Analysis of Shear Stress and Stream Power Spatial Distributions for Detection of Operational Problems in the Stare Miasto Reservoir

Joanna Wicher-Dysarz

doi:10.3390/w11040691

Abstract

In this paper an analysis of the lowland reservoir operation in atypical conditions is presented. The chosen study object is the Stare Miasto reservoir in the Powa river (Poland), which has been in operation since 2006. It is a two-stage reservoir, consisting of an upper sedimentation part and a lower main reservoir. The upper part is separated from the main part by an internal dam with a sluice gate. Such a construction enabled better control of sediment deposits and their removal. The atypical conditions were caused by flood wave propagation in the Powa river and the reservoir in 2014. In the research, three reservoir bathymetries are analyzed—from 2006, 2013, and 2018. Two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic modeling is applied to analyze spatial variability of investigated hydraulic parameters. Such an approach enabled better recognition of the changes observed in the reservoir during 2006–2018. In the research, the spatial distributions of the velocities, the shear stresses, and the stream power are the basis for the analyses and comparisons. The simulations enabled identification of the main elements prone to collapse during flood wave propagation. The presented results and approach may be applied for improvement of reservoir design, with special emphasis on specific structures located in a reservoir basin.

Highlights

This paper presents the problem of reservoir operation in the specific conditions of lowland areas.The paper focuses on special type of reservoir, whose construction has become rather popular
The spatial distributions of the velocities, the shear stresses, and the stream power are the basis for the analyses and comparisons
On the basis of 2018. Two-dimensional (2D) simulations, the depths, flow velocities, shear stresses, and stream power were determined for the entire reservoir with each of the three different bathymetries

Summary

Introduction

This paper presents the problem of reservoir operation in the specific conditions of lowland areas. The paper focuses on special type of reservoir, whose construction has become rather popular. These are two-stage reservoirs, consisting of a preliminary sedimentation zone and a main zone. The main zone stores water for basic purposes of reservoir operation. The popularity of the two-stage reservoir is related to the fact that its construction reflects the nature of the reservoir sedimentation process. This feature simplifies removal of sediments without raising additional problems in the reservoir operation. Because in the past such solutions were not very popular and have become quite popular recently, the functioning of two-stage reservoirs is not understood at a satisfactory level

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