Sediment redistribution due to a dense reservoir network in a large semi-arid Brazilian basin

Abstract

This paper investigates for a 25-year period the sediment distribution in a semi-arid Brazilian basin (2 × 104 km2) with a network containing more than 4000 surface reservoirs. The methodology is based on rating curves and fitted parameters derived from field data. The results showed that suspended load corresponded to 70% of the total sediment yield (148 t km-2 year-1). The relatively low contribution of the suspended load (compared with other semi-arid regions) was attributed to the impact of the numerous upstream reservoirs, which retained 235 t km-2 year-1. The micro (<1 hm3), small (1–10 hm3), medium-sized (10–50 hm3), and large or strategic (>50 hm3) reservoirs responded to, respectively, 5, 17, 30 and 48% of the total sediment retention by the reservoir network. This indicates that retention in the non-strategic reservoirs has a positive impact on water availability, since siltation of the strategic reservoirs would be expected to more than double if only such reservoirs existed. Citation Lima Neto, I. E., Wiegand, M. C. & de Araújo, J. C. (2011) Sediment redistribution due to a dense reservoir network in a large semi-arid Brazilian basin. Hydrol. Sci. J. 56(2), 319–333.