Dealing With Sediment - Effects On Dams and Hydropower Generation - Hydro Review

11/18/2020 Dealing with Sediment: Effects on Dams and Hydropower Generation - Hydro Review
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Sediment: E ects
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Generation
Issue 1 and Volume 25.

2.22.17
How do reservoir sedimentation and

appropriate management techniques a ect
operations of dams and hydroelectric
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to process cover thedata
your personal topic and to
in order
provide illustrative case studies, including the
2,100 MW
analyze ourAswan
tra c, High Dam in Egypt.
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agree to Clarion’s
By Greg Privacy Policy.
Schellenberg, C. Richard
Donnelly, Charles Holder and Rajib Ahsan
I AGREE I DECLINE
Although sedimentation of the world’s

reservoirs represents a serious threat to
the sustainability of hydropower, there is

limited guidance on how best to address
the problem. Sedimentation a ects the
safety of dams and reduces energy

production, storage, discharge capacity
and ood attenuation capabilities. It
increases loads on the dam and gates,
damages mechanical equipment and

creates a wide range of environmental
impacts.
cookies to This article
process exploresdata in order to
your personal
sedimentation issues as they pertain to
hydropower
analyze our trafacilities, dam safety
c, and personalize and the
advertising.
environment; discusses sedimentation
management techniques; and describes
I AGREE
how they can beI DECLINE
implemented to limit the
impacts on hydropower.
Background
Reservoir sedimentation is a process of
erosion, entrainment, transportation,

deposition and compaction of sediment
carried into reservoirs formed and
contained by dams. In unregulated,
mature rivers with stable catchments,

sediment processes are relatively
balanced.
cookies Construction
to process of a dam
your personal datadecreases
in order to
ow velocities, initiating or accelerating
sedimentation,1
analyze our tra c,resulting in progressively
ner materials being deposited (see Figure
1).
I AGREE I DECLINE
There are three stages in a reservoir’s
life:2
11/18/2020
e: Dealing with Sediment: Effects on Dams and Hydropower Generation - Hydro Review
Continuous and rapidly occurring

sediment accumulation;
Partial sediment balance, where
often ne sediments reach a balance

but coarse sediments continue to
accumulate; and
Full sediment balance, with sediment
in ow and out ow equal for all

particle sizes.
Most of the
customize world’s
content andreservoirs are
improve your in the
site
experience, 2
continuousprovide social media
accumulation features,
stage. Many
analyze our tra c, and personalize advertising.
were designed by estimating
agree to Clarion’srates
sedimentation Privacy
in Policy.
order to provide a
pool with su cient volume to achieve a

I AGREE I DECLINE
speci ed design life. However, this design
life is typically far less than what is
11/18/2020
e s typ ca y a ess t a w at s
Dealing with Sediment: Effects on Dams and Hydropower Generation - Hydro Review
actually achievable. Therefore, managing
reservoirs to achieve a full sediment

balance is essential in order to maximize
their lives.
Developing regions of the world that stand

to bene t most from hydroelectricity are
often those with the highest sediment
yields (see Figure 2 on page 8).3 In these

regions, sustainable hydropower
development
cookies must
to process involve
your consideration
personal data in order to
of sediment management techniques
during our
analyze design,
tra construction andadvertising.
c, and personalize
operation.
Sediment impacts
I AGREE I DECLINE
on generation
on generation
About 0.5% to 1% of the total volume of

6,800 km3 of water stored in reservoirs
around the world is lost annually as a

result of sedimentation.2 As a result,
global per capita reservoir storage has
rapidly decreased since its peak at about
1980. Current storage is equivalent to

levels that existed nearly 60 years ago.2
I AGREE I DECLINE
Loss of reservoir storage reduces
exibility in generation and a ects the

exibility in generation and a ects the

reliability of water supply. Without
storage, hydropower facilities are entirely
dependent on seasonal ows. These ows

might not occur when energy is needed,
eliminating one of the key bene ts that
hydropower provides over other

