Water Diversion Research Articles

Food‐web energy fluxes, energy transfer efficiency, and diversity respond distinctively to pollution and water diversion in rivers

Abstract Water diversion and pollution are two pervasive stressors for river ecosystems that often co‐occur. The individual effects of both stressors on river communities and energy transfer across the food webs are well described; however, how they interact remains unknown. We hypothesised that low‐to‐moderate nutrient pollution gradient would cause a mild increase in invertebrate driven herbivory and water diversion a strong reduction in detritivory, whereas their joint effect would reduce invertebrate abundance and diversity, as well as total energy fluxes (from basal resources to invertebrates and fish). We also expected a shift in body size spectra slope with increased energy transfer between trophic levels with moderate pollution, but not with water diversion. To test these hypotheses, we selected four rivers across a range of nutrient pollution levels (a proxy of water quality) subject to similar water diversion schemes and compared food webs upstream and downstream of their diversion weirs. Both stressors changed the availability of basal food resources. Nutrient pollution induced changes in the green food web (i.e., biofilm‐based) by enhancing biofilm stocks, whereas water diversion affected the brown food web (i.e., detritus‐based) by decreasing stocks of detritus. The propagation of the effects to higher trophic levels differed with each stressor: pollution increased the homogeneity of community within the reach, whereas water diversion made communities more heterogeneous. Moreover, pollution induced changes within omnivores, increasing herbivory and carnivory, whereas diversion reduced the total energy fluxes through a decrease in detritivory, especially with pollution. Although most of the variables studied seemed to be more sensitive to water diversion, pollution often accentuated the response, being the interaction between both stressors more explanatory than any of the two stressors on its own. The effects of water diversion on diversity and energy flow through food webs are more detrimental to moderately polluted rivers than to systems with high quality water. We show that the use of tools merging knowledge on trophic relationships among species and their metabolic requirements enables disturbances to be detected that would otherwise go unnoticed.

The dynamic changes in phytoplankton and environmental factors within Dongping Lake (China) before and after the South-to-North Water Diversion Project

Dongping Lake is one of the most important regulation and storage lakes along the eastern route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China, the water quality condition of which directly influences the safety of water diverting, because it serves as a Yangtze River water redistribution control point. However, the changes in algae, and in environmental factors affecting their community structures, before and after the water diversion project are rarely reported. In this study, the temporal variations of phytoplankton abundance were examined based on monthly samples collected at three stations from May 2010 to April 2022. The total abundance of algae greatly decreased after the water diversion project was implemented, with a relatively stable biodiversity and evenness before and after the water translocation. Multiple statistical methods were used together with the water quality indices (WQIs) and the nutrient status index (TSIM) to evaluate overall water condition and analyse relationships among environmental factors. The WQIs demonstrated a general “Good” water quality with a seasonal differentiation, and that water conditions during water transfer periods were better than during non-water transfer periods, which may be ascribed to the improved hydraulic conditions and purified water environment during water transfer periods. Redundancy analysis showed that water temperature, ammonia nitrogen, water transparency, and total phosphorus were the most important environmental factors, with relatively decreased contribution rates towards phytoplankton communities after the water translocation. Importantly, some dominant phytoplankton genera of Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyceae, and Cyanophyceae were similarly affected by water transparency, and nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients in summer after the water translocation. These research findings helped us gain a comprehensive understanding of the changing patterns of water quality and microalgae and their relationships before and after the water diversion project, providing a guidance for future lake management in regulating hydraulic conditions and improving water quality of Dongping Lake.

GNSS-IR water level monitoring toward particular narrow scenarios: Application to South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China

River water level monitoring plays a crucial role in hydrological practice. Global Navigation Satellite Systems Interferometry Reflectometry (GNSS-IR) has been demonstrated to help retrieve absolute water levels in expansive and unobstructed scenarios. However, how to measure in rivers remains a significant challenge for practical use due to the restricted reflection area. To address these issues, we propose the Dynamic Masking Elevation Threshold Selection Method (DMETSM), which effectively broadens the selection of available reflective signals. Through analyzing actual field data collected along the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, we have found that DMETSM almost doubles the effective monitoring area compared to the classical method. Furthermore, the multi-GNSS water level retrievals at two sites can achieve high accuracy, with root-mean-square errors of 1.36 cm and 2.57 cm, respectively. Results show that it improves accuracy by 30.6 % and 42.6 %. This highlights the considerable potential and value of applications in narrow and irregular areas.

