Sediment control strategies for sustainable water intake

Abstract

The negative effect of sediment on hydraulic structures makes sustainability one of the most important things to consider in designing and operating of such structures. Intakes and pumping stations need a suitable strategy for that purpose. A proposed strategy of pumping rate control is evaluated in this study. Also, sub-watershed sediment control and the use of earth dykes are also examined. A suitable control code of the SSIIM2 model was prepared to simulate the flow and sediment of a pumping station at Mosul dam reservoir as a case study, which suffers from sedimentation problems. The results indicate that the maximum pumping rate increased the amount of sediment withdrawn by about 16% compared to a reference value at 25% pumping capacity, and the variation in the amount deposited in front of the intake was ±3%. The seasonal flow of the sub-watershed has a significant effect on the reservoir's sediment concentration, but it is limited to the rainfall period and the zone of flow near the sub-watershed outlets. The most effective strategy was a dyke with a suitable pumping rate. Siting the dyke correctly helps to reduce sediment deposition in front of and inside the structure by about 47 and 42%, respectively.