Effectiveness of check dams in the control of general transitory bed scouring in semiarid catchment areas (South‐East Spain)

Conesa-García, Carmelo; García-Lorenzo, Rafael

doi:10.1111/j.1747-6593.2007.00099.x

Cited by 26 publications

(16 citation statements)

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“…Check dams play an important role in highly erodible catchments for trapping sediment (Quiñonero et al, 2016) and reducing sediment in rivers (Díaz et al, 2014b;Zhao et al, 2015), with various millions units built worldwide (Verstraeten & Poesen, 2000). Different authors have sought to assess the role of these structures, as well as their effects and efficiency, with diverse results (Romero-Díaz et al, 2007;Castillo et al, 2007;Boix-Fayos et al, 2007Ran et al, 2008;Nyssen et al, 2009;Conesa-García & García-Lorenzo, 2009;Abedini et al, 2012;Lü et al, 2012;Bussi et al, 2013;Quiñonero et al, 2016;Díaz et al, 2014aDíaz et al, , 2014bRamos-Diez et al, 2016a, 2016b, 2017. In general, the conclusions reached regarding check dams have been based on the amount of sediment retained and their effects both downstream and upstream of these structures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In general, the conclusions reached regarding check dams have been based on the amount of sediment retained and their effects both downstream and upstream of these structures. Some authors have shown that check dams produce negative effects downstream due to bed scouring (Boix-Fayos et al, 2007;Conesa-García et al, 2007;Conesa-García & García-Lorenzo, 2009) or that erosion problems could sometimes exist downstream under heavy rainfall conditions (Hooke & Mant, 2002). Some changes in diversity of riparian vegetation have been detected by Bombino et al (2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Final Analysis of the Accuracy and Precision of Methods to Calculate the Sediment Retained by Check Dams

et al. 2017

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Knowing how much sediment check dams have trapped during their lifespan is essential to estimate their effectiveness or the sediment yields of their basins. Methods to calculate the volume of sediment trapped by check dams play an important role in the understanding of these issues. Several authors have proposed different methods to measure the volume of retained sediment, but their accuracy has, as yet, not been precisely determined and is currently a subject of debate. We compare the most frequently used methods (geometric: prism, pyramid and geometric; topographic: Digital Terrain Models (DTMs), trapezoids and sections methods) to evaluate their accuracy and precision in determining the volume of sediment retained by check dams. Our calculations are based on ten virtual check dams simulated in several gullies of Saldaña (Spain), where we determine their volumetric capacity for trapping sediment (real volume). This was made by means of an intensive topographic survey of these gullies, employing a terrestrial laser scanning system to obtain a high‐resolution digital elevation model (5 × 5 cm, ±2 mm). The results showed that topographic methods provided a very good fit to real volume with a difference of around 8%, being the sections method the most accurate. Geometric methods were less accurate, showing differences of up to 28%. Thus, the results obtained until now by geometric methods should be considered with caution. Although topographic methods were more accurate, they require many field data and much time than the others. So geometric methods can still be useful by correcting their results using our obtained percentage of variation. Knowing the accuracy of the methods before measuring is essential to obtain the most reliable results to analyse the role of check dams in controlling sediment, erosion processes and land degradation. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Final Analysis of the Accuracy and Precision of Methods to Calculate the Sediment Retained by Check Dams

et al. 2017

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“…However, until now relatively little has been known about the effects of changing land use patterns and the introduction of hydrological correction works on sediment yield at the catchment scale. Evaluation of widely applied management measures in mountain streams is necessary in order to increase our understanding of sediment dynamics, and to allocate resources in 4923 García-Lorenzo, 2008) affecting the sediment budget at the catchment scale. Disturbances induced by check-dams can be negative when induced erosion is high, or when they create a false stabilization image (García-Ruiz et al, 1996b;White et al, 1997;Gutiérrez et al, 1998;Alcoverro et al, 1999;Boix-Fayos et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of land use change and check‐dams on catchment sediment yield

