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Identify runoff generation patterns of check dams and terraces and the effects on runoff: a case study

  • Research Article - Hydrology
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Abstract

Over the past 50 years, China has implemented a series of ecological construction projects in the Loess Plateau that have significantly decreased the runoff and sediment from the Yellow River, and it plays an important role in check dams and terraced fields. In this study, the hydrological characteristics of check dams and terraces are used to distinguish their runoff generation pattern. Combined with different runoff generation patterns, runoff generation models were built, and quantitative analysis was conducted on the runoff reduction situation of check dams and terraced fields. Chenggou River Basin, in the Loess Plateau Zhuli River System's second tributary, was selected as an example for analyzing quantitatively the influence of check dam and terraced fields on the runoff production process. Twenty-nine rainfall-flood events from 2013 to 2017 were used to evaluate the effect of the runoff generation model, and the results showed that the built model could well simulate the runoff generation in the basin with many check dams and terraces in which runoff relative error of the model was less than 10%. The effect of check dams and terraces on runoff was studied by setting different scenarios. The results show that the dam system can intercept over 50% of the runoff yield of the basin. Terraced fields can enhance the water storage capacity of the basin and reduce the runoff of the basin, and intercept over 10% of the runoff yield of the basin.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the potential reviewer very much for their valuable comments and suggestions. We also thank my other colleagues’ valuable comments and suggestions that have helped improve the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by [National Natural Science Foundation of China], grant number [51979250], [National Natural Science Foundation of China], grant number [31700370], [Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province], grant number [12300410413], [National Key Research Priorities Program of China], grant number [2016YFC040240203], [National Key Research Priorities Program of China], grant number [2019YFC1510703], and [Key Research and Promotion Projects (technological development) in Henan Province].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Water Conservancy Science & Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China

    Youqian Chen, Shengqi Jian, Qiang Wu, Caihong Hu & Shan-e-hyder Soomro

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  1. Youqian Chen
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  2. Shengqi Jian
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  3. Qiang Wu
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  4. Caihong Hu
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  5. Shan-e-hyder Soomro
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Contributions

All authors have read and agree to the published version of the manuscript. Conceptualization, CH: methodology, CH: software, YC: validation, QW and SJ: formal analysis, QW: investigation, YC: resources, CH: data curation, SJ and YC: writing—original draft preparation, YC: writing—review and editing, CH and SS: supervision, QW: project administration, CH: funding acquisition. All authors contributed to the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Caihong Hu.

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On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Communicated by Dr. Michael Nones (CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF).

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Chen, Y., Jian, S., Wu, Q. et al. Identify runoff generation patterns of check dams and terraces and the effects on runoff: a case study. Acta Geophys. 70, 819–832 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-022-00728-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-022-00728-4

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