Quantifying the effects of water management decisions on streambank stability

Abstract

Both natural processes and human activities alter streamflow conditions, which can significantly affect streambank erosion and stability, leading to consequences such as sedimentation of reservoirs, contamination of streams, loss of productive land, and damage to infrastructure. Hydrological conditions, which are often controlled by water management decisions and infrastructure (e.g., reservoirs and dams), are a major factor affecting streambank erosion and stability. Extensive research has explored the relationships between hydrology, water management, and streambank stability. However, limited studies directly address the impacts of water management decisions, particularly reservoir operations, on the driving mechanisms of streambank stability such as changes in pore water pressure, pressure differentials between the surface and subsurface, and gravitational forces versus shear stress. This study builds upon these existing concepts by integrating them into a model that accounts for both the effects of water management and inherent hydrologic conditions on streambank stability.The module estimates streambank stability using a factor of safety approach, with hydrologic conditions derived from an established integrated hydrologic model, HydroGeoSphere, coupled with the surface water operations model, OASIS. This module is validated and then demonstrated using simulations from the Lower Republican River Basin in Kansas, United States. Results indicate that several water management decisions, such as groundwater pumping and timing of reservoir releases, may negatively affect streambank stability by changing pore water pressure, the weight of the bank material, and the pressure differential between the surface and the subsurface. Given that most of the rivers and streams of the world are regulated by reservoir operations, this work demonstrates that water management practices need to be considered in simulations of streambank stability.