Water Project Construction Research Articles

The Impact of Large-Scale Water Diversion Projects on the Water Supply Network: A Case Study in Southwest China

The uneven spatial and temporal distribution of water resources has consistently been one of the most significant limiting factors for social development in many regions. Furthermore, with the intensification of climate change, this inequality is progressively widening, posing a critical challenge to the sustainable development of human societies. The construction of large-scale water projects has become one of the crucial means to address the contradictions between water supply and demand. Thus, evaluating the functional aspects of water source network structures and systematically planning the layout of engineering measures in a scientifically reasonable manner are pressing issues that require urgent attention in current research efforts. Addressing this, our study takes the Erhai Lake basin and the surrounding areas in southwest China as the study area and combines landscape ecology and network analysis theory methods to propose a water supply network analysis method that takes into account both structure and node characteristics. Based on this methodology, we analyze the connectivity characteristics of water supply networks in the Erhai region under current (2020) and future (2035) planning scenarios. The results show that there were 215 nodes and 216 links in the water supply network of the Erhai Lake basin in 2020; with the implementation of a series of water conservancy projects, the planned 2035 water supply network will increase by 122 nodes and 163 links, and the connectivity of the regional water network will be significantly improved. Also, we identify some key nodes in the network, and the results show that the water supply network in 2035 will have obvious decentralization characteristics compared with that in 2020. And, based on the network degradation analysis, we find that with the implementation of engineering measures, the resilience of the water supply network will be significantly strengthened by 2035, with stronger risk tolerance. This study extends the quantitative representation of water source network characteristics, which can provide a useful reference for water network structure planning and optimization.

بناء السدود والمشاريع المائية على الأنهار وحكمها في الشريعة الإسلامية واتفاقية الأمم المتحدة لعام 1997م (دراسة فقهية وقانونية مقارنة)

This article aims to explain the issue of building dams and water projects, which is an important and burning issue these days. Because water in general, and river water in particular, play a major role in human life. Moreover, the importance of river water has increased dramatically as a result of an increase in the world population and the use of water as an essential element of human development in various fields such as agriculture, industry, drinking, household, etc. Each country seeks to obtain a sufficient share of fresh water and constantly endeavours to build and construct dams and huge water projects on national and international rivers. However, this may stir up disputes between the riparian states. Having said that, this issue requires to clarify the position of Islamic law and international law particularly the 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses relating to the construction of dams and water projects on rivers, especially international rivers, find a concrete solution to this problem.

A Data Management Model for Intelligent Water Project Construction Based on Blockchain

The engineering construction-related data is essential for evaluating and tracing project quality in industry 4.0. Specifically, the preservation of the information is of great significance to the safety of intelligent water projects. This paper proposes a blockchain-based data management model for intelligent water projects to achieve standardization management and long-term preservation of archives. Based on studying the concrete production process in water conservancy project construction, we first build a behavioral model and the corresponding role assignment strategy to describe the standardized production process. Then, a distributed blockchain data structure for storing the production-related files is designed according to the model and strategy. In addition, to provide trust repository and transfer on the construction data, an intelligent keyless signature based on edge computing is employed to manage the data’s entry, modification, and approval. Finally, standardized and secure information is uploaded onto the blockchain to supervise intelligent water project construction quality and safety effectively. The experiments showed that the proposed model reduced the time and labor cost when generating the production data and ensured the security and traceability of the electronic archiving of the documents. Blockchain and intelligent keyless signatures jointly provide new data sharing and trading methods in intelligent water systems.

Storage and Regulation of River Flows by Dams and Reservoirs

Water management in Texas is driven by dramatic spatial and temporal hydrologic variability, continual rapid population growth, declining groundwater supplies, and intensifying demands on surface water resources. Dams and reservoirs are essential for providing reliable water supplies and reducing flood risks. Numerous reservoir projects, most constructed during the 1940s through 1980s era of large scale water project construction nationwide, are operated throughout the state to store and regulate extremely variable river flows for beneficial purposes. This paper explores river system hydrology in Texas, operation of dams and reservoirs statewide to deal with extreme flow fluctuations, and associated complexities, issues, and water management strategies. The central focus of the paper is the role of large reservoirs in managing hydrologic variability and associated future uncertainty in an environment of growing demands on limited resources. Received 18 October 2019, Accepted 5 January 2021, Published online 22 February 2021 Citation: Wurbs RA. 2021. Storage and regulation of river flows by dams and reservoirs. Texas Water Journal. 12(1):10-29. Available from: https://doi.org/10.21423/twj.v12i1.7106.

