Morphological response to river engineering and management in alluvial channels in Italy

doi:10.1016/S0169-555X(02)00219-2

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Morphological response to river engineering and management in alluvial channels in Italy

Journal Article•DOI•

Morphological response to river engineering and management in alluvial channels in Italy

Nicola Surian, Massimo Rinaldi¹•Institutions (1)

University of Florence¹

01 Mar 2003-Geomorphology (Elsevier)-Vol. 50, Iss: 4, pp 307-326

TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed all existing published studies and available data, and aimed to reconstruct a general outline of the main channel adjustments that have occurred in Italian rivers during the past 100 years.

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About: This article is published in Geomorphology.The article was published on 2003-03-01 and is currently open access. It has received 580 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Channel pattern & Fluvial.

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Figures (13)

Fig. 5. Trends of average channel width in the braided reach of the Piave River (the reach is 115 km long). Channel width was measured along 94 transects on historical maps and aerial photographs (modified from Surian, in press).

Fig. 3. Channel narrowing along the Brenta River: (A) topographic map (I.G.M.) of 1887; (B) aerial photograph of 1999. Besides narrowing, decrease in intensity of braiding, increase in channel sinuosity and change in channel pattern (from braided to wandering) have taken place during the last century.

Fig. 4. Trends of bed-level adjustments. (A) Po River: minimum annual river stage at the gauging station of Cremona (modified from Lamberti and Schippa, 1994). (B) Arno River in the Lower Valdarno reach: changes in bed bottom elevation obtained from longitudinal profiles and cross sections of different years (modified from Rinaldi and Simon, 1998). Horizontal hatched line: trend of stable (dynamic equilibrium) conditions before incision; continuous curves: fitting exponential decay functions.

Table 2 Recent channel adjustments in Italian rivers and relative causes and effects

Fig. 2. Channel incision along the Arno River in the Lower Valdarno–Pisa Plain reach. (A) Example of typical change in cross section, with limited bed lowering from 1936 to 1954, and intense incision from 1954 to 1978. Total bed level lowering from 1844 to 1978 was 6.3 m. (B) Bridge 2 km upstream of the previous section, with exposed piles due to the incision.

Table 1 Hydrologic and drainage basin characteristics of the main Italian rivers (from Morandini, 1957; Ministero dei Lavori Pubblici—Servizio Idrografico, 1980; Cati, 1981; Tonini, 1983)

Fig. 1. Location map to show the main Italian rivers (see Table 1 for their hydrologic and drainage basin characteristics). Inset: Regions of Italy. Valle d’Aosta (VA), Piedmont (P), Lombardy (L), Trentino Alto Adige (TA), Venetia (V), Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG), Liguria (LI), Emilia Romagna (ER), Tuscany (T), Umbria (U), Marche (MA), Latium (LA), Abruzzo (A), Molise (M), Campania (C), Apulia (PU), Basilicata (B), Calabria (CA), Sicily (S), Sardinia (SA).

Fig. 6. Classification scheme of channel adjustments for Italian rivers. Starting from three initial morphologies (A, B and C), different channel adjustments take place due to variable degrees of incision and narrowing.

Citations

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Journal Article•DOI•

Climate change and the world's river basins: anticipating management options

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Margaret A. Palmer¹, Margaret A. Palmer², Catherine Reidy Liermann³, Christer Nilsson³, Martina Flörke⁴, Joseph Alcamo⁴, P. Sam Lake⁵, Nick Bond⁵ - Show less +4 more•Institutions (5)

University of Maryland, College Park¹, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science², Umeå University³, University of Kassel⁴, Monash University, Clayton campus⁵

01 Mar 2008-Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

TL;DR: In this article, the authors project river discharge under different climate and water withdrawal scenarios and combine this with data on the impact of dams on large river basins to create global maps illustrating potential changes in discharge and water stress for dam-impacted and free-flowing basins.

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Abstract: Major rivers worldwide have experienced dramatic changes in flow, reducing their natural ability to adjust to and absorb disturbances. Given expected changes in global climate and water needs, this may create serious problems, including loss of native biodiversity and risks to ecosystems and humans from increased flooding or water shortages. Here, we project river discharge under different climate and water withdrawal scenarios and combine this with data on the impact of dams on large river basins to create global maps illustrating potential changes in discharge and water stress for dam-impacted and free-flowing basins. The projections indicate that every populated basin in the world will experience changes in river discharge and many will experience water stress. The magnitude of these impacts is used to identify basins likely and almost certain to require proactive or reactive management intervention. Our analysis indicates that the area in need of management action to mitigate the impacts of climate change is much greater for basins impacted by dams than for basins with free-flowing rivers. Nearly one billion people live in areas likely to require action and approximately 365 million people live in basins almost certain to require action. Proactive management efforts will minimize risks to ecosystems and people and may be less costly than reactive efforts taken only once problems have arisen.