renewables.
Events (and our
Sediments family of from
discharged websites), we use
an upstream
dam in a cascade
customize system
content and canyour
improve increase
site
experience, providereducing
tailwater levels, social media features,
power
generation.1 This would impact the
generation Privacy
potential ofPolicy.
all plants in the
cascade and increase the possibility of
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powerhouse ooding.
Sediment impacts
on stability
Sediment loads are commonly idealized as
a static at-rest soil pressure. The U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation’s design manual
for small dams suggests that sediments be
considered equivalent to a uid with an

implied pressure coe cient of about 0.39
and an to
cookies internal
processfriction coe data
your personal cient
inof
order to
about 37 degrees.
However, actual reservoir sediment
properties Privacy
can vary Policy.
considerably.
Unconsolidated ne-grained sediments
I AGREE I DECLINE
likely have lower shear resistance and a
higher at-rest pressure coe cient, while
11/18/2020
g e at est p essu e coe c e t, w
e
a reservoir lled with coarser sediments
may have a higher shear strength.1
Published criteria with respect to potential

changes in uplift pressures due to
sedimentation often neglect the fact that
ne-grained sediments may reduce uplift
in the same manner as does an engineered

upstream blanket. Conversely, in the case
where there is a large turbid in ow, higher
uplift pressures
cookies to process would be expected
your personal data in until
order to
enough particles had settled to form a
blanket.our tra
analyze c, and personalize advertising.
agree
Duringto Clarion’s
a seismicPrivacy
event,Policy.
it is likely that
lique ed sediments would quickly return

I AGREE I DECLINE
close to their original state, resulting in a
rapid dissipation of pore pressures.
11/18/2020
ap d d ss pat o o po e p essu es.
Therefore, it may be questionable to

automatically assign higher uplift
pressures in this case.
Commonly used design considerations can
omit some plausible load cases. For

example, an underwater sediment slope
failure could cause surface waves, adding
additional loading, hydro-dynamic

pressure waves and an inertial loading
from the
cookies to dense uidized
process your soil-water
personal mass.
data in order to
Another phenomena commonly ignored
relates our
analyze to turbidity currents
tra c, and in reservoirs.
personalize advertising.
Such turbid uid with a sediment load of
100 mg/l could be about 6% heavier than
I AGREE
clear water.1 I DECLINE
Submarine landslides are widely studied

because of their potential to create
tsunami waves. However, designers also
need totoconsider
cookies the potential
process your that
personal data infailure
order to
of the steeply sloped deltaic front could
increase
analyze loading
our tra c, and produce compression
waves that may uidize ner sediments
near the toe of the landslide. As the
I AGREE advances
deposition I DECLINE
toward the dam, the
potential for issues progressively

increases.
It is often assumed that, during an
earthquake, sediments fully liquefy, lose
all strength and exert a dense uid

hydrostatic load on the dam. However,
this degree of uidization likely is not
possible in a reservoir lled with coarse
materials. Designers also often assume

that the fully uidized dense uid
contributes
cookies to hydro-dynamic
to process pressure
your personal data in order to
loading based on Westergaard’s formula,
ignoring
analyze the
our traphysical basis for its
derivation. In fact, there is some question
about the applicability of Westergaard’s
I AGREEfor hydro-dynamic
formula I DECLINE pressures.
Designs also need to consider the degree

Des g s a so eed to co s de t e deg ee
of saturation of the sediments. There is
minimal system damping under dynamic
loading when reservoir sediments are fully

saturated. However, signi cant reductions
in acceleration occur when sediments are
partially saturated.4,5 For rigid
foundations, hydrodynamic pressures
decrease slightly at the dam base when

sediments are fully saturated but increase
when partially saturated. 4 Partial
saturation will increase he system’s
response
analyze ourto horizontal
tra ground advertising.
c, and personalize
By choosing “I
5 Agree”, you understand and
movement. Sediment thickness is an
important consideration, especially when
I AGREE
the partially saturated.5
I DECLINE
sediments are
Thin layers result in minimal absorption

of horizontal motions, largely due to a

relatively high modulus of elasticity and
low attenuation coe cient.6 Over the
reservoir life cycle, this changes as

sediments continue to accumulate.7 Other
important factors are sediment density,
compressibility and pore water

pressure.5,7
Events (and our family
This dependence on of websites),
sediment we use
properties
makes a strong
customize contentcase for theiryour site
and improve
experience,
measurement provide
andsocial mediaas
inclusion features,
part of the
design.4 However, designs are performed
agree
beforetosedimentation
Clarion’s Privacyoccurs
Policy. and the same
sediments that are stable under normal

