watershed dynamics.     

三峡库区典型干-支流相互作用过程中的营养盐交换:以梅溪河为例

三峡水库建成以后,梅溪河库湾多次发生水华现象,为研究干流水体倒灌对库湾营养盐的影响,于2012年8月至2013年7月对受干流回水影响的梅溪河进行了详细的现场监测.结果表明,三峡水库在不同的水位调度时期,梅溪河库湾水体均表现为分层异向流动;受长江干流倒灌影响,梅溪河库湾营养盐分布季节变化显著,DIN的年倒灌净通量约为5 478.02 t,DIP的年倒灌净通量约为234.04 t,DSi的年倒灌净通量约为5 935.22 t,长江干流每年对梅溪河DIN、DIP、DSi的补给量分别约为源头输入量的2.37倍、4.32倍和1.33倍;干流倒灌对库湾营养盐分布的影响不仅局限在河口区域,对梅溪河中上游的营养盐分布也将造成影响,干流倒灌对库湾P的补给将对库湾P限制起到缓解作用,为藻类的暴发提供必要条件.     

库湾营养盐循环对三峡库区营养盐输运的影响:以草堂河为例

三峡水库蓄水后,库区众多支流下游形成库湾回水区,这些库湾回水区是库区水环境调整最为活跃的地区.为了探究支流库湾对于库区生源要素循环及物质通量的作用和意义,于2012年8月~2013年7月对草堂河库湾、相邻干流、支流上游水体中溶解态无机氮(DIN)、溶解态无机磷(DIP)、溶解态硅酸盐(DSi)的时空分布进行逐月现场观测.结果表明,草堂河库湾回水区营养盐的浓度与库区干流相近,二者的月变化趋势也高度一致.干流输入是库湾DIN、DIP、DSi的主要来源.草堂河库湾与干流连通性很好,干支流水体交换迅速且充分,其影响可到达库湾回水区的末端.春、夏季,干流输入的营养盐通过表层生产力在库湾截留,秋、冬季库湾中的营养盐释放并输送到干流.营养盐在库湾的这种循环过程,在一定程度上改变了库区干流不同季节营养盐输送的节律.库区支流库湾众多,其对干流物质通量的季节调配作用不容忽视.     

Effects of warm water inflows on the dispersion of pollutants in small reservoirs

The effects of the warm water discharged by a nuclear power plant (NPP) into a small reservoir are studied. A case study is presented (José Cabrera NPP-Zorita Hidráulica Reservoir) with experimental data of the reservoir stratification and predicted data of the dispersion of radioactive pollutants from operative or accidental releases. The vertical and longitudinal temperature profiles, electrical conductivity and transparency of the reservoir water were measured for an annual cycle. The results indicate that the continuous warm water discharge from the NPP causes permanent and artificial reservoir stratification. The stratification is significant within 1500 m upstream and 1000 m downstream from the warm water outfall. The pollutant dispersion has been predicted by using a flow model based on N(T) perfect-mixing compartments in series with feedback. The model parameter, N(T), is calculated from the longitudinal diffusion coefficient. The prediction of pollutant dispersion by means of this model shows that the stratification slows down the vertical mixing in the whole water body, and reduces the reservoir volume that is effective for the dilution and dispersion of pollutants. This means that, in the case of a radioactive pollutant release, the reservoir radioactivity level could increase significantly.     

NUMERICAL MODELING OF THERMAL STRATIFICATION IN A RESERVOIR WITH LARGE DISCHARGE-TO-VOLUME RATIO1

ABSTRACT: A numerical model study of thermal stratification in a high discharge-to-volume reservoir is described. Predicted temperature profiles are compared with field data for two different years. The model accurately predicts the date of fall turnover, and predicts degree of stratification and depth of the thermocline within about 20% for both years simulated. A parametric study of stratification mechanics for a high flow reservoir indicated that diffusion was the predominant heat transport mechanism in the hypolimnion, while surface effects dominated the epilimnion. Flow effects for the particular case studied, in which all inflows and outflows occur in the epilimnion, did not significantly affect stratification behavior.     

