Retention Basins Research Articles

The utility of drowning site inference through metagenomic diatom analysis

The diatom test is one of the methods used to diagnose drowning in forensic autopsies. Metagenomic diatom analysis may reveal where a drowning occurred. We evaluated whether metagenomic diatom analysis could be used to infer waters, watersheds, and geographic locations using 166 water samples from 64 locations (freshwater: 55; seawater: 9). Principal component analysis (PCA) in all samples revealed no specific clusters for waters or watersheds. In one river, the three samples at the same site generally tended to be in close clusters, but there were some cases where the three sites were far from each other. The precise geographic location could thus not be reliably identified. However, PCA of data from dams, lakes, and retention basins revealed sites with independent clusters, suggesting unique diatom compositions. Diatoms of seawater were not detected in freshwater. The high number of Actinoptychus, Chaetoceros, and Skeletonema detected in seawater samples suggested that they are useful for seawater identification. This method required only 2 mL of water; it suggests that this method can be applied to actual samples. In summary, it was difficult to infer the geographic location and waters or watersheds, but the freshwater/seawater distinction could be easily made, and depending on the application, it may be useful in forensic science practice.

Carbon dioxide emissions from temperate reservoirs and pit lakes of different trophic states

The abundance of human-made inland waters, such as artificial ponds and reservoirs, has multiplied over the last decades. Compared to natural lakes, reservoirs and retention basins can exhibit a higher accumulation of organic carbon and a higher emission of greenhouse gases. Magnitude and dynamics of related emission fluxes are important to understand the role of inland waters in the global carbon cycle. However, origin and use of artificial waterbodies are diverse, and it is unclear whether current gas flux estimates adequately represent all important types and conditions of artificial inland waters. This study compares drivers of CO2 and CH4 emissions from two types of temperate artificial waters that are widespread in central Europe: reservoirs and artificial lakes in former open-pit lignite mines (pit lakes). We measured CO2 exchange at the water surface, calculated surface water CO2 from long-term DIC and pH data, and measured CO2 and CH4 concentrations throughout the water column. We found that an older, eutrophic pit lake showed seasonal variations in CO2 fluxes including uptake during summer and release during turnover, similar to three studied freshwater reservoirs. In contrast, reacidification and repeated addition of carbonate (liming) led to sustained CO2 supersaturation in a young, oligotrophic pit lake throughout the year, potentially making it a steady source of CO2 to the atmosphere. This implies that on an annual level, pH regulation and lake maturity largely determine whether pit lakes act as sources of CO2 (young, slightly acidic) or sinks of CO2 (older, neutral pH).

On the possible use of hydraulic force to assist with building the step pyramid of saqqara.

The Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, Egypt, is considered the oldest of the seven monumental pyramids built about 4,500 years ago. From transdisciplinary analysis, it was discovered that a hydraulic lift may have been used to build the pyramid. Based on our mapping of the nearby watersheds, we show that one of the unexplained massive Saqqara structures, the Gisr el-Mudir enclosure, has the features of a check dam with the intent to trap sediment and water. The topography beyond the dam suggests a possible ephemeral lake west of the Djoser complex and water flow inside the 'Dry Moat' surrounding it. In the southern section of the moat, we show that the monumental linear rock-cut structure consisting of successive, deep compartments combines the technical requirements of a water treatment facility: a settling basin, a retention basin, and a purification system. Together, the Gisr el-Mudir and the Dry Moat's inner south section work as a unified hydraulic system that improves water quality and regulates flow for practical purposes and human needs. Finally, we identified that the Step Pyramid's internal architecture is consistent with a hydraulic elevation mechanism never reported before. The ancient architects may have raised the stones from the pyramid centre in a volcano fashion using the sediment-free water from the Dry Moat's south section. Ancient Egyptians are famous for their pioneering and mastery of hydraulics through canals for irrigation purposes and barges to transport huge stones. This work opens a new line of research: the use of hydraulic force to erect the massive structures built by Pharaohs.