I AGREE I DECLINE
conditions and absorb energy at the
bottom of the reservoir could liquefy. For

botto
11/18/2020
o t e ese vo cou d que y. o
this reason, the use of a reservoir bottom

re ection coe cient must be logically
linked to assessment of the reservoir
sediment behavior and ongoing

monitoring.
Sediment impacts
on discharge
capability
analyze our tra
Sediments will c, and personalize
often advertising.
block low-level
outlets designed to allow for reservoir
drawdown.1 As sedimentation continues,
I AGREE I DECLINE
clogging of spillway tunnels or other
conduits may occur.1

Reduction of spillway capacity can occur

as a result of the loss of approach depth
when the sediment front reaches the dam.
The reservoir becomes a delta- lled valley

that takes a meandering course such that a
ood wave does not spread out to allow
ood routing.
Sediment impacts
on equipment
Sediment can damage turbines and other
mechanical equipment through erosion of
I AGREE
the I DECLINE
oxide coating on the blades, leading to
surface irregularities and more serious

material damage.8 Sustained erosion can
lead to extended shutdown time for
maintenance or replacement.8
Many factors determine rates of

mechanical abrasion. Of particular
importance is sediment type and physical
characteristics. Angular sediments

composed of minerals with a Mohs
hardness greater than 5 – such as quartz,
feldspar
cookies toand tourmaline
process – are
problematic. In addition, hydraulic and
facility our
analyze operation parameters
tra c, and such
personalize as ow
advertising.
velocity, hydraulic head, turbulence,
turbine rotation speed and turbine
I AGREEa ect Iabrasion
material DECLINE susceptibility.
Impulse turbines, such as Pelton or Turgo,

are more susceptible to abrasion than are
reaction turbines.8 However, runner
changes and needle tip/seat ring

replacement are much easier with Pelton
turbines. Therefore, they may be
preferable on the basis of the overall life

cycle cost.

I AGREE I DECLINE
Abrasion can be reduced by selecting
metals to increase erosive resistance
and/or by reducing the volume of ne

sediment that reaches mechanical
equipment. Plants often are designed to
remove most of the coarse sediment

particles. However, even silt can cause
signi cant
cookies abrasion
to process your if the quartz
personal content
data in order to
9
and pressure head is high enough. The
1,500 MW
analyze our Nathpa Jhakri
tra c, and hydroelectric
plant in India used four desilting
chambers that were successful in
I AGREE coarser
removing I DECLINE
sediments. However,
damage from the ner particles was so

severe that parts of the turbines had to be

replaced within one year.
Materials used commonly in sediment-
prone hydropower plants are stainless
steels that are heat treated for hardening

and increased protection from abrasion.8
Protecting mechanical equipment from

sediment abrasion can also be achieved
with hard surface coatings of ceramic
paints or
cookies pastes or
to process with
your hard data
personal facing
in order to
customize
8 content and improve your site
alloys. Research has shown improved
resistance
analyze to sediment
our tra abrasionadvertising.
c, and personalize when
tungsten carbide-based composites are
used as a surface coating.8 In undertaking
I AGREE
such I DECLINE
assessments, it is important to
consider the fact that abrasion will

increase as the reservoir lls. The Nozaki

method can be used to assess turbine
repair frequency. The method accounts for

the e ective sediment concentration,
particle size and shape, the turbine
material and any coatings.
Turbine designs need to minimize peak

velocities to reduce impacts. For a Pelton
turbine, fewer jets and larger runner
bucketstowith
cookies larger
process yourradii reduce
centrifugal forces between the sediment
and runner
analyze surfaces.
our tra Regardlessadvertising.
c, and personalize of the
turbine selected, designs must consider
issues such as the ease of runner removal
I AGREE
for I DECLINE
future maintenance.
Sediment impacts
Sediment impacts
on the
environment
Any dam will cause some degree of
sediment starvation downstream. Plant
and animal species are sensitive to
alteration of both the sediment supply and