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785 citations

Cites background from "Morphological response to river eng..."

...Most rivers are no longer free to course across the landscape unimpeded by infrastructure (Surian and Rinaldi 2003; Pinter 2005), and most major rivers no longer exhibit their historic range of flow variability (Postel and Richter 2003; Poff et al....
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...Most rivers are no longer free to course across the landscape unimpeded by infrastructure (Surian and Rinaldi 2003; Pinter 2005), and most major rivers no longer exhibit their historic range of flow variability (Postel and Richter 2003; Poff et al. 2007)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

The human role in changing river channels

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Kenneth J. Gregory¹•Institutions (1)

University of Southampton¹

30 Sep 2006-Geomorphology

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider the human role in changing river channels and propose a model to understand the relationship between changes at channel, reach, and network scales, with the most extreme effects produced by building activity and urbanisation.

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567 citations

Cites background from "Morphological response to river eng..."

...2) include contributions by engineers (e.g. Yearke, 1971; Parker and Andres, 1976; Tsujimoto et al., 1980; Surian and Rinaldi, 2003), geomorphologists (e....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Human influence and the changing geomorphology of Mediterranean deltas and coasts over the last 6000 years: From progradation to destruction phase?

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Edward J. Anthony¹, Nick Marriner², Christophe Morhange¹•Institutions (2)

Institut Universitaire de France¹, University of Franche-Comté²

01 Dec 2014-Earth-Science Reviews

TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the interactions between geosystems and the human environment, and identify anthropogenic signatures in clastic coastal sedimentary archives, including base-level deltaic and estuarine sedimentary sinks, to understand the life cycle of these deltas.

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274 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Sediment mining in alluvial channels: physical effects and management perspectives

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Massimo Rinaldi¹, Bartłomiej Wyżga², Nicola Surian³•Institutions (3)

University of Florence¹, Polish Academy of Sciences², University of Padua³

01 Sep 2005-River Research and Applications

TL;DR: In this paper, a review of a number of documented case studies from various countries and a detailed analysis of sediment exploitation from five rivers in Italy and Poland is presented, where the authors discuss alluvial river response to extensive sediment mining.

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Abstract: Based on a review of a number of documented case studies from various countries and a detailed analysis of sediment exploitation from five rivers in Italy and Poland, we discuss alluvial river response to extensive sediment mining. A sediment deficit caused by in-stream mining typically induces upstream- and downstream-progressing river incision, lateral channel instability and bed armouring. The resultant incision alters the frequency of floodplain inundation along the river courses, lowers valley-floor water tables and frequently leads to destruction of bridges and channelization structures. Mining also results in the loss or impoverishment of aquatic and riparian habitats. In the rivers of Italy and southern Poland studied, where mining coincided with other human activities that reduce sediment delivery to the channels, deep river downcutting, changes in channel pattern and, in one case, transformation from alluvial to bedrock boundary conditions were recorded over recent decades. The type and magnitude of channel response to sediment mining depend mainly on the ratio between extraction and sediment replenishment rates. The effects of mining will be especially severe and difficult to reverse: (i) where material is extracted at a rate greatly exceeding the replenishment rate; (ii) in single-thread rivers, that are generally associated with relatively low rates of catchment sediment supply; (iii) in channelized reaches; (iv) where rivers are underlain by a thin cover of alluvium over bedrock; and (v) where mining coincides with other human activities that reduce upstream sediment delivery. With a large number of detrimental effects of instream mining, the practice should be prohibited in most rivers except aggrading ones. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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269 citations

Cites background from "Morphological response to river eng..."

...Rivers of north-eastern and central Italy A recent review of the effects of river engineering and management on Italian rivers (Surian and Rinaldi, 2003) has shown significant channel adjustments during the last 100 years, mainly incision and channel narrowing....
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...Rivers of north-eastern and central Italy A recent review of the effects of river engineering and management on Italian rivers (Surian and Rinaldi, 2003) has shown significant channel adjustments during the last 100 years, mainly incision and channel narrowing....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Human impacts on fluvial systems in the Mediterranean region

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Janet Hooke¹•Institutions (1)

University of Portsmouth¹

30 Sep 2006-Geomorphology

TL;DR: The long history of substantial human impacts on the landscape of the Mediterranean region, and their effects on fluvial systems, is documented in this paper, where the importance of analysing the connectivity within different land units and of the spatial position of human activity within a catchment is illustrated.