Inverted Normal Quality Gain-Loss Function and Its Application in Water Project Construction

Nie, X.T.; Liu, C., and Wang, B., 2020. Inverted normal quality gain-loss function and its application in water project construction. In: Guido Aldana, P.A. and Kantamaneni, K. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Coastal Management, and Marine Science Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 104, pp. 415–420. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.As the existing quality gain-loss function is not able to solve the boundless problem in engineering practice, an inverted normal quality gain-loss function is proposed. This function is based on the characteristics of inverted normal function. Considering the variable situation of the quality compensation, the hyperbolic tangent compensation quality gain-loss function is established, and in which a quality gain-loss function with larger-the-better characteristic and smaller-the-better characteristic is designed. In view of the interaction between the characteristics of product quality, a multivariate quality gain-loss function model is also established. Through empirical analysis, the gain-loss function model is proved to be feasible.

Amazon Development and the Political Economy of Water

One of the main processes of politico-economic change in the Amazon Region today is the construction of large-scale water projects, especially for hydroelectricity generation and river navigation (associated with export-oriented agribusiness and mining). The article discusses resource grabbing and environmental injustices through a cultural, political economy framework to assess the main direction and the internal dimensions of development trends. Water projects are assessed concerning the contradictory advance of modernity, the ramifications of corrupted practices and the narrow basis of a prevailing technocratic and reductionist rationality.

Frazil ice jam risk assessment method for water transfer projects based on design scheme

Abstract Frazil ice jam risk assessment is an important method to improve the operational safety of water transfer projects. A frazil ice jam assessment method was developed based on project design conditions to ensure the risk level of frazil ice jam. A frazil ice jam risk assessment indicator system was incorporated into the method that included three first-level indicators, such as ice production, special hydraulic structure and basic design parameters, and 17 third-level indicators for calculation analysis. Then, a standard assessment system was proposed, and an analytic hierarchy process method was used to determine the magnitude of the frazil ice jam risk. Finally, the method was used to study the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (MRSNWDP) from the Guyunhe to Beijumahe canals. The results showed that all of the canal pools had frazil ice jam risk levels between III and IV, of which approximately 15% of the pools have risk level IV, and the canal pools with risk level IV were reported to have ice jam incidents, and it suggested that the ice condition prediction, engineering operation process in winter, engineering measures for disaster reduction and emergency plan refinement need to be strengthened for the pools with risk level IV. Therefore, the method of frazil ice jam risk assessment based on project design conditions can perform well in both the built-operating stage and the design stage of water transfer projects. Frazil ice jam risk prevention is a task through the full life-cycle of water project construction, it is necessary to do risk assessment work at design stage, and the work should be written into the national standard.

Elementary discussion on construction technology of foundation treatment for water conservancy and hydropower projects

Human life is inseparable from water resources, and human development is inseparable from electric energy. Water conservancy and hydropower project plays a very important role in all stages of human development, whether it is power generation, irrigation, flood control or drainage, which can not be separated from the construction of water and hydropower projects. This paper briefly discusses and analyzes the basic treatment construction techniques for water conservancy and hydropower projects, giving full play to the key role of water conservancy and hydropower projects in the development of national economy.

Elementary discussion on construction technology of foundation treatment for water conservancy and hydropower projects

Human life is inseparable from water resources, and human development is inseparable from electric energy. Water conservancy and hydropower project plays a very important role in all stages of human development, whether it is power generation, irrigation, flood control or drainage, which can not be separated from the construction of water and hydropower projects. This paper briefly discusses and analyzes the basic treatment construction techniques for water conservancy and hydropower projects, giving full play to the key role of water conservancy and hydropower projects in the development of national economy.