Morphometric analysis in the sub basins of the Kali River using Geographic Information System, Karnataka, India

Morphometric analysis serves as a crucial tool for quantitatively characterizing drainage basins and exploring the intricate relationships between hydraulic parameters and geomorphological characteristics. This study presents a comprehensive morphometric analysis of the Kali Subbasin in Karnataka, covering an area of 1175.45 km². Utilizing remote sensing data and GIS tools, we quantified various morphometric parameters, including stream order, stream length, bifurcation ratio, drainage density, stream frequency, form factor, and circularity ratio, to understand the basin's geomorphological and hydrological characteristics. The study area is classified as a seventh-order basin displaying a dendritic drainage pattern with a drainage density of 2.853 km/km². Notably, the bifurcation ratio ranges from 4.396 to 3, indicating low to moderate structural control within the basin. The subbasin's elongated shape, with an elongation ratio of 0.604 and a circularity ratio of 0.298, indicates moderate peak flow and high susceptibility to erosion. Relief parameters showed significant elevation variations, contributing to intense erosion and heightened flood risks in lower-lying areas. The study identifies the basin's transition to a mature geomorphic stage, evidenced by an escalating stream length ratio from lower to higher orders. These findings underscore the importance of tailored watershed management strategies, including floodplain zoning, retention basins, afforestation, and terracing, to mitigate flooding and soil erosion. The study's insights are crucial for developing effective, localized water resource management plans and enhancing the resilience of the Kali Subbasin to future hydrological challenges.

An alternative approach for the sediment control of in-channel stony debris flows with an application to the case study of Ru Secco Creek (Venetian Dolomites, Northeast Italy)

Controlling sediment to reduce debris-flow hazard is generally approached using retention basins that can be closed or have an outlet structure, generally an open check dam. They are usually placed in mild slope zones that allow minimal works for the excavation and the foundation of the outlet structure if present. Recently, it has been shown that the detention of sediments can also be achieved in the high-sloping reaches of debris-flow channels using deposition areas, basins that are open on the downstream side. In this work, we propose an approach for controlling the sediment volume transported by debris flows consisting of a cascade of deposition areas and retention basins. We also include a framework for planning, sizing, and checking the works. Two scenarios are considered, corresponding to the maximum values of the debris-flow peak discharge and volume, respectively. Moreover, the presence or absence of boulders is also considered. For this purpose, a method that evaluates the clogging of a single open check dam as a function of the coarse fraction of the sediment volume is simply extended to the case of multiple dams and implemented in a routing model. The proposed approach is applied along Ru Secco Creek in northeast Italy to defend a resort area and a village hit by a high-magnitude debris flow in 2015. After a careful survey and study, a solution with a combination of deposition areas and retention basins is planned and sized. The validity and performance of the proposed solution are analyzed using debris-flow modeling for two scenarios, considering both the absence and presence of boulders. Most of the sediment volume transported by debris flows is trapped, and a small solid discharge flows downstream of the works.

Torrent Barrier Under Climatic Extreme Load Events – Forensic Analysis of the Fracture and Failure Processes

Following heavy precipitation in the catchment area of the Pinnisbach torrent in Austria in 2015, a torrent barrier was significantly damaged due to extraordinary water levels and intense bedload transport. The bedload transport triggered by the barrier breach was partly captured in the downstream retention basin and partially diverted into the cone channel. To address this failure, the reverse engineering approach was applied. A failure analysis was performed to better understand the displacement process and quantify the overall load on the barrier structure. A detailed reconstruction of the failure mechanism employing advanced techniques like on-site inspections, numerical methods, and specific monitoring of the region area was conducted. The analysis revealed that the load initially assumed during the design and construction phase of the barrier was underestimated by 40% in certain areas, mainly due to an underestimation of water and debris load. Consequently, a more precise estimation of the applied load and considerations for the most severe scenario combinations are essential for ensuring structural safety. A rigorous analysis and assessment of this type of failure contribute to better implementing the findings into future risk mitigation strategies for similar structures and scenarios.

Effects of urbanization and deforestation on flooding: Case study of Cap‐Haïtien City, Haiti

AbstractCap‐Haïtien, the second largest city in Haiti, is highly vulnerable to earthquakes, landslides, and flooding. The rapid pace of urbanization and deforestation has exacerbated the risk of flooding, resulting in disasters in November 2012, 2016, and 2022. This study aims to assess the impact of urbanization and deforestation on river flooding in Cap‐Haïtien by applying the hydrological model Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and the hydrodynamic model Sobek‐Rural. We examined the current situation and a scenario of future urbanization and deforestation. Urbanization and deforestation are found to play a pivotal role in the production and deposition of sediment along the lower Haut‐du‐Cap River reaches. The existing hydraulic capacity of the river and its drainage system cannot handle the estimated peak flows. The mountain ravines west of the city are found to be the primary source of sediment‐laden flash floods. We recommend retention basins, drainage extensions, and pragmatic public policies to mitigate flood risk. Comprehensive strategies are needed to address the detrimental effects of urbanization and deforestation on flooding in Cap‐Haïtien and similar regions where a lack of water governance has worsened the flooding alongside urbanization and deforestation. We generalize our experiences from Cap‐Haïtien into a broader framework for data‐scarce areas.

Retention Basin for Flood Mitigation (Case Study: Magetan Regency)

Flooding is a natural event that often occurs in Indonesia. Magetan Regency has several areas drained by various rivers that have the potential to cause flooding problems in the event of high rainfall. Hydrological analysis is needed to determine the various rivers that are potentially unable to accommodate water capacity due to high rainfall, causing flooding problems. Thus, research aims to assess flood mitigation control based on a 25-year return period flood discharge (Q25) using the HSS Snyder method and HEC-HMS software. The flood inundation area due to river runoff is analysed using HEC-RAS 6.4.1 software using a 25-year return period discharge (Q25). This research uses retention basin as one of the efforts in flood mitigation, reducing the amount of flood inundation that occurs by using embankment planning. Retention basin is a water structure that functions to collect rainwater and water runoff to reduce flooding. Retention basin is one of the important steps in the flood inundation that occurred in Magetan Regency using HEC-RAS 6.4.1 software analysis was 3,75 km2. The largest flood inundation occurred in Kartoharjo District with an area 1,31 km2. The design of the Kartoharjo Retention Basin in Magetan Regency can reduce the flood inundation area by 22% to 2,94 km2.

Toward Flash Flood Modeling Using Gradient Resolving Representative Hillslopes

AbstractIt is increasingly acknowledged that the acceleration of the global water cycle, largely driven by anthropogenic climate change, has a disproportionate impact on sub‐daily and small‐scale hydrological extreme events such as flash floods. These events occur thereby at local scales within minutes to hours, typically in response to high‐intensity rainfall events associated with convective storms. In the present work, we show that by employing physically based representative hillslope models that resolve the main gradients controlling overland flow hydrology and hydraulics, we can get reliable simulations of flash flood response in small data‐scarce catchments. To this end, we use climate reanalysis products and transfer soil parameters previously obtained for hydrological predictions in an experimental catchment in the same landscape. The inverted mass balance of flood reservoirs downstream is employed for model evaluation in these nearly ungauged basins. We show that our approach using representative hillslopes and climate data sets can provide reasonable uncalibrated estimates of the overland runoff response (flood magnitude, storm volume, and event runoff coefficients) in three of the four catchments considered. Given that flash floods typically occur at scales of a few km2 and in ungauged places, our results have implications for operational flash flood forecasting and open new avenues for using gradient resolving physically based models for the design of small and medium flood retention basins around the world.

Interpolation Method Consistency Analysis in the Creation of Digital Terrain Models

Abstract The present paper proposes to analyse the consistency of several interpolation methods for generating a grid structure, which will be used for digital terrain modelling in the case of water retention basins (polders). The aim is to use a single dataset, from which a number of measured points will be eliminated, after which several interpolation methods will be applied to the remaining dataset in order to analyze which method yields the nearest correct (measured) value. The research focuses on comparing the reliability, consistency and sheer data accuracy (in comparison with pre-determined control points) of both the resulted grids and the noise filtered ones, to assess the performance of each method.

Using multi‐criteria decision‐making methods in prioritizing structural flood control solutions: A case study from Iran

AbstractEffective management of flood risks requires the prioritization of appropriate flood control solutions. This study aims to prioritize structural flood control options using multi‐criteria decision‐making (MCDM) methods. Four MCDM methods, namely analytic hierarchy process, technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution, multi‐criteria optimization and compromise solution, and Fuzzy‐VIKOR are employed to assess and rank the flood control options based on multiple criteria. Field surveys, interviews with local authorities and experts, and on‐site assessments of existing flood control structures constituted the primary data collection methods. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of reservoir dams, retention basins, and levees as viable solutions. Conversely, flood control gates and the no‐project options were assigned lower priorities. The findings highlight the importance of considering multiple MCDM methods to account for variations in rankings. The study provides valuable insights into the decision‐making process for prioritizing flood control options in the study area. These findings can assist policymakers and stakeholders in effectively allocating resources and implementing appropriate structural flood control measures to mitigate flood risks.

Water reservoirs influenced by slow moving landslides

AbstractWater storages for energy production in mountain valleys or snow retention basins on mountain slopes or mountain ridges are common buildings in Alpine regions. When such water reservoirs are situated on or nearby of a large slow‐moving landslide, low factors of safety and ongoing deformation of the reservoir structure – or parts of it – need to be handled in some cases. Questions about the justification but also the reliability of reservoirs influenced by such landslides need to be discussed. Verification procedures which proof a save operation of the reservoir over time but also an estimation of the behaviour of the reservoir influenced by the landslide for exceptional load cases need to be investigated. In this paper main issues and problems related to such questions are discussed for reservoirs in the design as well as in the operation state which are influenced by such slow moving landslides.

Multi‐decadal quantification of interactions between coarse sediment fluxes and channel management in South Tyrol, Eastern European Alps

AbstractChannel incision and narrowing have occurred in the 20th century in most Alpine rivers. However, the causal links between sediment‐related human engineering and exploitation and morphological changes in rivers are mostly unclear. This study presents an analysis of the evolutionary trajectories of the main active channels in the upper Etsch/Adige River basin (Eastern European Alps) coupled with their modifications in terms of coarse sediment transport. Channel planform variations were quantified in 15 rivers (total length of 630 km) using multi‐temporal analysis of historical maps and orthophotos. Sediment volumes excavated from river channels or trapped by hydraulic structures (dams and retention basins) were retrieved from historical records, along with geospatial information regarding the presence of lateral and longitudinal consolidation works and land use variations. Results indicate that most rivers underwent slight narrowing and some of them experienced widening, from the mid‐19th century to the 1950s. From the 1950s to the late 1990s, severe variations in terms of narrowing and morphological simplification took place in all rivers. The analysis of channel changes in relation to human activities shows that gravel mining carried out in the period 1970s–1990s appears to have been the main cause of sediment imbalance in the rivers which narrowed the most. Since the 2000s, when gravel mining was banned by law, channel adjustments have become negligible throughout study area. Nevertheless, the trapping of a large share of coarse sediment fluxes—at the river basin scale—by retention check dams and hydropower dams has impeded rivers from recovering to their original conditions.