Boix‐Fayos

Vente

Martínez-Mena

et al. 2008

Hydrological Processes

207

154

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Abstract:Extensive land use changes have occurred in many areas of SE Spain as a result of reforestation and the abandonment of agricultural activities. Parallel to this the Spanish Administration spends large funds on hydrological control works to reduce erosion and sediment transport. However, it remains untested how these large land use changes affect the erosion processes at the catchment scale and if the hydrological control works efficiently reduce sediment export. A combination of field work, mapping and modelling was used to test the influence of land use scenarios with and without sediment control structures (check-dams) on sediment yield at the catchment scale. The study catchment is located in SE Spain and suffered important land use changes, increasing the forest cover 3-fold and decreasing the agricultural land 2Ð5-fold from 1956 to 1997. In addition 58 check-dams were constructed in the catchment in the 1970s accompanying reforestation works.The erosion model WATEM-SEDEM was applied using six land use scenarios: land use in 1956, 1981 and 1997, each with and without check-dams. Calibration of the model provided a model efficiency of 0Ð84 for absolute sediment yield. Model application showed that in a scenario without check dams, the land use changes between 1956 and 1997 caused a progressive decrease in sediment yield of 54%. In a scenario without land use changes but with check-dams, about 77% of the sediment yield was retained behind the dams. Check-dams can be efficient sediment control measures, but with a short-lived effect. They have important side-effects, such as inducing channel erosion downstream. While also having side-effects, land use changes can have important long-term effects on sediment yield. The application of either land use changes (i.e. reforestation) or check-dams to control sediment yield depends on the objective of the management and the specific environmental conditions of each area.

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“…Castillo's model was previously applied in semiarid catchment areas of southeast Spain (Conesa-Garcìa and Garcìa-Lorenzo 2009).…”

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confidence: 99%

Evaluation and modeling of scouring and sedimentation around check dams in a Mediterranean torrent in Calabria, Italy

Zema¹,

Bombino²,

Boix‐Fayos³

et al. 2014

Journal of Soil and Water Conservation

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The effectiveness of check dams on channel morphology of managed torrents is rarely assessed. Therefore, there is a need for studies that focus on the impacts of existing engineering check dams on the planoaltimetric characteristics of the torrent, particularly in Mediterranean areas, where the hydrological regime of ephemeral channels is dynamically unsteady. The quantitative evaluation of the effects of the check dams on channel morphology after many years (i.e., at least four or five decades) helps introduce innovations to the usual analysis of check dam efficacy which have often been limited to qualitative observations for only a few years after installation. As a contribution to make up these shortcomings, this paper investigates the geomorphologic asset of a torrent in southern Italy containing 10 check dams (installed in the 1950s to 1960s) and analyzes the dynamics of the scouring and sedimentation processes upstream and downstream of selected check dams after 8 rainfall events; moreover, the capability of the model by Castillo (2007) to predict scouring/ sedimentation in proximity to these check dams is assessed. Sediment stored upstream of each check dam (where lower channel gradients and wider channel sections formed very long and wide sedimentary wedges) is more than one order of magnitude higher compared to scouring downstream. The morphological analysis revealed that the check dams installed in the headwater reach play a function of bed stabilization (due to the longitudinal slope reduction) and flood lamination (because of the wider channel section) rather than a role of sediment collectors as their sediment storage capacity has already been completed. Scouring/ sedimentation dynamics depend mainly on the channel slope and width in proximity to the check dams rather than on structure height. Finally, Castillo's model showed an acceptable performance in predicting scouring/sedimentation in the channel bed close to check dams after the monitored rainfall events, the model efficiency being satisfactory and the differences between the mean observed and simulated values low. This investigation improves the understanding about morphological effects of check dams in Mediterranean torrents based on field observations and quantitative analysis.

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Effectiveness of check dams in the control of general transitory bed scouring in semiarid catchment areas (South‐East Spain)

Cited by 26 publications

References 15 publications

Final Analysis of the Accuracy and Precision of Methods to Calculate the Sediment Retained by Check Dams

Final Analysis of the Accuracy and Precision of Methods to Calculate the Sediment Retained by Check Dams

The impact of land use change and check‐dams on catchment sediment yield

Evaluation and modeling of scouring and sedimentation around check dams in a Mediterranean torrent in Calabria, Italy

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