Risks Involved in Using Alternative Project Delivery (APD) Methods in Water and Wastewater Projects

There are risks involved in the design and construction of projects, and several studies have been conducted in identifying the risks involved in using traditional delivery method (Design Bid Build) in the design and construction of the projects. However, little research has been done in identifying the risks involved in using Alternative Project Delivery (APD) methods in the design and construction of water and wastewater projects. The identification of these risks could assist in improving project performance of future projects that use APD methods. A survey was conducted to identify the risks involved in using APD methods for the design and construction of water and wastewater projects. The respondents of the survey were owners, policy makers, utility managers and project managers who had used APD methods for their water and wastewater projects. The survey results showed that the top three risks in using APD methods were ‘discomfort with change from traditional delivery method’, ‘lack of qualified personnel within the organization’, and ‘loss of control of the design process’. One of the recommended approaches provided by the respondents to address these risks was to educate the owners’ policy makers and project staffs regarding the APD methods.

Socioeconomic Factors Hindering the Participation of Women in Managing Water Resources in Kajiado County, Kenya

The important role women play in water resources management has been recognized for a long time globally and in most societies, they are the ones primarily responsible for the management of household water supply and sanitation. In these societies, women also play the role of family care givers in terms of provision of food, nutrition, clean water and sanitation. Due to these roles, they depend directly on the availability of water resources and have therefore accumulated considerable knowledge on water in terms of location, quality and storage methods. Despite the significant roles that women play in water resources management, they face various challenges that hinder them from effectively participating in its management in various parts of the world. The purpose of this study was to examine the various socioeconomic factors inhibiting the participation of women in managing water in three Divisions of Kajiado County in Kenya. Semi structured questionnaires, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and direct observations were used to collect data. The key factors found to affect the participation of women in water resources management were cultural practices, gender inequalities, lack of formal education, poor access to water sources and lack of decision making power and land ownership rights. It is recommended that concerted efforts be made to educate the local community, improve access to water sources through construction of multipurpose water projects and gender mainstreaming in water resources management in the County.

Study on the Problems and Countermeasures of Rural Drinking Water Safety Engineering Construction and Management in China

The construction of China's rural drinking water safety project to have achieved stage results was summarized, and has analyzed the problems of the direction of investment and money management to be not clear, the project legal person subject to be unknown, project bidding to be not real, construction quality to be not high, poor operation and management in China rural safe drinking water project construction and management. The countermeasures have been put forward to solve the problems.

Zooplankton in highly regulated rivers: Changing with water environment

The Huai River Basin (HRB) of China is well-known globally for the extent of severe human activities (e.g., waste disposal and water project construction) which have resulted in severe water pollution and subsequently degraded water ecosystem quality in recent decades. However, influence of water pollution on water ecosystems has not yet been fully realized due to lack of water ecosystem data. In food webs of freshwater ecosystems, zooplankton occupy a critical position but they are highly susceptible to pollutants and temperature which in turn impact the community structure and biodiversity of zooplankton to a great extent. This paper aimed to assess impact of water chemistry variation on zooplankton through ecological-niche models and spatial heterogeneity of zooplankton along with water chemistry in the HRB. We investigated the impacts of nine dominant water chemistry indicators on zooplankton distribution and composition via ecological niche models based on water chemistry status and zooplankton communities at 71 typical sites of the HRB. A fuzzy clustering method (FCM) was employed to help study the impact characteristics and the spatial heterogeneity. Results indicate that across the nine water chemistry indicators, changes in water temperature has minimal impact on the zooplankton community of the Huai River while small variation in ammonia–nitrogen exerts significant stress on the community; with respect to water temperature and total phosphorous zooplankton species in the HRB are coexisting with little competition; as to spatial heterogeneity of zooplankton communities, communities in the southwest and southeast mountainous regions may adapt well to habitat variations, while those in the middle and northeast areas have a weak adaptability to habitat changes. We concluded that in highly polluted rivers with large spatial heterogeneity of water chemistry, like the Huai River, ammonia–nitrogen exerted great stress on the zooplankton community in nonlinear way with too high or low concentration of ammonia–nitrogen leading to reduction in abundance of zooplankton; zooplankton communities in the HRB is mainly impacted by pollutant instead of water-temperature. All these can provide scientific support for future restoration and wise water resources planning and management in the Huai River.

