Effect of Flow Pulses on Degradation Downstream of Hapcheon Dam, South Korea.

The changes in channel geometry downstream of Hapcheon Dam, South Korea, are closely examined. Daily pulses of water from peak hydropower generation and from sudden sluice gate operations affect the 45-km reach of the Hwang River between the Hapcheon Reregulation Dam and the Nakdong River. From 1983 to 2003, the median bed-material size, d50, increased from 1.0 to 5.7 mm, and the bed slope of the reach decreased from 94 to 85 cm/km. The vertical riverbed degradation averaged 2.6 m for a distance of 20 km below the reregulation dam. A simple analytical model is developed to predict the increase in sediment transport and the river bed adjustments from flow pulses in comparison with steady flow discharges. Numerical model simulations confirm the theoretical prediction that sediment transport rates from daily pulses are 21% higher than for steady flow discharges. Unsteady sediment transport simulations indicate that the channel bed degradation should extend mostly 20-25 km below the reregulation dam and should not change much after 2013. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]