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265 citations

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References

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Book•

The fluvial system

[...]

Stanley Alfred Schumm

01 Jan 1977

2,182 citations

"Morphological response to river eng..." refers background or methods in this paper

...…above can be seen as an application of existing qualitative models of channel adjustments induced by changing discharge and sediment load (e.g. Schumm, 1977; Petts, 1979) to Italian rivers, considering not only the direction of channel changes induced by a disturbance but also, though still…...
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...It is consistent with the model proposed by Schumm (1977), since in the case of a decrease in sediment supply, that model predicts a decrease of channel width, an increase of channel depth, a decrease of gradient, an increase of sinuosity and a decrease of meander wavelength....
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Journal Article•DOI•

PROFILE: Hungry Water: Effects of Dams and Gravel Mining on River Channels

[...]

G. M. Kondolf¹•Institutions (1)

University of California, Berkeley¹

01 Jul 1997-Environmental Management

TL;DR: Management of sand and gravel in rivers must be done on a regional basis, restoring the continuity of sediment transport where possible and encouraging alternatives to river-derived aggregate sources.

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Abstract: / Rivers transport sediment from eroding uplands to depositional areas near sea level. If the continuity of sediment transport is interrupted by dams or removal of sediment from the channel by gravel mining, the flow may become sediment-starved (hungry water) and prone to erode the channel bed and banks, producing channel incision (downcutting), coarsening of bed material, and loss of spawning gravels for salmon and trout (as smaller gravels are transported without replacement from upstream). Gravel is artificially added to the River Rhine to prevent further incision and to many other rivers in attempts to restore spawning habitat. It is possible to pass incoming sediment through some small reservoirs, thereby maintaining the continuity of sediment transport through the system. Damming and mining have reduced sediment delivery from rivers to many coastal areas, leading to accelerated beach erosion. Sand and gravel are mined for construction aggregate from river channel and floodplains. In-channel mining commonly causes incision, which may propagate up- and downstream of the mine, undermining bridges, inducing channel instability, and lowering alluvial water tables. Floodplain gravel pits have the potential to become wildlife habitat upon reclamation, but may be captured by the active channel and thereby become instream pits. Management of sand and gravel in rivers must be done on a regional basis, restoring the continuity of sediment transport where possible and encouraging alternatives to river-derived aggregate sources.KEY WORDS: Dams; Aquatic habitat; Sediment transport; Erosion; Sedimentation; Gravel mining

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1,210 citations

"Morphological response to river eng..." refers background in this paper

...…channel changes generally take place, such as vertical adjustment, changes in channel width and pattern (e.g. Leopold, 1973; Gregory and Park, 1974; Williams, 1978; Petts, 1979; Williams and Wolman, 1984; Andrews, 1986; Knighton, 1991; Collier et al., 1996; Petit et al., 1996; Kondolf, 1997)....
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Other•DOI•

Downstream effects of dams on alluvial rivers.

[...]

G.P. Williams, M.G. Wolman

01 Jan 1984

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe changes in mean channel-bed elevation, channel width, bed-material sizes, vegetation, water discharges, and sediment loads downstream from 21 dams constructed on alluvial rivers.

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Abstract: This study describes changes in mean channel-bed elevation, channel width, bed-material sizes, vegetation, water discharges, and sediment loads downstream from 21 dams constructed on alluvial rivers. Most of the studied channels are in the semiarid western US. Flood peaks generally were decreased by the dams, but in other respects the post-dam water-discharge characteristics varied from river to river. Sediment concentrations and suspended loads were decreased markedly for hundreds of kilometers downstream from dams; post-dam annual sediment loads on some rivers did not equal pre-dam loads anywhere downstream from a dam. Bed degradation varied from negligible to about 7.5 meters in the 287 cross sections studied. In general, most degradation occurred during the first decade or two after dam closure. Bed material initially coarsened as degradation proceeded, but this pattern may change during later years. Channel width can increase, decrease, or remain constant in the reach downstream from a dam. Despite major variation, changes at a cross section in stream bed elevation and in channel width with time often can be described by simple hyperbolic equations. Equation coefficients need to be determined empirically. Riparian vegetation commonly increased in the reach downstream from the dams, probably because of the decrease in peakmore » flows. 120 references, 49 figures, 14 tables.« less

