Hydrodynamic characteristics of Wujiangdu Reservoir during the dry season—a case study of a canyon reservoir

Abstract

With the development of hydropower in the karst area of Southwest China, a series of cascade canyon reservoirs have been formed through the construction of dams. Given that hydrodynamic conditions in canyon reservoirs play a pivotal role in controlling the spatiotemporal distribution of physical and chemical properties of the stored water, hydrodynamic characteristics are of great importance in understanding biogeochemical cycles in those reservoirs. To further this understanding, a field campaign was conducted in the Wujiangdu Reservoir of Guizhou Province. It was found that from the reservoir inlet to the front of the dam, velocity (v) was negatively correlated and had a logarithmic relationship with distance along the ship track (s) under dry-season flow conditions [v = −0.104ln (s) + 0.4756]. Analysis showed that dry-season flow velocity had no significant correlation with water temperature, pH, or dissolved oxygen (DO). However, when velocity decreased to 0.061 m/s, water depth increased abruptly. In addition, DO displayed a sudden drop and the trend in pH changed from increasing to decreasing, while water temperature showed an opposite trend, indicating the existence of a transition zone from the river to the reservoir.