ow regime.2,10 Increases in sediment
concentration
cookies can
to process create
your turbid
personal datawaters
in order to
with a smaller euphotic zone. This
decreases
analyze ourplant
tra c,productivity, negatively
impacting sh and bird species2 and
causing abrasion of sh gills, thus
I AGREE potential
increasing I DECLINE
for disease or
mortality. Turbidity can also cause visual
impairment for predatory sh, a ecting

their feeding habits. Finally, sediment is a
primary carrier of suspended pollutants
such as nitrogen, phosphorous and heavy

metals.10
Sediments released as a result of sediment

management or a dam breach may have
environmental e ects that can persist for
decades.
Numerical
modeling of
sedimentation
I AGREE I DECLINE
and sediment
and sediment
management
strategies
A variety of tools are available for
hydromorphological simulation in order
to optimize reservoir management:
U.S.your
We value Army Corps
privacy. of Engineers’
When HEC-
you visit Clarion
EventsRAS
(andmodel
our family of websites),
features a movablewe use
boundary
customize sediment
content transport
and improve your site
experience, providemodule
calculation social media
that features,
was recently
used to simulate sedimentation
agree processes
to Clarion’sresulting
Privacy Policy.
from hydropower
development in northern Manitoba.11

I AGREE I DECLINE
MIKE 21 is a two-dimensional
hydrodynamic model used to
11/18/2020
yd ody a c ode used to
simulate sedimentation processes

that was used to assess sediment
deposition patterns and simulate the
results of future ushing operations

at Boegoeberg Dam in South Africa.12
The hydrodynamic, sediment
transport and physical habitat model

FAST is used to simulate
morphological
cookies to process yourprocesses and
changes to sh habitat within
alluvial
analyze our trarivers.13 It was used
c, and personalize to
advertising.
predict hydromorphological
conditions and to optimize sediment
I AGREE I DECLINE prior to
ushing procedures
constructing new hydropower
facilities on the Nile River.
Sediment
management
solutions
Developing and retaining sustainable
storage to satisfy global needs requires
inclusion of reservoir sediment
management
cookies practices
to process at project
conception and throughout its life cycle.
These practices
analyze our tra c,vary dependingadvertising.
and personalize on the
tope of facility. For run-of-river projects,
sediment management aims to remove
I AGREE thatIcan
sediments DECLINE
cause abrasion of the
turbines and clog cooling water intakes. In

a storage project, this objective and

extending reservoir longevity are key.
For storage hydro, sediment management

strategies to extend reservoir longevity
can be classi ed into three categories:
Those that divert some of the

sediment through or around the
reservoir;
Those
cookies that remove
to process or rearrange
sediment that has already been
deposited;
analyze our tra c,and
Those that minimize the amount of
sediment reaching the reservoir from
I AGREE
upstream.I DECLINE
Many dam operators have implemented

11/18/2020
a y da ope ato s ave p e e ted
sediment management techniques

designed to achieve these goals.14 Some
examples are described below.
Bypassing
On-stream sediment bypassing diverts
part of the sediment-laden water around

the reservoir, typically using a weir that
operates
cookies to during
process high ows when
your personal sediment
data in order to
concentrations are high.
An o -stream reservoir can be used such
that only Privacy
the clear waterPolicy.
is diverted over a
bypass weir. An o -stream reservoir
I AGREE I DECLINE
typically has limited capacity and can only
exclude sediments carried by higher

e c ude sed
11/18/2020
e ts ca ed by g e
stream ows.2 However, it does reduce the

amount of suspended sediment and
bedload reaching the reservoir.14 Other

advantages include the fact that the
reservoir and dam are located away from
the main river channel, allowing for
minimal disruption to aquatic species and

