Author(s): Fanny Ville; Colin Rennie; Damia Vericat; Ramon Batalla
Linked Author(s): Colin Rennie
Keywords: DCP river bed mobility hydropeaking apparent bedload velocity
Abstract: An ADCP was used to measure both stationary time series and spatial distributions of apparent bedload velocity during both natural floods and hydropeaking events in the the Ésera River, Central Pyrenees, Spain. The study was conducted using a Sontek RiverSurveyor M9® ADCP, coupled with a Leica GS15® Real-Time Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNNS), deployed safely using a small tethered boat from the road bridge at the Santaliestra monitoring section, ca. 13 km downstream from the hydropower plant. A total of 29 paired physical bedload samples and ADCP apparent bedload velocity measurements were collected. There were insufficient paired samples to define a strong overall correlation, but results were similar to previous observations in other rivers, and transport of sand produced lower mass transport for the same apparent bedload velocity than transport of gravel. Additionally, a total of 13 spatial surveys of apparent bedload velocity were obtained for different flow rates (both hydropeaking events and natural floods). Initial observations suggest floods can produce significant sediment transport in the Santaliestra section due to the input of sediment from tributaries, whereas the hydropeaks produce a slightly lower magnitude that nonetheless can partially destabilize/mobilize the bed.
Year: 2025