Biomphalaria alexandrina in Egypt: Past, present and future

The African species of Biomphalaria appeared as a result of the relatively recent west-to-east trans-Atlantic dispersal of the Biomphalaria glabrata-like taxon. In Egypt, Biomphalaria alexandrina is the intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni. Biomphalaria alexandrina originated in the area between Alexandria and Rosetta and has historically been confined to the Nile Delta. Schistosoma mansoni reached Egypt via infected slaves and baboons from the Land of Punt through migrations that occurred as early as the Vth Dynasty. The suggestion of the presence of Schistosoma mansoni infection in Lower Egypt during Pharaonic times is discussed despite the fact that that there is no evidence of such infection in Egyptian mummies. It is only recently that Biomphalaria alexandrina colonized the Egyptian Nile from the Delta to Lake Nasser. This change was likely due to the construction of huge water projects, the development of new water resources essential for land reclamation projects and the movement of refugees from the Suez Canal zone to the Delta and vice versa. The situation with respect to Biomphalaria in Egypt has become complicated in recent years by the detection of Biomphalaria glabrata and a hybrid between both species; however, follow-up studies have demonstrated the disappearance of such species within Egypt. The National Schistosoma Control Program has made great strides with respect to the eradication of schistosoma; however, there has unfortunately been a reemergence of Schistosoma mansoni resistant to praziquantel. There are numerous factors that may influence the prevalence of snails in Egypt, including the construction of water projects, the increase in reclaimed areas, global climate change and pollution. Thus, continued field studies in addition to the cooperation of several scientists are needed to obtain an accurate representation of the status of this species. In addition, the determination of the genome sequence for Biomphalaria alexandrina and the use of modern technology will allow for the study of the host-parasite relationship at a molecular level.

Water conservancy projects in China: Achievements, challenges and way forward

China's water policies in the past decades have relied heavily on the construction of massive water conservancy projects in the form of dams and reservoirs, water transfer projects, and irrigation infrastructure. These facilities have brought tremendous economic and social benefits but also posed many adverse impacts on the eco-environment and society. With the intensification of water scarcity, China's future water conservancy development is facing tremendous challenge of supporting the continuous economic development while protecting the water resources and the dependent ecosystems. This paper provides an overview of China's water conservancy development, and illustrates the socioeconomic, environmental and ecological impacts. A narrative of attitude changes of the central government towards water conservancy, as well as key measures since the 1950s is presented. The strategic water resources management plan set by the central government in its Document No. 1 of 2011 is elaborated with focus on the three stringent controlling “redlines” concerning national water use, water use efficiency and water pollution and the huge investments poised to finance their implementation. We emphasize that realizing the goals set in the strategic plan requires paradigm shifts of the water conservancy development towards maximizing economic and natural capitals, prioritizing investment to preserve intact ecosystems and to restore degraded ecosystems, adapting climate change, balancing construction of new water projects and rejuvenation of existing projects, and managing both “blue” (surface/groundwater) and “green” water (soil water).

Hydraulic Structure Design Concept and Practice - Tacheng Reservoir Project in Xinjiang as an Example

The hydraulic structure visual forms are both a water project construction component, but also the important contents in the design of hydraulic structures. So that at the same time to satisfy the engineering function, given a certain culture connotation and time spirit, become the material function and mental functions complement each other forms. The article integrates design elements according to parts of Xinjiang reservoir project building design, , puts forward the according design thought and method.

