A global synthesis of the effectiveness of sedimentation-enhancing strategies for river deltas and estuaries

Cox, Jana; Paauw, Mandy; Nienhuis, Jaap H.; Dunn, Frances; Deijl, Eveline van der; Esposito, C. R.; Goichot, Marc; Leuven, Jasper R. F. W.; Maren, D.S. van; Middelkoop, H.; Naffaa, Safaa; Rahman, Md. Mostafizur; Schwarz, Christian; Sieben, Eline; Triyanti, Annisa; Yuill, Brendan

doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2022.103796

Cited by 29 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 103 publications

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“…Further, small scale features such as preferential flow paths can contribute to SRE and to long term wetland sustainability (e.g., Salter & Lamb, 2022). This makes vegetation driven connectivity and spatial heterogeneity an attractive target for organized optimization efforts that attempt to influence SRE (Cox et al., 2022, and references therein).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A delta's distributary channels provide both the source of sediment and the means for delivering sediment to the locations where it can be most useful for land building. In many deltas the connections between distributary channels and the delta plain have been restricted (e.g., Esposito et al., 2020), and land use managers are working to plan diversions of water and sediment that will leverage delta sediment transport processes to deliver sediment to vulnerable or valuable wetlands (Auerbach et al., 2015; Cox et al., 2022; Giosan et al., 2013; Paola et al., 2011; Temmerman et al., 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The planning and management of these diversions will be a complex task because of the need to consider the hydrological, ecological and temporal dynamics of their operation (Keogh et al., 2019; Peyronnin et al., 2017). Critically, for diversions to be most effective it is important to understand the controls on sediment delivery to, and retention in, the receiving basin (Esposito et al., 2017; Keogh et al., 2019; Peyronnin et al., 2017) and to improve our understanding of the human activities that can enhance sediment retention (Cox et al., 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Vegetation‐Driven Seasonal Sediment Dynamics in a Freshwater Marsh of the Mississippi River Delta

et al. 2023

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Deltaic wetlands are uniquely vulnerable to sea level rise due to their coastal setting, low elevation gradient, and the high rate of subsidence in recently deposited sediments (Blum & Roberts, 2009;Giosan et al., 2014;Hoitink et al., 2020;Törnqvist et al., 2020). Many deltas host dense human populations that rely on vast expanses of wetlands for critical ecosystem services including protection from storms (e.g., Edmonds et al., 2020). Despite the vulnerability that is inherent in a delta setting, deltaic ecosystems are also uniquely able to adapt to sea level rise by making use of the riverine sediment transport system to locally increase elevation. A delta's distributary channels provide both the source of sediment and the means for delivering sediment to the locations where it can be most useful for land building. In many deltas the connections between distributary channels and the delta plain have been restricted (e.g., Esposito et al., 2020), and land use managers are working to plan diversions of water and sediment that will leverage delta sediment transport processes to deliver sediment to vulnerable or valuable wetlands (

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Vegetation‐Driven Seasonal Sediment Dynamics in a Freshwater Marsh of the Mississippi River Delta

et al. 2023

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“…Levee data for hazard assessment purposes are additionally useful outside the realm of geophysical modeling, and are the core of civil engineering and emergency response management for levee performance, such as during the safety and risk calculation of hurricanes (Mitchell et al, 2013). Data can also be relevant for large-scale studies into the effects and costs of levees, and in their comparison with alternative flood risk reduction strategies in these areas (Ibáñez et al, 2014;Scussolini et al, 2017;Vuik et al, 2019;Cox et al, 2022). The insurance industry, local residents, and homeowners are additional users of levee data and modeling outputs that may help with their hazard and risk assessments (National Research Council, 2013).…”

Section: Why (Data Of) Levees Mattermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of the negative consequences, contemporary river and flood management projects often prioritize nature-based solutions that limit the need for levees (Esteves, 2014;Cohen-Shacham et al, 2016;Van Wesenbeeck et al, 2014). In deltas in particular, levees are sometimes removed to pursue sedimentation-enhancing strategies (Cox et al, 2022) that restore natural delta functions, but this may not always be possible.…”

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confidence: 99%

A global open-source database of flood-protection levees on river deltas (openDELvE)

Nienhuis

Cox²,

O'Dell³

et al. 2022

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Flood-protection levees have been built along rivers and coastlines globally. Current datasets, however, are generally confined to territorial boundaries (national datasets) and are not always easily accessible, posing limitations for hydrologic models and assessments of flood hazard. Here, we bridge this knowledge gap by collecting and standardizing global flood-protection levee data for river deltas into the open-source global river delta levee data environment, openDELvE. In openDELvE, we aggregate levee data from national databases, reports, maps, and satellite imagery. The database identifies the river delta land areas that the levees have been designed to protect. Where data are available, we record the extent and design specifications of the levees themselves (e.g., levee height, crest width, construction material) in a harmonized format. The 1657 polygons of openDELvE contain 19 248 km of levees and 44 733.505 km2 of leveed area. For the 153 deltas included in openDELvE, 17 % of the land area is confined by flood-protection levees. Around 26 % of delta population lives within the 17 % of delta area that is protected, making leveed areas densely populated. openDELvE data can help improve flood exposure assessments, many of which currently do not account for flood-protection levees. We find that current flood hazard assessments that do not include levees may exaggerate the delta flood exposure by 33 % on average, but up to 100 % for some deltas. The openDELvE is made public on an interactive platform (https://www.opendelve.eu/, 1 October 2022), which includes a community-driven revision tool to encourage inclusion of new levee data and continuous improvement and refinement of open-source levee data.

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Modelling the Effects of Vegetation Distribution and Density on Hydrological Connectivity and Water Age in a River Delta

Jean Louis,

Hiatt

2024

Ecohydrology

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Water transport timescales (WTTs) quantify how long it takes for water to travel through or remain in a system and are often cast as indicators of ecosystem function and health. Such timescales are known to be affected by vegetation in various environments. We quantify the impact of floodplain vegetation on WTTs within the Wax Lake Delta (WLD), a river delta system in Louisiana, USA, using a high‐resolution Delft3D Flexible Mesh (DFM) model incorporating vegetation‐induced flow resistance. We show that increased vegetation density leads to extended WTTs within vegetated sections of WLD while fostering flow localization and accelerating transport within distributary channels. We find that the presence or absence of floodplain vegetation significantly influences the volumetric flow directed towards the floodplain, with spatial distribution exerting more control than vegetation density. Vegetation density and spatial arrangement have minimal impact on flow directed out of the deltaic floodplain, indicating that vegetation does not constrain flow across the bayward boundary. Furthermore, network‐scale water age distribution remains largely unaffected by vegetation density and spatial arrangement, except for slight modifications in the distribution's right tail. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how vegetation affects deltaic hydrology across scales, highlighting the importance of considering multi‐scale vegetation influences for coastal restoration and management strategies.

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A global synthesis of the effectiveness of sedimentation-enhancing strategies for river deltas and estuaries

Cited by 29 publications

References 103 publications

Vegetation‐Driven Seasonal Sediment Dynamics in a Freshwater Marsh of the Mississippi River Delta

Vegetation‐Driven Seasonal Sediment Dynamics in a Freshwater Marsh of the Mississippi River Delta

A global open-source database of flood-protection levees on river deltas (openDELvE)

Modelling the Effects of Vegetation Distribution and Density on Hydrological Connectivity and Water Age in a River Delta

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