Fabricating Irrigators: Contested Hydrosocial Territories and Subject-Making in Spain’s Tagus–Segura Interbasin Transfer Arena

This article explores how irrigation farmer (regante) subjectivities are constructed in direct conjunction with the production of modernist–capitalist hydrosocial territories across the Tagus and Segura river basins in central and south-east Spain. We explore the complexities and contradictions of how, at various scales of governance, authorities establish and seek to realize ideal regante subjects across time and space. We mobilize a hydrosocial territory approach, combined with feminist political ecology and hegemony literature, to explore how such ideal subjects are built through Spanish and regional legislation and policies from 1866 to 2023. Through interviews with regantes in six irrigation communities, we identify different ideal and actual regante subjects in territories interconnected by the Tagus–Segura Aqueduct. We analyze how policy shifts lead to multiple and contradictory roles and responsibilities for regante subjects, which are linked to plot modernization, agricultural professionalization, and farmer rejuvenation. These sharpen divisions between smallholders and emerging large capitalist actors. Counterhegemonic territorial proposals resist these pressures by embodying alternative values and imaginaries. We conclude that through such counterhegemonic struggles, subject construction is enriched, identifying real-life existing and future alternatives for more just hydrosocial territories.

Interception performance of intake structures with a flow diversion barrier under supercritical flow conditions

Intake structures are commonly used in drainage systems to redirect surface rainfall runoff into underground tunnels. The Hong Kong West Drainage Tunnel (HKWDT) system is designed to capture stormwater from steep upland catchments during periods of heavy rainfall, concurrently maintaining a minimal environmental flow downstream during dry weather. However, during heavy rainfall events, excess rainfall water is often directed into the drainage system, presenting a significant challenge to the urban drainage system. Undistorted Froude scale physical models and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models are developed to investigate the flow performance. In this study, effects of various design parameters on water diversion performance are examined across a wide range of inflow conditions. Steeper channel bottom slopes leading to a larger proportion of water being directed downstream. Extending the length of the bottom rack effectively reduces adhering flow. Introducing a transverse barrier generates a hydraulic jump, which increases flow diversion into the LFC. With higher barrier heights, the hydraulic jump becomes stronger, facilitating greater water diversion into the downstream sewage system. The results indicate potential solutions to these challenges and provide valuable insights into optimizing flow diversion performance in intake structures, particularly in areas characterized by steep terrains and varying flow conditions.

Simulation and Analysis of the Coupling of Hydrodynamics, Water Quality, and Aquatic Ecology in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area under Various Water Diversion Scenarios

Large-scale water diversion has, to a certain extent, altered the hydrological conditions in the water discharge area, disrupting the long-established hydrological consistency and, in turn, impacting the ecological environment. In this study, we utilized satellite imagery and underwater topographic data of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) to construct a coupled hydrodynamic-water quality-aquatic ecology model based on MIKE21. We simulated and analyzed the water environmental conditions at two crucial sections, Cuntan and Wanzhou, under different water diversion scenarios. The research findings indicate that under both short-term and long-term water diversion scenarios, the pollution levels at both sections have increased, with pollutant concentration varying between 0 to 0.0217 mg/L and 0 to 0.0642 mg/L throughout the year. Long-term water diversion has a more significant impact than short-term diversion, particularly with a longer duration of influence during the winter. The impact of water diversion on water quality classification is not very pronounced. It primarily reduces the number of days when Class I water quality is achieved. Under short-term and long-term water diversion scenarios, the proportion of days with Class I water quality at the Cuntan and Wanzhou sections decreased by 0.28% and 0.55%, and 0.56% and 0.83%, respectively. These research results can serve as a theoretical foundation for further developing ecological risk mitigation strategies and establishing an eco-friendly inter-basin scheduling model.

Enhancing the engineering design of diversion routes to safeguard water quality: New insights from a carbon cycling perspective

<p>Conserving the quality of transferred water ensures the success and sustainability of interbasin water diversion works, which are increasingly crucial for global water security. Despite intensive scientific and engineering efforts, carbon dynamics in these artificial rivers have been overlooked. The accumulation of organic mud in some water transfer canals, for example, in the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion (SNWT) in China, poses multifaceted risks, including jeopardized water quality, disrupted water supply, and surging mud removal expenses. In contrast, natural channels for water delivery, such as the parallel East Route of the SNWT, do not experience mud accumulation challenges. Our study reveals that the open concrete canal of the Middle Route, devoid of connections to local water bodies, compromises hydrological connectivity, contrasting with the East Route, which enhances it. This, in turn, undermines microbial stochastic assembly processes, impedes the introduction of habitat-generalist microbial species, and facilitates detrital carbon accumulation within the ecosystem, presumably due to constraints on bacterial community functions. These findings can improve future engineering designs of water transfer schemes, including water diversion approaches and channel construction, for preserving transferred water quality.</p>