Runoff change of Naoli River in Northeast China in 1955–2009 and its influencing factors

Runoff change and trend of the Naoli River Basin were studied through the time series analysis using the data from the hydrological and meteorological stations. Time series of hydrological data were from 1957 to 2009 for Bao’an station, from 1955 to 2009 for Baoqing station, from 1956 to 2009 for Caizuizi station and from 1978 to 2009 for Hongqiling station. The influences of climate change and human activities on runoff change were investigated, and the causes of hydrological regime change were revealed. The seasonal runoff distribution of the Naoli River was extremely uneven, and the annual change was great. Overall, the annual runoff showed a significant decreasing trend. The annual runoff of Bao’an, Baoqing, and Caizuizi stations in 2009 decreased by 64.1%, 76.3%, and 84.3%, respectively, compared with their beginning data recorded. The wet and dry years of the Naoli River have changed in the study period. The frequency of wet year occurrence decreased and lasted longer, whereas that of dry year occurrence increased. The frequency of dry year occurrence increased from 25.0%–27.8% to 83.9%–87.5%. The years before the 1970s were mostly wet, whereas those after the 1970s were mostly dry. Precipitation reduction and land use changes contributed to the decrease in annual runoff. Rising temperature and water project construction have also contributed important effects on the runoff change of the Naoli River.

Fuzzy Ideal Points Method In Project Construction Sequence of the Downstream of Yellow River

Based on the project construction and investment feature of the Downstream of Yellow River, the structures were divided into flood control dike, water diversion, irrigation and water saving, soil erosion conservation and ecological projects, river mouth management and development and water resources information. Using fuzzy and decision making analysis theory and project planning investigation data, the different project weights were calculated and fuzzy ideal point model was set up. According to administrative region, the total area of the downstream of the Yellow River was divided as 14 sub-regions. Using the model to solve the project construction sequence, the sequence scheme of the water project construction was achieved. The results have an important significance for the different water projects construction of the downstream of the Yellow River.

US Bureau of Reclamation dams in the American west

This paper chronicles the Bureau of Reclamation's achievements and contributions in the evolution and advancement of dam engineering during the design and construction of water projects, largely in the twentieth century, to supply water and reclaim the arid lands of the western USA. These contributions and advancements had a significant affect on the rest of the world. The paper first discusses the bureau's masonry and concrete dams and briefly describes the more important dams constructed in each decade, along with how they affected the evolution of concrete dam analysis, modelling, design and construction. The bureau's embankment dams are discussed second, briefly describing the more important dams constructed in each decade, along with how they affected the evolution of embankment dam analysis, design and construction. The paper discusses the early empirical and analytical dam designs, site investigations and laboratory testing, the introduction of soil and rock mechanics and geotechnical engineering, foundation treatment, seismic considerations, as well as lessons learned from the Teton dam failure. Related topics such as the evolution of dam instrumentation and monitoring, and a brief history of the bureau's publications associated with concrete and embankment dam engineering are discussed in the paper.

The Advances in Studying Detection of Streamflow Trend Influenced by Climate Change

Detection of streanflow trend and water resources assessment based on the natural and stationary climatic condition have been challenged by global warming.Identifying and separating contribution of climate change in streamflow trend,facilitate not only in water management practice and water project construction,but also enable understanding where,when and by which way the impact of climate change on hydrological cycle becomes detectable or not yet.The statistical test is a powerful tool for the detection of hydrological trend. It is necessary to consider both the serial correlation of the data series and the cross-correlation between the hydrological variables at different locations for correctly determining the significance level.A complete study of the detection of streamflow trend includes description of trend characteristics and its attribution as well.For natural river basin fed by snow and glaciers melt,the streamflow trend is determined mainly by temperature variation,associated with natural climate variability and external forcing produced climate warming.For managed water systems, supplied by precipitation,streamflow trend is affected not only by climatic variables,but also by anthropogenic disturbances-direct and indirect factors.The methodology of statistical interrelation of multi-factors is helpful to determining contribution of each element in streamflow trend.However,by only relying on statistical method alone,it is hard to weigh the interaction among factors as well as to identify the impact of climatic variability and forced climate change on streamflow.The reliability of simulation and projection on future streamflow with climate model directly is directly determined by the ability of the climate model to simulate precipitation of current time-horizon.The ensemble mean from a subset of climate models could reduce uncertainties in precipitation and runoff simulations.Recently developed methodology of ensemble mean of multi-climate models combined with statistical analysis has been used to show the potential in simulation and projection of spatial pattern of macroscale streamflow trend caused by forced climate change.In the course of improving climate model and regional climate models' simulation of precipitation in particular,it is anticipated that the detection,attribution and projection of streamflow alteration tend to be simulated in an identical way in the near future.