The economics of using sediment-entrapment reduction measures in lake and reservoir design

One of the most important impacts of building and maintaining a reservoir is the loss of storage capacity caused by sediment deposition behind the dam. Sediment deposition in the reservoir reduces the water storage volume and decreases or even negates the utility of the dam, and deteriorates the water quality. The loss of utility of a reservoir as a result of sedimentation or siltation can be considered an economic, environmental, and even a design failure. The objective of this study was to investigate, through an extensive literature search, the suitability and efficiency of several reservoir sedimentation reduction measures practiced in small- and medium-sized lakes. Some of the methods successfully used for reducing sediment entrapment in reservoirs were watershed management, building check dams, bypassing sediment-laden flows, using density currents, flood flushing, drawdown flushing, flushing and emptying, siphoning, and dredging. The mitigation and operation methods so identified were evaluated with respect to their rate of success, cost, environmental impacts, and ease of implementation or retrofitting. The economies expected in using the identified alternative mitigative measures versus more conventional reservoir design were investigated in terms of reduced initial cost of reservoir and/or dredging costs.U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological SurveyOpe

City of Charleston public water supply: analysis of drought yields from the Charleston side-channel reservoir

"Prepared for the City of Charleston.""April 1996.

Benthic sediment conditions and remediation alternatives for Horseshoe Lake, Alexander County

"Office of River Water Quality.""February 1997.""Office of Surface Water Resources: Systems, Information & GIS.""Contract Report 607"--Cover."Prepared for the Division of Fisheries, Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources.

Managed flood storage option for selected levees along the lower Illinois River for enhancing flood protection, agriculture, wetlands, and recreation: Second report, validation of the UNET model for the lower Illinois River

"March 1997.""A division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Basinwide instream flow assessment model to evaluate instream flow needs

Quantification of sufficient or minimum flows needed to sustain the aquatic habitat is necessary for satisfactory resolution of water use conflicts and planning of water allocation strategies. The Instream Flow Group (IFG) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has developed a methodology to gage the quantity of suitable habitat in a stream. Application of the methodology requires information on the local variations of depth and velocity in a stream reach. Conventional flow models are inadequate for this application, and evaluation of aquatic habitats requires extensive field work. Results obtained in a study reach cannot be applied to other reaches with dissimilar areas. To address the problem of defining the local variation of depths and velocities for regional habitat evaluation, a probabilistic flow model is developed. The probabilistic model incorporates hydraulic geometry relationships to evaluate average flow parameter values without the necessity of field observations. Local variations of depth and velocity values are evaluated from probability distribution models developed from field data collected on the Sangamon and South Fork Sangamon River basins. The flow model simulation for calculating stream habitat suitability with the IFG methodology is illustrated.U.S. Geological SurveyU.S. Department of the InteriorOpe

Low-flow estimates for Cedar Creek at Galesburg, Illinois

"September 1995.""Prepared for the Galesburg Sanitary District, Galesburg, Illinois.

Managed flood storage option for selected levees along the lower Illinois River for enhancing flood protection, agriculture, wetlands, and recreation: First report, stage and flood frequencies and the Mississippi backwater effects

Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-138)."Prepared for the Office of Water Resources Management.

Considerations in water use planning for the Fox River

"September 1995."Cover title."SWS Contract Report 586.""Prepared for the Illinois Dept. of Transportation, Division of Water Resources."Includes bibliographical references

An Improved Methodology for Estimating Future Reservoir Storage Capacities: Application to Surface Water Supply Reservoirs in Illinois (Second Edition)

published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewedOpe

An Improved Methodology for Estimating Future Reservoir Storage Capacities: Application to Surface Water Supply Reservoirs in Illinois

published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewedOpe