Check dams are one of the structures used to control debris flows. In this study, in order to evaluate the effect of hydraulic parameters on debris sediment trapping rate by the slit trapezoidal check dams with different angles, and to develop an empirical relation for determination of trapping coefficient of the dam reservoirs, three physical models of the check dams were used. The tests were ...

Sediment is a major agricultural pollutant threatening water quality. Vegetated buffers, including vegetative filter strips, riparian buffers, and grassed waterways, are best management practices (BMPs) installed in many areas to filter sediments from tailwaters, and deter sediment transport to water bodies. Along with reducing sediment transport, the filters also help trap sediment bound nutri...

In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the importance of riparian buffers between agricultural fields and waterbodies. Riparian buffers play an important role in mitigating the impacts of land use activities on water quality and aquatic ecosystems. However, evaluating the effectiveness of riparian buffer systems on a watershed scale is complex, and watershed models have limited ...

Vegetative filters (VF) are used to remove sediment and other pollutants from overland flow. When modeling the hydrology of VF, it is often assumed that overland flow is planar, but our research indicates that it can be two-dimensional with converging and diverging pathways. Our hypothesis is that flow convergence will negatively influence the sediment trapping capability of VF. The objectives ...

Design of vegetative filter strips for trapping sediment and sediment-borne chemicals can be done on a storm event basis using VFSMOD. This approach requires confidence in a number of input parameters such as soil infiltration characteristics, surface topography, vegetative composition and roughness, and incoming sediment load and particle size distribution. We have developed a simple program, ...

The Burdekin River, Queensland, Australia drains a catchment area of ~130,000 km and contributes approximately 30% of the total sediment supplied (~ 3.8 t) to the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon from all Great Barrier Reef catchments. Much of this watershed (~115,000 km) drains into the Burdekin Falls Dam, the largest dam reservoir in Queensland (1,860 GL capacity; 224 km surface area; average depth ...

Eroded sediments from catchment areas transport by streams and deposit in downstream less steep areas. Despite reducing the useful life of various hydraulic structures including reservoir dams, flood walls, and bridges, this phenomenon changes the main river hydraulic conditions and increases the flood prone farms in the riverbank area. Check dams are among the structures that can prevent form ...

In recent years growing human pressure on agricultural land in the north of the Lao PDR has led to accelerated degradation processes along hillslopes, and higher sediment delivery rates to streams. Furthermore, high demand from urban centres is attracting farmers to cultivate vegetables in riparian areas. These land-use changes may have negative affects on stream water quality. The aims of this...