Potential Environmental Impacts Caused by Sedimentation at the Tambakboyo Retention Basin D.I.Yogyakarta to Fulfill the Needs For Watershed

The use of the Tambakboyo Retention Basin for more than 10 years has led to sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoir due to precipitated particles that are transported along with the water flow. Sedimentation of this reservoir can have several impacts on the environment. This study aims to analyze the possible environmental impacts that could occur in the Tambakboyo Retention Basin through the results of an analysis of the sedimentation rate and volume of water availability that has been carried out in previous studies. The results of previous studies indicate that the sedimentation rate in the Tambakboyo Retention Basin is included in category I or very light. However, several impacts may occur if there is no management, including reduced reservoir water holding capacity, flood hazard, excessive soil enrichment, lack of water so that the reservoir is no longer useful, and can even damage the reservoir. Thus, sediment management efforts need to be carried out, including repairing open land (greening), dredging sediments in the reservoir, and building sediment traps upstream of the reservoir.

Satellite observed dryland greening in Asian endorheic basins: Drivers and implications to sustainable development

A large portion of Central-Western Asia is made up of contiguous closed basins, collectively termed as the Asian Endorheic Basins (AEBs). As these retention basins are only being replenished by the intermittent and scarce rainfall, global warming coupled with ever-rising human demand for water is exerting unprecedented pressures on local water and ecological security. Recent studies revealed a persistent and widespread water storage decline across the AEBs, yet the response of dryland vegetation to this recent hydroclimatic trend and a spatially explicit partitioning of the impact into the hydroclimatic factors and human activities remain largely unknown. To fill in this knowledge gap, we conducted trend and partial correlation analysis of vegetation and hydroclimatic change from 2001 to 2021 using multi-satellite observations, including vegetation greenness, total water storage anomalies (TWSA) and meteorological data. Here we show that much of the AEB (65.53 %), encompassing Mongolia Plateau, Northwest China, Qinghai Tibet Plateau, and Western Asia (except the Arabian Peninsula), exhibited a significant greening trend over the past two decades. In arid AEB, precipitation dominated the vegetation productivity trend. Such a rainfall dominance gave way to TWSA dominance in the hyper-arid AEB. We further showed that the decoupling of rainfall and hyper-arid vegetation greening was largely due to a significant expansion (17.3 %) in irrigated cropland across the hyper-arid AEB. Given the extremely harsh environment in the AEB, our results therefore raised a significant concern on the ecological and societal sustainability in this region, where a mild increase in precipitation cannot catch up the rising evaporative demand and water consumption resulted from global warming and agriculture intensification.

New methodology for identifying sustainable freshwater resources for the production of green hydrogen

ABSTRACT Managing sustainable and digital transformations in the water industry is a challenge. The identification of freshwater resources for green hydrogen production is necessary for the energy transition away from fossil fuels such as oil and gas. This can be achieved through the sustainable flood retention basin (SFRB) concept for identifying optimal locations for the retention of surface water. This unbiased concept helps in conflict resolution between stakeholders with water rights. Moreover, it serves as a simple tool to produce a digital water supply atlas based on dimensionless parameters with the short names’ population density, location advantage, precipitation, groundwater level, water rights, SFRB, excess running water and proximity to networks. While the first five parameters can be determined during a desk study, the last three parameters require site visits for verification purposes. Germany was used as a representative case study country to demonstrate the proposed methodology to obtain a water atlas based on mapped weighted values. The Kaiserstuhl in Germany served as a worked calculation example indicating well above average potential for water storage using existing retention basins. The water atlas can be used to supplement a (green) hydrogen atlas, supporting decision-makers in building hydrogen infrastructure.

Determination of the Occurrence of Negative Impacts during Lowering of Sinking Wells Using the Fuzzy TOPSIS Method

Sinking wells belong to underground facilities. Large-diameter sinking wells are often constructed as retention basins and reservoirs for wastewater treatment plants, which is determined by the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. The directive obliges Member States to implement the principles of sustainable development, promoting sustainable sewage collection and treatment systems. When designing and constructing facilities using sinking well technology, contact between the structure and the ground must be considered. During the lowering of a sinking well into the ground medium, a number of negative impacts may occur and affect the sinking process, including excessive ground settlement outside the well, damage or destruction of adjacent objects, tilt of the well casing from the vertical, and uncontrolled sinking of the well casing. The aim of this paper is to determine the occurrence of negative impacts during the lowering of sinking wells. Determining the incidence of negative impacts could help to avoid pre-failure and emergency situations relating to sinking wells. A fuzzy TOPSIS method was used to determine the above.