habitat and reducing the need for large
We value your privacy. When
2
you visit Clarion
on-stream spillways. On the other hand,
o -stream
cookies reservoirs
to process typically
your personal doinnot
data order to
permit maximization of generation
capacity,
analyze ourespecially
tra c, andin areas thatadvertising.
personalize depend
on high stream ows occurring over a
short period of time.2
I AGREE I DECLINE
Sediment bypassing works best in areas of
high relief where the sediment-laden
11/18/2020
g e e w e e t e sed e t ade
ows are carried e ciently through the
diversion tunnel or channel. Bypassing is

most cost-e ective at dams that are on
the bend of a river, as this allows for a
relatively short diversion between the weir

and the downstream side of the dam.14
Sluicing/drawdown
routing
This technique involves lowering the
reservoir
experience,water levels
provide socialinmedia
advance of high
features,
analyze
stream our
owstrasoc, andwater
that personalize advertising.
and sediment
can
agreebe
torouted through
Clarion’s Privacy the spillway at high
Policy.
velocities. Re ll occurs during the
I AGREE I DECLINE
receding limb of the ood hydrograph.2,14
Sluicing methods depend on the facility’s

hydrologic characteristics and reservoir

size.
Dredging
Dredging can be e cient but it will
continue for the life of the project and can
have signi cant cost impacts. For
example, dredging of 6 million m3 of

sediment at the Loiza reservoir in Puerto
Rico in to
1997 costyour
$10/m 3.1,2
cookies process personal data in order to
I AGREE I DECLINE
Flushing
Flushing involves emptying the reservoir
by opening
cookies bottom
to process outlets
your and
personal allowing
data in order to
customize content
the incoming and improve
stream ow to your
scoursite
sediment.2,14
analyze our tra The e personalize
c, and ectivenessadvertising.
varies
By choosing
but, “I Agree”,
generally, only ayou understand
“core” and
of sediment
along the original channel thalweg is
ushed.
I AGREESediments on the sides of the
I DECLINE
reservoir remain in place.2

An alternative method is pressure
ushing, where the reservoir is partially

drawn down before ushing. This
redistributes coarse upstream sediments
closer to the dam, alleviating their

impacts, but often does not clear the ner
sediments.2 Pressure ushing is also used

for sediment redistribution, moving them
to a less sensitive location.
Erosion control
Many watersheds experience increased
erosion rates due
agree to Clarion’s to land
Privacy use and other
Policy.
human practices. Erosion reduction

I AGREE I DECLINE
techniques fall into three categories:
structural or mechanical, vegetative and
operational.1
Structural or mechanical measures – such
as terraces, conveyance channels, check

dams and sediment traps1,14 – decrease
overland or channelized ow velocity,
increasing surface storage and thereby
reducing the sediment load in the runo .

Events (and our
Vegetative familycontrol
erosion of websites),
takeswe use
advantage of plants’
customize content naturalyour
and improve ability
siteto
experience, provide
limit erosion. social media
Agricultural features,that
practices
minimize sediment yield are particularly
e ective.
I AGREE
Operational I DECLINE
measures minimize erosion
through planning, management and
organization. Examples include timing

construction work such that erosion is
minimized or scheduling timber
harvesting to coincide with favorable soil

conditions.1
Erosion management is perhaps the most

widely recommended but most poorly
implemented sediment management
technique
cookies because
to process land
your usersdata
personal mayinnot see
order to
any direct bene ts from controlling
sediment
analyze ouryield.2
tra c, and personalize advertising.
Selection of
optimal
I AGREE I DECLINE
sedimentation
sedimentation
management
techniques
The appropriate sedimentation
management practice is a function of the
reservoir life, expressed as the ratio of

reservoir volume (CAP) to mean annual
sediment in ow to the reservoir (MAS),
and retention
cookies time
to process represented
your asinaorder to
personal data
function of the ratio of CAP to the mean
annual our
analyze incoming ow
tra c, and (MAF). Selection
personalize of
advertising.
the optimal sediment management
techniques can be estimated based on
I AGREE experience
precedent I DECLINE
and these factors
(see Figure 3).
Case studies
The case studies discussed below illustrate
a range of sediment management
concerns as well as strategies taken to

mitigate them.
Aswan High Dam,

Egypt
The 2,100- MW Aswan High Dam project
on the Nileprovide
experience, River in Egypt
social includes
media a 111 m
features,
analyze
high damourthat
tra impounds
a 130 km 3
reservoir.15 ThisPrivacy
agree to Clarion’s dam has been
Policy.
controversial, largely due to concerns
I AGREE I DECLINE
regarding sediment starvation of the Nile
River Delta.15
Before construction of this dam, the Nile

