Centurial Changes in the Depth Conditions of a Regulated River: Case Study of the Lower Tisza River, Hungary

The Tisza River is the largest tributary of the Danube in Central Europe, and has been subjected to various human interventions including cutoffs to increase the slope, construction of levees to restrict the floodplain, and construction of groynes and revetments to stabilize the channel. These interventions have altered the natural morphological evolution of the river. The aim of the study is to assess the impacts of these engineering works, employing hydrological surveys of 36 cross sections (VO) of the Lower Tisza River for the years of 1891, 1931, 1961, 1976 and 1999. The changes in mean depth and thalweg depth were studied in detail comparing three reaches of the studied section. In general, the thalweg incised during the studied period (1891-1931: 3 cm/y; 1931-1961: 1.3 cm/y and 1976-1999: 2.3 cm/y), except from 1961-1976 which was characterized by aggradation (2 cm/y). The mean depth increased, referring to an overall deepening of the river during the whole period (1891-1931: 1.4 cm/y; 1931-1961: 1.2 cm/y; 1961-1976: 0.6 cm/y and 1976-1999: 1.6 cm/y). The thalweg shifted more in the upper reach showing less stabile channel, while the middle and lower reaches had more stable thalweg. Although the cross-sections subjected to various human interventions experienced considerable incision in the short-term, the cross-sections free from direct human impact experienced the largest incision from 1891-1999, especially along the meandering sections

Active Point Bar Development and River Bank Erosion in the Incising Channel of the Lower Tisza River, Hungary

The development of point-bars and bank erosion are critical near-bank processes, as they indicatethe sediment and hydraulic regime of a river system, thus, they refer to the equilibrium conditions ofa channel. However, throughout history, rivers have been modified for various benefits which changethe development of point-bars and the rate of bank erosion. In the Lower Tisza River (Hungary), riverregulations influenced the channel and floodplain development, altering the natural fluvial processes.The aim of the research was to determine the rate of near-bank processes and to make trajectory forfuture river evolution to support future engineering works. The bank erosion and point-bar developmentat human-influenced and freely meandering sections of the Tisza River were monitored since 2011.Behind a collapsed revetment, the bank erosion rate was 0.6 m/y, while at a freely meandering section itwas 2.3 m/y. The studied point-bars are located in revetted and freely meandering sections. Their surfaceeroded within the period. These intensive erosional processes refer to an incising meandering channel,which must be considered during future planning of in-channel structures (e.g. revetments, bridges),thus, geomorphic methods must be considered in any river engineering scheme

Centurial changes in the depth conditions of a regulated river : case study of the lower Tisza river, Hungary

The Tisza River is the largest tributary of the Danube in Central Europe, and has been subjected to various human interventions including cutoffs to increase the slope, construction of levees to restrict the floodplain, and construction of groynes and revetments to stabilize the channel. These interventions have altered the natural morphological evolution of the river. The aim of the study is to assess the impacts of these engineering works, employing hydrological surveys of 36 cross sections (VO) of the Lower Tisza River for the years of 1891, 1931, 1961, 1976 and 1999. The changes in mean depth and thalweg depth were studied in detail comparing three reaches of the studied section. In general, the thalweg incised during the studied period (1891-1931: 3 cm/y; 1931-1961: 1.3 cm/y and 1976-1999: 2.3 cm/y), except from 1961-1976 which was characterized by aggradation (2 cm/y). The mean depth increased, referring to an overall deepening of the river during the whole period (1891-1931: 1.4 cm/y; 1931-1961: 1.2 cm/y; 1961-1976: 0.6 cm/y and 1976-1999: 1.6 cm/y). The thalweg shifted more in the upper reach showing less stabile channel, while the middle and lower reaches had more stable thalweg. Although the cross-sections subjected to various human interventions experienced considerable incision in the short-term, the cross-sections free from direct human impact experienced the largest incision from 1891-1999, especially along the meandering sections