Case study:Experimental flood in the Pisuerga river

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Location: 42° 54' 23.04" N, 4° 31' 45.15" W

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Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes	Environmental flows and water resources, Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology
Country	Spain
Main contact forename	Fernando
Main contact surname	Magdaleno
Main contact user ID
Contact organisation
Contact organisation web site
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Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

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Project summary

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The release of the experimental flood was performed in May 2014 in order to improve river processes downstream of the dam (the Requejada Dam), and to increase geomorphic and ecologic dynamics—nowadays impoverished by dam operation. The release was conducted under a number of constraints: (i.) ensuring the security of people and property (the flooding protocol had to be activated in the river); (ii.) accommodating an existing fishing preserve (Quintanaluengos), whose managers requested a specific day of the week for the discharge; (iii.) the hydraulic characteristics of the open-channel spillways in the dam (bottomwithdrawal was not used during the discharge).

The flood was approximately calculated to fill the ordinary channel, with a peak discharge of 96 m3 /s (associated with a recurrence interval of 2.4 years), duration of 10.5 h, and total volume of 0.82 hm3 . The ramping rates were adjusted via logistic functions, and modified in the hydrograph every 10 min (Fig. 2). In some river sections, the flow slightly overtopped the bank and created minor flooding in adjacent fields.

Monitoring surveys and results

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Analyses of the ecomorphological effects of the controlled flood were based on monitored changes in river morphology, suspended load transport, and bedload transport. River morphology was analysed in terms of variation in the geometry of two channel sections (one in a riffle, one in a pool) along the study sub-reach, variation in the granulometric composition in those two sections, and assessments of the refuge index for fishes (García de Jalón et al., 1993) and the river habitat index (IHF – Pardo et al., 2002). Suspended load was measured in 10 different water samples. Bedload transport was analysed in four different locations by measuring the size of pre-coloured coarse sediments over 1 × 1 m2 , and their relative motion along the channel (Leopold, 2006).

Monitoring showed that changes in the river micro- and mesohabitats were highly limited (Cebrián et al., 2015) (Table 1). The variables analysed were only slightly modified and the values of habitat indices were consistent with pre-flooding conditions. The value of the suspended load transport was low and in direct response to flow changes, which could indicate that the origin of the suspended sediments was in the channel downstream of the dam. For bedload transport, most removed particles were smaller than 64 mm and were concentrated in the pool area, likely due to the high increment of water velocity. Larger particles were occasionally removed or flipped.

Lessons learnt

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Thus, the experimental flood release showed limited geomorphic benefit, despite reaching (or even overtopping) the channel banks. Most changes were related to the transport of fine sediments, but they did not enhance habitat variation, or create new fluvial forms. Cebrián et al. (2015) suggested that the results may have been associated with extensive modification of the channel after six decades of dam management. Bed incision or unbalanced river morphology could be hampering the geomorphic influence of ordinary flows, requiring higher flows than theorised to enhance sound morphological and ecological changes.

Image gallery

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Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Site Edit site Name WFD water body codes WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Pre-project morphology Reference morphology Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body National/international site designation Local/regional site designations Protected species present Invasive species present Species of interest Dominant hydrology Dominant substrate River corridor land use Average bankfull channel width category Average bankfull channel width (m) Average bankfull channel depth category Average bankfull channel depth (m) Mean discharge category Mean annual discharge (m3/s) Average channel gradient category Average channel gradient Average unit stream power (W/m2) Project background Edit project background Reach length directly affected (m) Project started Works started Works completed Project completed Total cost category Total cost (k€) Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources Cost for project phases Phase cost category cost exact (k€) Lead organisation Contact forename Contact surname Investigation and design Stakeholder engagement and communication Works and works supervision Post-project management and maintenance Monitoring Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Hydropower Hydromorphology Continuity of sediment transport, Structure & condition of riparian/lake shore zones Biology Physico-chemical Other reasons for the project Increase geomorphic and ecologic dynamics Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Floodplain / River corridor Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Experimental flood Social measures (incl. engagement) Other Monitoring Hydromorphological quality elements Edit Hydromorphological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Biological quality elements Edit biological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Physico-chemical quality elements Edit Physico-chemical quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic Edit Other responses Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Monitoring documents Upload monitoring documents Additional documents and videos Upload additional documents Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description http://https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901117301545 All information on this page is copied from this article written by Fernando Magdaleno. Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information References Cebrián, M., Minaya, R., Prieto, L., Rodríguez, J., Rodríguez, I., 2015. Primer ensayo de evaluación de caudal generador en la cuenca del Duero aguas abajo de la presa de Requejada (río Pisuerga, Palencia). In: Actas del II Congreso Ibérico de Restauración de Ríos (Restauraríos). Pamplona. pp. 54–64. García de Jalón, D., Casado, C., Mayo, M., Gallego, B., García, J., Brotons, P., Hervella, F., Mingo, A., 1993. Fijación de caudales mínimos ecológicos para los ríos Esla, Pisuerga, Duero y Duratón. C.G.S. S.A. Leopold, L.B., 2006. A View of the River. Harvard University Press, Cambridge Massachusetts (298 p.). Pardo, I., Álvarez, M., Casas, J., Moreno, J.L., Vivas, S., Bonada, N., Alba-Tercedor, J., Jáimez-Cuéllar, P., Moyà, G., Prat, N., Robles, S., Suárez, M.L., Toro, M., VidalAbarca, M.R., 2002. El hábitat de los ríos mediterráneos: Diseño de un índice de diversidad de hábitat. Limnetica 21 (3-4), 115–133. For more references, please check the link to the article above.