River transported an average of 100 x 106
tons/yr of sediment to the Nile River Delta
in the Mediterranean Sea.16 Today, with a

trapping e ciency of 99%, little sediment
reaches the delta.15,16 While the live
storage capacity of the Lake Nasser/Nubia

reservoir upstream of Aswan High Dam is
not expected to be compromised for
anotherto300
cookies to 400
process youryears,17
personalthe
dataadverse
in order to
downstream impacts have been widely
reported.15
analyze Erosion
our tra c, andalong the advertising.
personalize
Mediterranean coast of Egypt has been
ongoing for centuries, but the sediment
I AGREE has combined
trapping I DECLINEwith sea-level rise
and other factors to exacerbate coastal

erosion problems.15
Dez Dam, Iran

The 520 MW Dez hydroelectric project in
southwestern Iran features a 203 m-high

concrete arch dam. Reservoir
sedimentation has caused the riverbed to

rise by about 2 m per year, resulting in the
loss of about 19% of reservoir storage
during to
cookies itsprocess
40 years ofpersonal
your operation.
dataAs of
in order to
2016, the reservoir bed was now within 12
m of the
analyze power
our intakes,
tra c, such that
sediment may be drawn into the tunnels
within a decade.
I AGREE I DECLINE
Sediment management strategies
considered for the Dez project included
co s de ed o t e De p oject
11/18/2020
c uded
watershed management, sediment

ushing, tactical dredging near the power
intakes, and heightening the dam. The
optimal solution was determined to be

sediment ushing, managed by means of
powerhouse and spillway operation
changes.
Events
Another(and our family
issue was theof fact
websites), we use
that sediments
had risen content
customize above the
andlow levelyour
improve outlets.
site As
experience,
sluicing of provide social media
the sediments features,
through the
Howell-Bunger valves introduced a risk of
agree
damageto Clarion’s PrivacyaPolicy.
to the valves, physical model
was built to evaluate replacing these
I AGREE I DECLINE
valves with radial sluice gates. Results
showed that the downstream river reach

s owed t at t e dow st ea
11/18/2020
ve eac
could not tolerate the amount of scour

associated with this modi cation, so the
Howell-Bunger valves were redesigned

with abrasion-resistant materials.
Three Gorges, China

In China, the extent of this issue has led to
the development of innovations in
sediment management.14 Four main
sediment
cookies management
to process strategies
your personal data inhave
order to
been adopted. They are: storing the clear
and releasing
analyze our tra the turbid,
c, and releasing
turbidity currents, sediment ushing, and
dredging.19
I AGREE I DECLINE
The 22,500 MW Three Gorges Project on
the Yangtze River is the world’s largest
t e a gt e
11/18/2020
ve s t e wo d s a gest
hydropower facility. The dead storage

portion of the Three Gorges reservoir (17
billion m3) is designed to be lled with
sediment in about 120 to 150 years. The

remaining 22 billion m3 is to be retained
inde nitely by ushing.19 During the June
to September ood season, when 50% to

60% of the annual runo transports much
of the sediments in Chinese rivers,19
operators
cookies draw down
to process the reservoir,
retaining clearer water for the rest of the
year. This
analyze our strategy has
tra c, and been e ective
personalize for
advertising.
reducing sediment impacts at both Three
Gorges Dam and the Sanmenxia Reservoir,
I AGREE
with a 400 MWIpowerhouse.19
DECLINE
Conclusions
Conclusions
The world’s reservoirs are used for many

purposes, among them to provide reliable
water supply, hydropower and ood
mitigation. Sustainable hydropower
requires dealing with the important issue

