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The effects of dam construction and precipitation variability on hydrologic alteration in the Lancang River Basin of southwest China

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Abstract

This paper presents an evaluation of the spatio-temporal patterns of hydrologic alteration induced by dam construction and precipitation variability in the Lancang River Basin of southwest China from 1957 to 2000. Analyses were conducted using the linear regression method, the Mann–Kendall test, and the Range of Variability Approach. The results indicate that there was considerable variation in the average monthly precipitation between the pre- and post-dam periods in the Lancang River Basin. Second, the magnitude of monthly runoff was strongly related to precipitation, which showed an up-down annual variation, and was significantly altered by dam construction and precipitation variability. In the modified series (hydrologic series with the precipitation impacts removed), runoff deviations between the pre- and post-dam periods became larger. Third, the extreme runoff cycles were influenced by dam construction and precipitation variability downstream from the dam, and the monthly maximum runoff increased from the pre-dam to post-dam period at all hydrologic stations. Fourth, the degree of hydrologic alteration (DHA) indicates that the precipitation variability not only affected the hydrologic regime of unregulated river reach but also modified the negative impacts of dam construction, which could provide a modest mitigation of the hydrologic alterations induced by dam construction, possibly decreasing the level of DHA. Last, the overall degree of hydrologic alteration in the observed series reached 25.2, 25.3, and 29.1 % for the upstream, midstream, and downstream areas, respectively. These results show that the hydrologic regimes of the Lancang River during the 1957–2000 period were affected by damming and precipitation variability, but the hydrologic alteration was relatively low in the upstream areas of the river without a dam.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (Grant No. 50939001), the Nonprofit Environment Protection Specific Project of China (Grant No. 201209029), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities. The authors would like to thank Fei Wang of Beijing Normal University for providing technical support in the analysis of Mann–Kendall test and Pradeep Naik of Portland State University for providing relevant references on distinguishing human and climate influences on hydrological disturbance processes. Three anonymous referees are acknowledged for their helpful comments, which resulted in an improved manuscript.

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100875, China

    Qinghe Zhao, Shiliang Liu, Li Deng, Shikui Dong, Juejie Yang & Cong Wang

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  1. Qinghe Zhao
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Correspondence to Shiliang Liu.

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Zhao, Q., Liu, S., Deng, L. et al. The effects of dam construction and precipitation variability on hydrologic alteration in the Lancang River Basin of southwest China. Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 26, 993–1011 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-012-0583-z

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