Research Method of Silting the Mountain Reservoirs Under the Current Climate Change

Giorgi Metreveli

doi:10.11648/j.wros.20160502.11

Abstract

The mountain reservoirs are an accumulator of the processing products of river banks and sediments. These elements form the silting prism and its bench, which are located in the reservoir and the riverbeds of the tributaries. As a result, there is increased riverbeds and there are a number of catastrophic flooding risk and deficit of the beach-forming sediment on the sea coast. The aim of our research is the estimation of accumulation of solid material in the reservoirs and tributaries, as well as a change of channel processes. In order to study the sedimentation prism-formation and equilibrium bad processes, the method of field experiment is proposed, which was used in the mountain reservoirs of Georgia. For analysis of obtained results were used the methods of mathematical statistics - least square method and differential calculus. The experiment showed that the final result of the reservoirs' silting is an accumulative terrace, which produced an equilibrium alluvial bed. Fractional distribution of sediments in silting prism is determined by reservoir control type and intra-annual distribution of fluvial sediments. The network of sediment extraction quarries has to be located along the reservoir taking into account this principle.

Highlights

The current climate change has strengthened processes of sea shore abrasions and mountain reservoir sedimentation
Natural experiment is a highly effective means for monitoring the formation process of water reservoir SR and equilibrium bed (EB) and study of their functional relations with tributaries’ parameters, especially under conditions of time shortage. Thanks to these experiments is possible to gather in short span of time cognitive and application information on designed water reservoirs that will allow population to avoid the risks of catastrophic floods, will reduce a lack of knowledge on mountain reservoirs and thereby the science will get a new necessary and effective tool for designing
One part of fine-grained sediments distributed by the flow across the whole water reservoir, forms accumulative layer, while the rest of sediments follow let out water to the tailrace; Annual volume of material participating in the formation of silting prism (SP) and its bench is diminishing in time

Summary

Introduction

The current climate change has strengthened processes of sea shore abrasions and mountain reservoir sedimentation. High values of mountain reservoirs condition the current boom of construction of these facilities worldwide. Studies of reservoir silting worldwide, including Georgia are carried out starting from the 30’s of the last century. The basic goal of these studies was the determination of operating time for the reservoirs, creation of calculation methodology of accumulated sediment volume and description of processes taking place in tailrace [1]. Fundamental studies on issues of reservoirs silting producing energy were carried out in Georgia [5], where the goal was an elaboration of the method of sediments’ washout from reservoirs. Interesting studies were conducted regarding reservoir ecology [6]

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Conclusion