of reservoir sedimentation.
Events (and our
This article family ofsedimentation
describes websites), we use
processes, identiand
customize content esimprove
key impacts of
your site
experience, provide
sedimentation onsocial media features,
hydropower facilities
and presents techniques that can be used
to address thesePrivacy Policy.
impacts. Sedimentation
can a ect hydropower production due to
I AGREE I DECLINE
loss of reservoir storage and/or damage to
the facility’s mechanical components.
t e ac ty s
11/18/2020
ec a ca co po e ts.
Sediments deposited in reservoirs may
a ect the safety of dams and, without

proper management, negatively impact
the environment.
Methods of managing sediment fall under

three general categories: those that divert
sediment around or through the reservoir,

those that remove deposited sediments,
and those that minimize the amount of
sediment
cookies reaching
to process the
your facility
personal in the
data rstto
in order
place. A variety of sediment management
strategies
analyze our have been
tra c, used around
and personalize the
advertising.
world, with many successful
implementations documented.
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This discussion highlights the need for
appropriate sediment management at
app op ate sed
11/18/2020
e t a age e t at
hydropower facilities and shows how this

can be achieved through consideration of
sediment concerns from the earliest
design phase through to construction and

operation.
Editor’s Note: This is an abridged version of

a much longer article on the topic. To read
the article in its entirety, visit
www.hydroworld.com/index/hydro-
library.html.
Notes
1. Reservoir Sedimentation Manual,

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McGraw-Hill, New York, 1998.
2. Morris, G., G. Annandale and R.

Hotchkiss, “Reservoir Sedimentation,” in
Sedimentation Engineering: Processes,
Measurements, Modeling, and Practice,

American Society of Civil Engineers,
Reston, Va., U.S., 2008.
3. Grummer, J., “Combating Silt Erosion in

Hydraulic Turbines,” HRW-Hydro Review
Worldwide, Volume 17, No. 1, March 2009.
4. Bougacha,
customize S., and
content J. Tassoulas,
and improve “Seismic
your site
experience,
Response of provide social
Gravity Damsmedia
II:features,
E ects of
Sediments,” Journal of Engineering
Mechanics, Privacy
Volume 117,Policy.
No. 8, 1991, pages
1839-1850.
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5. Dominguez, J., R. Gallego, and B. Japon,

“E ects of Porous Sediments on Seismic

Response of Gravity Dams,” Journal of
Engineering Mechanics, Volume 117, No.
8, 1997, pages 302-311.
6. Hatami, K., “E ect of Reservoir Bottom

on Earthquake Response of Concrete
Dams,” Soil Dynamics and Earthquake

Engineering, Volume 16, 1997, pages 407-
415.
7. Gogoi, I.,
customize and D.
content andMaity, “Inyour
improve uence
site of
experience, provideon
Sediment Layers social media features,
Dynamic Behavior of
Aged Concrete Dams,” Journal of
Engineering Privacy Policy.
Mechanics, Volume 133, No.
4, 2007, pages 400-413.

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8. Dorij, U., and R. Ghomaschi, “Hydro

Turbine Failure Mechanisms: An

Overview,” Engineering Failure Analysis,
Volume 44, 2014, pages 136-147.
9. Annandale, G., G. Morris, and P. Karki,

“Sediment Management at Reservoirs and
Hydropower Plants: World Bank Technical
Note,” Proceedings of 84th ICOLD

Meeting, International Commission on
Large Dams, Paris, 2016.
10. Ahmari,
customize H., etand
content al, improve
“Assessment of
your site
experience,
Erosion and provide social mediafor
Sedimentation features,
Hydropower Projects on the Lower Nelson
agree
River,toManitoba,”
Clarion’s Privacy Policy.Dam
Canadian
Association, Montreal, Quebec, Canada,
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2013.
11. Kenny, S., et al, “Assessment of

Impacts to the Sedimentation
Environment for the Keeyask Generating

Station Project using Numerical
Modelling,” Proceedings of 2014 Canadian
Dam Association Conference, Canadian
Dam Association, Montreal, Quebec,