Гидравлические исследования поливного модуля системы комбинированного орошения

Purpose: to state hydraulic characteristics and determine priority directions for improving the irrigation module design for combined drip and micro-sprinkler irrigation. Materials and methods. The study is based on the joint use of theoretical methods – a well-known mathematical model for calculating the hydraulic characteristics of the irrigation module and experiment, which allows assessing the problem state and scale solutions in any necessary proportions. Results. According to calculations, the uniformity of watering is maintained at an acceptable level at a lower head level in the range of 1.56–1.68 atm when installing six microsprinklers on a drip line. When installing eight sprinklers, the water head along the length of the drip pipeline decreased to an unacceptable 1.39–1.40 atm. Experimental studies have shown that there is only an option with two sprinklers installed on the pipeline above the level of 1.5 atm. Already with the installation of four sprinklers, the water head along the length of the pipeline decreased to 1.45–1.47 atm. At the same time, the variation in the actual microsprinkler performance reached 16 % or more. The discrepancy between experimental and model data is explained by the fact that the calculation model does not fully take into account local resistances that arise when connecting sprinklers. Conclusions. Two main reasons of the increased uneven distribution of irrigation water over the irrigated area have been identified. The first reason is a significant increase in water flow in the irrigation pipeline when emitters and sprinklers work together. The solution to this problem is to develop structures that make it possible to separate the water flow through emitters and through sprinklers in time. The second reason is an increase in local resistance in the water diversion units to the sprinklers. The solution to this problem is to develop special water diversion structures that would be characterized by minimal local resistance.

Spatio-temporal pattern and prediction of agricultural blue and green water footprint scarcity index in the lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin

Agricultural production is the largest water-using sector in the lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin (YRB). However, water shortages seriously restrict the high-quality development of the local economy and society. This study assessed the temporal and spatial patterns of the agricultural blue (WFblue) and green (WFgreen) water footprints of six crops in the lower reaches of the YRB based on Penman-Monteith method, established composite agriculture water (AWS), agricultural blue water (AWSblue), and agricultural green water (AWSgreen) footprint scarcity indexes to evaluate the agricultural security level of blue and green water resources in the lower reaches of the YRB. And the Spatial pattern of blue and green water footprint scarcity indexes for 2030 was predicted. The results showed that in 2020, the total WFgreen of six crops in the lower reaches of the YRB was 58.45 billion m³, of which the WFgreen of maize accounted for 47.53%, followed by winter wheat (32.01%). The total agricultural blue water footprint (WFblue) of six crops was 46.12 billion m³, and the winter wheat had the highest WFblue (32.00 billion m³) and accounted for 69.39%, followed by maize (8.19 billion m³, 17.76%). The total blue water evapotranspiration (ETblue) of crops in the northwestern lower reaches of the YRB was generally higher than that in the southeastern region. However, the ETgreen spatial layout showed the opposite trend. From 2010 to 2020, the WS decreased overall, and the proportion of regions with a WS greater than 1 decreased from 73.5% in 2010 to 61.76% in 2020. By 2030, AWS in the lower reaches of the YRB will further intensify. Compared to 2020, in 76.47% of cities the AWS showed an increasing trend, 58.82% of cities will be in extreme insecurity, and the proportion of areas with the AWSblue in an insecure state will be 35.29%, green water resources are relatively abundant and will be in a safe and relatively safe state in 2030. Although the AWSgreen of 91.18% of cities in 2030 showed an increasing trend compared to that in 2020. AWSgreen showed that the lower reaches of the YRB are still in a safe and relatively safe state. However, rational development and utilization of surface water and groundwater resources should be strengthened. To ensure the rational supply and sustainable use of blue water resources, the lower reaches of the YRB should strengthen the construction of water conservancy projects through water diversion, transfer, and storage.

Saving Walker Lake: A Pleistocene Terminal Lake in the Anthropocene

Abstract: Just to the east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range a series of Pleistocene terminal lakes are present in the Great Basin of the intermountain West between the Rockies and the Sierra. Among them is Walker Lake, fed by the branches of the Walker River that flow eastward from their snow-melt sources in the Sierra. The terminal lakes have no natural outlets. Water is lost from the lakes' surfaces by evaporation during the hot summer months in the high desert. Since the arrival of Euro-Americans in the nineteenth century, the diversion of water for agricultural, industrial, and domestic uses from the Walker River has reduced the level of the lake to a point where it no longer supports a once-thriving fishery of native cutthroat trout. In the past, western Nevada Paiute peoples relied on the lake's fish as a food source. In the twentieth century the inland anadromous trout drew sports fishing enthusiasts. Climate change has caused additional strains on the water supply for the lake to the point where many have declared Walker Lake a dead lake with only shrinking shorelines and increased salinization in its future. In response, Nevada's U.S. senator Harry Reid, members of the Walker River Indian Reservation, sport fishing organizations, as well as environmental organizations pushed for legislation from Congress to promote efforts to save the lake in the 1990s. These efforts have produced some promising results.