Management of Sedimentation in Tropical Watersheds

/ The sedimentation of reservoirs is a serious problem throughout the tropics, yet most attempts to control sedimentation in large river basins have not been very successful. Reliable information on erosion rates and sources of sediments has been lacking. In regions where geologically unstable terrain combines with high rainfall, natural erosion rates might be so high that the effects of human activity are limited. Estimates of natural erosion in these situations often have been poor because of the episodic nature of most erosion during large storms and because mass-wasting may supply much of the sediment. The predominance of mass-wasting in some watersheds can result in an unexpectedly high ratio of bedload to suspended load, shifting sedimentation to "live" rather than "dead" storage within reservoirs. Furthermore, the inappropriate use of the Universal Soil Loss Equation to assess the effectiveness of erosion control measures has led to inaccurate estimates of the sediment reduction benefits that could accrue to watershed treatment efforts. Although reducing erosion from cultivated areas is desirable for other reasons, efforts aimed at reducing reservoir sedimentation by controlling agricultural sources of erosion may have limited benefits if the principal sources are of natural origin or are associated with construction of the dams and reservoirs and with rural roads and trails. Finally, the most appropriate locations for watershed rehabilitation depend on the magnitude of temporary storage of colluvium and alluvium within the river basin: Where storage volume is large and residence time of sediment very long, reducing agricultural erosion may have limited impacts on sedimentation within the expected life of a reservoir. Systematic development and analysis of sediment budgets for representative watersheds is needed to address these limitations and thereby improve both the planning of river basin development schemes and the allocation of resources towards reducing sedimentation. When sedimentation of reservoirs is the key issue, sediment budgets must focus especially on channel transport rates and sediment delivery from hillsides. Sediment budgets are especially critical for tropical areas where project funds and technical help are limited. Once sediment budgets are available, watershed managers will be able to direct erosion control programs towards locations where they will be most effective. KEY WORDS: Tropical watersheds; Sedimentation; Reservoirs; Erosion control     

Brazil’s Samuel Dam: Lessons for Hydroelectric Development Policy and the Environment in Amazonia

Brazil’s Samuel Dam, which formed a 540-km² reservoir in the state of Rondônia in 1988, provides lessons for development decisions throughout Amazonia and in other tropical areas. The decision to build the dam was heavily influenced by its role in the political strategies of key decision makers. Samuel illustrates both impacts and benefits of electricity supply and the dilemmas facing decision makers regarding the various options for planned electricity generation. Environmental costs included flooding forest and stimulating illegal logging activity throughout western Amazonia because of an exception opened for Samuel in Brazil’s prohibition of export of raw logs. Samuel emitted substantially more greenhouse gases than would have been emitted by generating the same amount of electricity from oil. Contamination of fish in the reservoir resulted from methylation of mercury present in the soil. Social costs of the dam included resettlement of 238 families of farmers; impacts on indigenous people were indirect. Mitigating measures included faunal rescue and creation of a forest reserve. The lessons of Samuel include the need to consider a full range of alternatives prior to making decisions in practice and the importance of adhering to the logical sequence of decision making, where information is gathered and compared prior to the decision. It also shows the need to maintain flexibility when the costs and benefits of different alternatives change significantly over the course of the project’s planning and execution, as occurred at Samuel.     

Analysis of potential impacts to resident fish from Columbia River System Operation alternatives

The US Army Corps of Engineers, the US Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bonneville Power Administration initiated the Columbia River System Operation Review (SOR) in 1990. The SOR will assist agencies in comparing the benefits and risks to Columbia River uses and natural resources from alternative strategies for using Columbia River water. Focusing on 14 federal dams within the basin, the agencies are attempting to improve on the efficient and coordinated use of the Columbia River system. An initial screening of all potential strategies of reservoir operation was necessary to reduce the number of possibilities to a limited set for detailed analysis. To that end, the Resident Fish Work Group of the SOR developed spreadsheet models capable of assessing the impacts of different management strategies on resident fish at six storage reservoirs. The models include biological, physical, and hydrological relationships important to resident fish specific to each reservoir. Alternatives that kept the reservoirs near full pool and held stable during the growing season resulted in positive benefits to resident fish at all locations modeled. Conversely, alternatives designed to improve anadromous fish survival with increased instream flow generally had a negative impact on the resident fish in the reservoirs modeled. The models developed for resident fish in the screening analysis phase of the SOR were useful in assessing the relative impact to resident fish from a large number of alternatives. The screening analysis demonstrated that future analytical efforts must consider trade-offs among river uses/resource groups, among reservoirs throughout the basin, and among resident fish species within a reservoir.Pacific Northwest Laboratory is operated by Battelle Memorial Institute for the US Department of Energy under contract DE-AC06-76RLO 1830.