Sediment distribution and its impacts on Hirakud Reservoir (India) storage capacity

Abstract

AbstractConstruction of dams causes reduced flow velocities, inducing gradual deposition of sediments carried by the inflowing stream, and resulting in sedimentation and ultimately diminishing reservoir storage capacity. This study focuses on sedimentation of Hirakud Reservoir in Odisha, India, using available reservoir capacity and numerical simulation data. Reduced trap efficiency, observed and projected capacity curves, rising reservoir bed level and the capacities of the different storage zones for various projected years are analysed. The area‐reduction method indicates the loss in the live, gross and dead storage will be 58%, 63% and 100%, respectively, of their original capacities by 2057, which represents 100 years of impounding of water in the reservoir. If the present sediment inflow rate continues without regular flushing of the deposited sediment, it is predicted the reservoir bed level will rise to the full reservoir level of 192.02 m by the year 2110. Brune's trap efficiency and step method indicate the gross storage zone of Hirakud Reservoir will be completely depleted by the end of 2110, with the trap efficiency reduced to zero. The empirical area‐reduction method is found to be more suitable for determining the storage capacities of Hirakud Reservoir in the absence of sedimentation survey data. An attempt was also made to solve the combined hydrodynamic and sediment transport equations numerically to predict morphological changes in Hirakud Reservoir. The finite‐element code TELEMAC‐2D and finite‐volume code for SISYPHE, respectively, were applied to solve the above set of equations in order to predict the bed profiles at different reservoir cross sections for the period of 1958–2008. Analysis of the simulated results demonstrates that, considering the model inputs, the model performs well in simulating the morphology and dynamic characteristics of a reservoir. Projection of the numerical results indicates a complete loss of reservoir operational life due to sedimentation by around 2150.