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Geostatistical approach for the assessment of the water reservoir capacity in arid regions: a case study of the Akdarya reservoir, Uzbekistan

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Abstract

The paper presents the results of a new geostatistical approach to generate bathymetric surface models from point measurement converted into continuous contour surfaces of reservoir bottoms in Uzbekistan. Sedimentation of reservoirs raises engineering, environmental and economical issues for the communities around the world in areas affected by a strong water deficit. Because of Uzbekistan’s arid climatic conditions, and uneven spatial and temporal water resources distribution, responsive and innovative water availability assessment surveys of all major water reservoirs are required. Bathymetric surveying is a traditional method that is carried out for the estimation of reservoir volumes and surface areas of the corresponding reservoir stages in order to assess the water availability. Volume and surface area differences derived from multiple surveys of a reservoir provide storage loss estimates over time due to sedimentation. However, two main factors, such as intensive field data measurement and post data-processing, often limit the frequency of these surveys. Alternatively, innovative depth measurement technologies coupled with contouring and surface mapping programs provide automated reservoir volume and surface area calculations. This significantly reduces time, workload and financial burdens for reservoir sedimentation projects. This research proposes the use of geostatistical approach to assess the reservoir sedimentation in the Akdarya reservoir of Uzbekistan. The geostatistical approach includes (semi-) variogram analysis and interpolation (kriging and simulations—turning bands) techniques predicting values at unsampled locations for generating digital bathymetric surface models of reservoir bottom conditions in order to calculate the volume and surface area at a given water elevation. The simulation enables to have range of reservoir volumes and surface areas with the same probability, in comparison to the kriging and traditional methods. This gives a real estimation of the resource availability for water operators to manage natural resources and hydraulic infrastructure in a sustainable manner.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the French Embassy in Tashkent for supporting the French-Uzbek cooperation in the field of water sciences. This study has also been supported by INTAS fellowship Nr. 04-83-3665 and by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs via the Eiffel fellowship program No. 530909C. Special acknowledgements are expressed to the Bathymetric Centre of Uzbekistan, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources. However, the views expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect those of the funding agencies, and no official endorsement should be inferred from it.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Bordeaux, GHYMAC Géosciences Hydrosciences, UFR des Sciences de la Terre et de la Mer, B18 avenue des Facultés, 33405, Talence, France

    Shavkat Rakhmatullaev, Antoine Marache, Frédéric Huneau & Philippe Le Coustumer

  2. Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Melioration (TIIM), 39 Kary Niyazov Street, Tashkent, 100000, Uzbekistan

    Shavkat Rakhmatullaev & Masharif Bakiev

  3. Université d’Orléans, CNRS/INSU Institut des Sciences de la Terre d’Orléans, UMR 6113 Campus Géosciences 1A, rue de la Férollerie, 41071, Orléans, France

    Mikael Motelica-Heino

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  1. Shavkat Rakhmatullaev
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Correspondence to Frédéric Huneau.

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Rakhmatullaev, S., Marache, A., Huneau, F. et al. Geostatistical approach for the assessment of the water reservoir capacity in arid regions: a case study of the Akdarya reservoir, Uzbekistan. Environ Earth Sci 63, 447–460 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0711-3

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