Canada, 2014.
Events (and our family
12. Sawadogo, O., andofG.
websites),
Basson,we use
“2D
Hydrodynamic
customize contentModelling ofyour
and improve Sediment
site
experience,
Depositionprovide social
Processes media
and features,
Flushing
Operation of Boegoeberg Dam, South
Africa,” Privacy
Proceedings ofPolicy.
2016 ICOLD
Conference, International Commission on
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Large Dams, Paris, 2016.
13. Bui, M., and P. Rutschmann,

“Numerical Modelling for Reservoir
Sedimentation Management,”
Proceedings of Sixth International
Conference on Water Resources and

Hydropower Development in Asia, 2016.
14. Kondolf, G., et al, “Sustainable

Sediment Management in Reservoirs and
Regulated Rivers: Experiences from Five
Continents,”
cookies Earth’s
to process Future, data
your personal Volume 2, to
in order
2014, pages 256-280.
15. Abd-El Monsef, H., S. Smith, and K.
Darwish, “ImpactsPrivacy Policy.
of the Aswan High
Dam After 50 Years,” Water Resources

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Management, Volume 29, 2015, pages
1873-1885.
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873 885. Dealing with Sediment: Effects on Dams and Hydropower Generation - Hydro Review
16. Milliman, J., and R. Meade, R. “World-

wide Delivery of River Sediment to the
Oceans,” Journal of Geology, Volume 91,
No. 1, 1983, pages 1-21.
17. Smith, S., “A Revised Estimate of the

Life Span of Lake Nasser,” Environmental
Geology and Water Sciences, Volume 15,
1990, pages
cookies 123-129.
to process your personal data in order to
experience, provide
18. Steele, R., et al,social media features,
“Sedimentation Issues
in the Dez Dam Reservoir, Hatch H.G.
agree
Acresto Clarion’s Privacy
Conference, 2006.Policy.
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Wang, Z., and C. Hu, “Strategies for
Managing Reservoir Sedimentation,”
International Journal of Sediment

Research, Volume 24, 2009, pages 369-
384.
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11/18/2020 Dealing with Sediment: Effects on Dams and Hydropower Generation - Hydro Review

Africa, Asia and Oceania, Dam Safety,

Environmental, Europe, Latin

Issue 1 and Volume 25.

How do reservoir sedimentation and

Although sedimentation of the world’s

reservoirs represents a serious threat to

the sustainability of hydropower, there is

safety of dams and reduces energy

increases loads on the dam and gates,

damages mechanical equipment and

erosion, entrainment, transportation,

carried into reservoirs formed and

contained by dams. In unregulated,

mature rivers with stable catchments,

Continuous and rapidly occurring

Partial sediment balance, where

often ne sediments reach a balance

Full sediment balance, with sediment

in ow and out ow equal for all

pool with su cient volume to achieve a

actually achievable. Therefore, managing

reservoirs to achieve a full sediment

Developing regions of the world that stand

often those with the highest sediment

yields (see Figure 2 on page 8).3 In these

About 0.5% to 1% of the total volume of

around the world is lost annually as a

rapidly decreased since its peak at about

1980. Current storage is equivalent to

exibility in generation and a ects the

exibility in generation and a ects the

dependent on seasonal ows. These ows

hydropower provides over other

Bureau of Reclamation’s design manual

for small dams suggests that sediments be

considered equivalent to a uid with an

may have a higher shear strength.1

Published criteria with respect to potential

ne-grained sediments may reduce uplift

in the same manner as does an engineered

lique ed sediments would quickly return

Therefore, it may be questionable to

Commonly used design considerations can

omit some plausible load cases. For

failure could cause surface waves, adding

additional loading, hydro-dynamic

Submarine landslides are widely studied

potential for issues progressively

It is often assumed that, during an

earthquake, sediments fully liquefy, lose

all strength and exert a dense uid

this degree of uidization likely is not

possible in a reservoir lled with coarse

materials. Designers also often assume

Designs also need to consider the degree

of saturation of the sediments. There is

minimal system damping under dynamic

loading when reservoir sediments are fully

in acceleration occur when sediments are

partially saturated.4,5 For rigid

foundations, hydrodynamic pressures

decrease slightly at the dam base when