Simulating the Effects of Reservoir Management Strategies on Fluvial Erosion

Abstract

Although sediment is one of the most common causes of stream impairment in the United States, soil erosion is not integrated into many surface water management models. In this work, a module is developed to estimate fluvial erosion within an existing surface water optimization model. This model is applied to the Lower Republican River Basin in Kansas to demonstrate the effects of climate scenarios and water management strategies on water shortages and sediment loads. Results indicate water shortage varies most under different water management strategies, whereas fluvial erosion varies most under different climate scenarios. Fluvial erosion results are highly sensitive to streambank parameters, demonstrating the importance of measuring these parameters and quantifying their uncertainty. This novel modeling approach provides a computationally efficient method of estimating both water shortages and sediment load within one framework and demonstrates the benefit of considering water shortages and fluvial erosion when making water management decisions.