Development of Sustainable Integrated Design Framework for Stream Restoration

Kidoo Park,Kil Lee

doi:10.3390/su11030674

Abstract

This study analyzed the elements of previously published stream restoration guidelines by clarifying the definition of stream restoration classified for various purposes. The purpose of this study was to establish a sustainable integrated design framework for stream restoration that supplemented the limited scope of application and the resulting problems. Stream restoration procedures were established using the method of securing water resources applied with the integrated watershed management in order to effectively and feasibly recover the modified stream, to resolve the water shortage problem, and to effectively restore the ecosystem due to climate change. An 11-step stream restoration procedure was established in three phases including the pre-restoration design phase, the restoration design phase, and the detailed design phase. Furthermore, the three stages were classified into hydrologic and hydraulic plan, geomorphic and sediment transport plan, and ecological and environmental plan depending on the direction of stream restoration, and the procedure for stream restoration was proposed to prevent river restoration from being biased toward a specific goal. An integrated design framework for stream restoration could be established by allowing the proposed stream restoration design procedures (e.g., three phases and three plans) and the elements to be carried out using numerical models for an effective design in establishing river restoration plans. Lastly, it was possible to quantify the problems of existing stream restoration by applying this stream restoration framework to the existing river restoration project and guideline report. As a result, the existing stream restoration project could be used as base data that could provide directions to supplement the weaknesses of the existing stream restoration project and provide directions for the new river restoration projects in the future.

Highlights

Until recently, Korea’s projects for channel adjustments or channel modification have been mainly emphasized for flood control and water supply, as it has been a critical issue of protecting human life from heavy floods and severe droughts for the past three decades
The pre-restoration design phase was comprised of three steps: data survey and establishment of goals of stream restoration project, flow analysis based on Integrated Watershed Method (IWM) project for target stream, and setting Hydrologic and Hydraulic (H&H), geomorphic and sediment transport, and E&E conditions
The two examples analyzed in this study did not take into account the IWM at all even though the various water shortages caused by the urban stream were serious

Summary

Introduction

Korea’s projects for channel adjustments or channel modification have been mainly emphasized for flood control and water supply, as it has been a critical issue of protecting human life from heavy floods and severe droughts for the past three decades. The functions of flood management and water resource utilization for the purpose of stream restoration were not properly considered, which resulted in severe flooding and instream flow depletion [1,7]. In another case of actual restoration, stream restoration was aimed to improve the river waterfront but only the landscape-oriented stream restoration was carried out rather than the engineering considerations of ecological and flood control [8]. Despite growing interest in integrated restoration, few cases of restoration met all the objectives of ecological, environmental, hydraulic, and hydrologic restoration [12,13]

Objectives

Results

Conclusion