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Estimation of transport distance of fine particulate organic matter in relation to channel morphology in tailwaters of the Lake Biwa and reservoir dams

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Abstract

Knowledge on transport and deposition of fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) from reservoir dams is increasingly required for habitat management and restoration of dam tailwater ecosystems. Variations in the transport distance of FPOM, however, have never been studied well, particularly in relation to channel morphology, due to channel size restrictions of artificial tracers such as corn pollen when applied to larger river channels. This study aims to show the relations between FPOM retention efficiency and channel morphology in dam tailwaters using lentic plankters as tracers. We estimated the mean transport distance, S p, by calculating downstream reduction ratios of lentic tracer plankters and calculated the deposition velocity, v dep. Suspended FPOM samples were collected in tailwaters of two river channels below reservoir dams and two artificial canals below Lake Biwa in the Yodo River system. The longest S p (19.2 km) and the shortest one (2.2 km) were recorded in the deep canal and shallow canal, respectively, showing a positive correlation with channel hydraulic radius. The values of v dep were 4.7–6.4 times higher in river channels than in artificial canals. These results indicate that increasing complexity of bed morphology can minimize S p, whereas bed degradation and armored bed materials may lead to increased S p. Advantages of lentic plankters as tracers for estimating distance ranges of reservoir dam impact on river ecosystems are also discussed.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr. Satoshi Ichise for assistance with identification of plankters, and Ms. Kana Yamamoto for use of data from her master’s thesis. We also thank Ms. Minhee Park for assistance with fieldwork. This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid of Scientific Research (No. 196360224), CREST, JST and Water Resources Environmental Technology Center in Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan

    Giyoung Ock

  2. Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan

    Yasuhiro Takemon

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  1. Giyoung Ock
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  2. Yasuhiro Takemon
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Correspondence to Giyoung Ock.

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Ock, G., Takemon, Y. Estimation of transport distance of fine particulate organic matter in relation to channel morphology in tailwaters of the Lake Biwa and reservoir dams. Landscape Ecol Eng 6, 161–169 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-009-0099-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-009-0099-y

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