Innovative methods to release fine sediments from reservoirs developed at EPFL, Switzerland

Electricity generation, water supply, flood protection, flow regulation and navigation are amongst the main services provided by reservoirs. Sedimentation affects the sustainability of reservoirs, by reducing their storage capacity, and increases the negative impacts of dams on downstream rivers due to sediment impoverishment. For these reasons, reservoir sedimentation must be considered in dam planning, design, commissioning and operation. Typically, fine, mostly suspended sediments enter reservoirs during flood events, glacier melt periods or during operation of upstream infrastructure. This article describes innovative methods developed at the Platform of Hydraulics Constructions (PL-LCH) of Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) to cope with the accumulation of fine sediments within alpine reservoirs in Switzerland.