ANÁLISE CRÍTICA DAS TÉCNICAS COMPENSATÓRIAS DE DRENAGEM URBANA

The following research presents compensatory techniques for urban drainage, through a literature review. Among the compensatory methods, four different techniques were chosen: permeable pavement, green roof, rain garden and retention basin, to present their operating principles and environmental benefits, compare the positive environmental impacts of compensatory techniques in comparison with traditional approaches to urban drainage and analyze case studies of different cities that have successfully implemented the compensatory techniques under study. The main objective of the study was achieved, as it can be clearly understood that the techniques under study contributed to the reduction of floods, reducing the impacts caused by them.

Using Tritium Isotope in Groundwater to Estimate the Reservoir Capacity at Erbil, Northern Iraq

Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen in water molecule can be applied in tracer studies to estimate water residence time. The tritium values of the groundwater in Erbil and the reservoir's capacity were the main subjects of this investigation. Three sub-basins, including, Kapran (720 km2), Central (1315 km2), and Bashtapa (625 km2) constructs Erbil City's groundwater basin. 27 groundwater samples from three sub-basins were taken for oxygen-18, tritium analysis and measurement of electrical conductivity. Tritium values divided the groundwater reservoirs into three possible groups: pre-bomb groundwaters that has ages older than 70 years due to lower tritium values, contaminated groundwater and mixture between young and old groundwaters. It is adequate to suppose that there were several substantial subsurface retention reservoirs in Dashty-Hawler basin. For instance, if two wells from the Kapan sub-basin were used as a point of reference, well No. 1 in Kalak region would have a tritium value of 1.7 ± 0.72 TU having groundwater that was approximately 16.2 years old. In contrast, the well No. 6 at Grd-Jutyar has a lower tritium value equal to 0.72 ± 0.68 TU indicating a greater residence time of 31.6 years. These two wells have differing reservoir sizes, and well No. 6 has a longer retention basin to store groundwater than well No. 1 According to these findings, younger groundwater and smaller retention basins were indicated by greater tritium levels, whereas older groundwater and larger retention basins were noted by lower tritium levels.

Deposition areas: An effective solution for the reduction of the sediment volume transported by stony debris flows on the high‐sloping reach of channels incising fans and debris cones

SummaryThe main approach to managing the volume of sediment transported by stony debris flows routing along channels is through retention basins and open check dams, usually built in the lower reach just upstream of inhabited areas where slopes are gentler. In some cases, these measures are not sufficient to retain all the volume of sediment transported by debris flows. Works for trapping the sediments should also be placed in the upper reach of debris‐flow channels. In this area, where the channel bed is characterized by very high slopes and vertical variability over time, constructing and maintaining transversal embankments for sediment retention is difficult. In addition, they could also be susceptible to failure, potentially increasing the magnitude of the phenomenon instead of mitigating it. On the other hand, other types of works, such as solid‐body check dams or net barriers, have a decreasing efficiency over time in reducing the volume of sediment transported by debris flows. An alternative solution could be a retention basin open on the downstream side, that is, without the ending transversal embankment or berm. Therefore, it can be designated as a deposition area because the retention effect of the downstream embankment is missing, and sediment deposition only occurs due to the flatness of the basin. For sizing purposes, here, we derive two relationships between the deposition area and the volume of the deposit. These two relationships are derived from a physically based geometrical approach and empirical approach, respectively. After analyzing the morphology of the depositional processes that occurred in an existing deposition area during debris‐flow events, we test the validity of the two relationships. Overall, these can be used independently or in combination for designing a deposition area. At last, we introduce the necessary geomorphological conditions for the construction of the deposition area and guidance for its placement.