Abstract
Dam instability and loss of storage capacity are just a few of many problems caused by reservoir sedimentation. With over 5000 large dams in India the impact of reservoir sedimentation is significant and therefore sediment management is of crucial importance. Where the majority of the dams have been clogged up during the past decades, the active removal of sediment from these reservoirs by dredging is necessary to regain its capacity. Sediment removal by dredging is a costly process. However, these costs can be reduced by implementing an innovative circular sediment management plan. By re-using the dredged sediments instead of disposing it as a waste product additional revenue could be generated. A consortium of Dutch companies are preparing a full-scale pilot project to implement the circular sediment management plan for reservoir dredging in India. This paper gives a brief overview of the projected pilot including a circular sediment management plan and a technical approach of the proposed dredging method.
Highlights
Most natural rivers have a more or less balanced sediment inflow and outflow
The global net amount of reservoir storage space has been decreasing in recent years because reservoir sediment management was not standard practice in the past [3]
This trend is the result of a decrease in the rate at which reservoir storage has been added since about 1980 and the continued loss of storage space to reservoir sedimentation, Figure 1
Summary
Dam construction dramatically affects this balance [1] This creates an impounded reservoir which results in extremely low flow velocities and sediment trapping. The global net amount of reservoir storage space has been decreasing in recent years because reservoir sediment management was not standard practice in the past [3]. Siltation causes besides a decrease in operating losses (calculated on the basis of storage capacity) in many cases a decrease in the drinking water stock in a time with a growing need of drinking water caused by urbanization Beside these local challenges, there is a worldwide exhaustion of raw materials and an increasing need for water safety. Jannes Kamphuis and Kristian Meerse: Integrated Sediment Management in Rivers and Reservoirs
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