Improving river routing algorithms to efficiently implement canal water diversion schemes in global hydrological models

Improving river routing algorithms to efficiently implement canal water diversion schemes in global hydrological models

Monitoring and risk analysis of surface subsidence in the Jiaozuo Goaf along the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project based on the DS-InSAR method

Monitoring and risk analysis of surface subsidence in the Jiaozuo Goaf along the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project based on the DS-InSAR method

Ten Questions on Adjustable Water Volume of the Western Route of South-to-North Water Diversion Project

Ten Questions on Adjustable Water Volume of the Western Route of South-to-North Water Diversion Project

Does Coordinated Water Resource Allocation Promote High-Quality Economic Development? A Quasi-natural Experiment Based on the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China

Does Coordinated Water Resource Allocation Promote High-Quality Economic Development? A Quasi-natural Experiment Based on the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China

Challenges and protection strategies of ecological environment of lakes along the Eastern Route of the South to North Water Diversion Project

Challenges and protection strategies of ecological environment of lakes along the Eastern Route of the South to North Water Diversion Project

Groundwater and surface water control at Highland Valley copper mine (HVC) (in rock and soil both)

This paper is about dewatering of the two large open pit porphyry copper-molybdenum mines of Highland Valley Copper in BC, Canada. These two pits occur within the well differentiated Guichon Creek Batholith with phases progressively more acidic and coarser grained towards the center and intersected by intense fracturing within the ore bodies and also concentric alteration haloes. Also, they are both cut by the steeply dipping Lornex fault which is an average 155 m wide faulting zone with frequent sympathetic faults adjacent to it. As the two pits have mined down at depth, they have exposed bedrock especially with frequent toppling-type faults and shears which have exhibited varying degrees of toppling and ravelling of the pit walls. Also, on the east wall of the Valley Copper pit, there is up to about 350m of glacio-fluvial overburden, originally with artesian flows in two or three aquifers. The toppling is exacerbated by the hydrostatic pressure of the groundwater in the pit walls. Both pits have significant groundwater and run-off in the spring. In order to be able to continue mining down to depths of about 600 to about 750 meters it has been necessary to de-water the walls and divert the surface run-offs to prevent infiltration into the toppling faults. So two water diversion projects were necessary at the crest of the highwalls and were completed to drain both by gravity and pumping the spring run-off water away from the two pits. Also, a major well drilling project is ongoing in the glacio-fluvial overburden aquifers to dewater them with upwards of 4500 US gpm flows. In addition, an annual series of horizontal drainholes were drilled and are ongoing approximately every three benches to dewater and depressurize the bedrock. Minor bedrock wells in the crest of the Lornex Pit also contribute to the dewatering. All the dewatering has allowed the two pits to mine down to close to design depths without significant disruption.

The influence of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project on agricultural water use in the water-receiving areas

The influence of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project on agricultural water use in the water-receiving areas

The Agricultural and Economic Impacts of Massive Water Diversion

The Agricultural and Economic Impacts of Massive Water Diversion

Reinforced soil wall with gabion facing – a case study of water front structure

The increasing demand for utilities infrastructure and development projects has become a key factor in providing feasible and economical solutions in recent decades. There is a need of the day, to utilize locally available resources while designing such projects. The Reinforced Soil Wall (RSW) with Gabion Facing provides a flexible modular environment-friendly structure that is proven to be suitable for waterfront structures, and feasible with available boulders in the vicinity. This paper showcases a case study of RS wall with Gabion Facing for the diversion of Ulwe River - a part of Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) Project. A roughly 3.2km long river diversion has been widened, moreover, an approximately 90 mt high hill was flattened to pave the way for NMIA, adjacent to Panvel Creek. The proposed channel dimensions of the diversion river were increased after studying the data for the last 100 years of rainfall, so that the heavy rainwater can be discharged without flooding. The composite solution of the RS wall with metal gabions as a facia has facilitated the diversion of the Ulwe River to divert water flow up to Panvel Creek. The geogrids were installed with the stone–filled metal gabions, along with connector rods to form a positive connection. To prevent the scouring of the non-rocky river bed at RS wall base, the Gabion mattresses were provided.

2000–2020年丹江口水库（河南部分）水体面积数据集

Danjiangkou Reservoir serves as the water source of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. The long-term monitoring of changes of surface water for the reservoir using the remote sensing images is of great significance in ensuring the water transfer volume of the South-to-North Water Diversion. In this study, we used multi-temporal Landsat remote sensing images to obtain a long-time series of spatial surface water datasets for Danjiangkou Reservoir (Henan ) based on Google Earth engine cloud platform through the relationship among modified Normalized Difference Water Index (mNDWI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). This dataset includes the surface water of Danjiangkou Reservoir from 2000 to 2020. It can provide a basis for exploring the spatiotemporal changes of the surface water and ecological environment changes in Danjiangkou Reservoir.