Exploring the efficacy of reservoir fine sediment management measures through numerical simulations

Reservoir sedimentation is one of the main challenges in the sustainable operation of large reservoirs because it causes volume loss, affecting hydropower production capacity, dam safety, and flood management. To ensure the sustainability of deep reservoirs by maintaining sediment flow continuity, it is essential to understand the mechanisms of the sedimentation process. The prediction of sediment deposition can enable adequate sediment management, including the design and implementation of prevention and mitigation measures. Different countermeasures are now being used to tackle sedimentation problems. However, many of these measures have a considerable ecologic and/or economic impact. It is therefore paramount to develop new efficient measures to ensure fine sediment transport through large reservoirs. This paper presents three innovative measures for fine sediment management in reservoirs and summarizes how state-of-the-art numerical modeling might help to assess the efficiency of these measures.