Long-Term Water Management Model for Preserving Sustainable Useful Capacity of Reservoirs

Abstract

In this study, we present a long-term water management model which can be an important tool for the ordinary management of a reservoir. The model can be made simple and applicable in a graphic form. The key point of the model is that the sedimentation rate of solids can be modeled according to a power law. The basic equation of the model is tested using bathymetric surveys of different dams located in different parts of the world. Robustness and predictive power are evaluated both numerically and by comparison with satellite results. Then the model is transformed into the form of a management plot and applied to the real case of the Camastra dam.

Estimation of Silting Evolution in the Camastra Reservoir and Proposals for Sediment Recovery

“…Figure 6 also highlights that the silting volume identified with the 2022 survey (red point), in millions of cubic meters, was slightly greater than that obtained when applying the forecasting model. Consequently, the application of the model of Molino et al, 2023 [39], for the prediction of silting values in 2022 slightly underestimated the amount of accumulated sediments; nevertheless, the aforementioned model provides a methodological contribution, so its use and comparison with real survey data can contribute to the improvement in predictive models for studying sedimentation and accumulation phenomena in reservoirs.…”

“…Among the many efforts, one of the most remarkable is that of Molino et al, 2023 [39], who identified a relationship between the sedimentation volume as measured from the reservoir's structural data and the sedimentation process's characteristics. In particular, various cases examined included the Camastra reservoir, for which the authors provided an estimate of the parameters mentioned above [39].…”

“…The second, which is used to estimate soil loss due to its use or climate change, is based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), which calculates the sediment input to the reservoir [34][35][36][37][38]. However, neither approach is universally applicable since the equations governing them do not consider the entire range of variability in the parameters characterizing a reservoir [39].…”

“…This research concerns the estimation of the silting phenomenon of the Camastra reservoir as carried out through topographic and bathymetric surveys. Based on the knowledge from other research works of the curve and predictive numerical models of the evolution of silting for the studied reservoir, this research aims to verify, based on the last survey carried out, whether they are capable of correctly estimating the volumes of accumulated material or whether it is necessary to make changes [39][40][41]. The amount of sediment that is dead volume and possible reuses of the sediment are identified during the discussion, and the alternatives are analyzed with a view to determining their environmental and economic sustainability to avoid the disposal of dredged sediment in landfills.…”