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1,090 citations

"Morphological response to river eng..." refers background in this paper

...Several studies have analysed the response of rivers to human impact, showing that remarkable channel changes generally take place, such as vertical adjustment, changes in channel width and pattern (e.g. Leopold, 1973; Gregory and Park, 1974; Williams, 1978; Petts, 1979; Williams and Wolman, 1984; Andrews, 1986; Knighton, 1991; Collier et al., 1996; Petit et al., 1996; Kondolf, 1997)....
[...]
...…channel changes generally take place, such as vertical adjustment, changes in channel width and pattern (e.g. Leopold, 1973; Gregory and Park, 1974; Williams, 1978; Petts, 1979; Williams and Wolman, 1984; Andrews, 1986; Knighton, 1991; Collier et al., 1996; Petit et al., 1996; Kondolf, 1997)....
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...5 to 3 m); channel narrowing by direct river regulation works and by intense sedimentation in the inter-embankment zones Alterations in agricultural practices and regulation of mountain streams; river-control works; gravel extraction Wyzga (1993), Lajczak (1995), Lach and Wyzga (2002)...
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...Numerous examples in the literature report how bed-level changes at a site are best described mathematically by non-linear functions, where adjustments occur rapidly, immediately after the disturbance, and then slow and become asymptotic (Graf, 1977; Williams and Wolman, 1984; Simon and Hupp, 1986)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

A model of channel response in disturbed alluvial channels

[...]

Andrew Simon¹•Institutions (1)

United States Geological Survey¹

01 Feb 1989-Earth Surface Processes and Landforms

TL;DR: In this article, the adjustment of channel geometry and phases of channel evolution are characterized by six process-oriented stages of morphologic development, premodified, constructed, degradation, threshold, aggradation, and restabilization.

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Abstract: Dredging and straightening of alluvial channels between 1959 and 1978 in West Tennessee caused a series of morphologic changes along modified reaches and tributary streams. Degradation occurred for 10 to 15 years at sites upstream of the area of maximum disturbance and lowered bed-levels by as much as 6·1 m. Following degradation, reaches upstream of the area of maximum disturbance experienced a secondary aggradation phase in response to excessive incision and gradient reduction. Aggradation downstream of the area of maximum disturbance reached 0·12 m per year with the greatest rates occurring near the stream mouths. The adjustment of channel geometry and phases of channel evolution are characterized by six process-oriented stages of morphologic development—premodified, constructed, degradation, threshold, aggradation, and restabilization. Down-cutting and toe removal during the degradation stage causes bank failure by mass wasting when the critical height and angle of the bank material is exceeded (threshold stage). Channel widening continues through the aggradation stage as the ‘slough line’ develops as an initial site of lower-bank stability. The bank profile develops three dynamic elements (1) vertical face (70° to 90°), (2) upper bank (25° to 50°), and (3) slough line (20° to 25°). Alternate channel bars form during the restabilization stage and represent incipient meandering of the channel.

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459 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Riparian vegetation and island formation along the gravel‐bed Fiume Tagliamento, Italy

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Angela M. Gurnell¹, Geoffrey E. Petts¹, David M. Hannah¹, Barnaby P.G. Smith¹, Peter J. Edwards², Johannes Kollmann², James V. Ward³, Klement Tockner³ - Show less +4 more•Institutions (3)

University of Birmingham¹, ETH Zurich², Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology³

01 Jan 2001-Earth Surface Processes and Landforms

TL;DR: In this paper, a conceptual model of island development is proposed which integrates the interactions between large woody debris and vegetation, geomorphic features, sediment calibre and hydrological regime.

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Abstract: After more than 300 years of river management, scientific knowledge of European river systems has evolved with limited empirical knowledge of truly natural systems. In particular, little is known of the mechanisms supporting the evolution and maintenance of islands and secondary channels. The dynamic, gravel-bed Fiume Tagliamento, Italy, provides an opportunity to acquire baseline data from a river where the level of direct engineering intervention along the main stem is remarkably small. Against a background of a strong alpine to mediterranean climatic and hydrological gradient, this paper explores relationships between topography, sediment and vegetation at eight sites along the active zone of the Tagliamento. A conceptual model of island development is proposed which integrates the interactions between large woody debris and vegetation, geomorphic features, sediment calibre and hydrological regime. Islands may develop on bare gravel sites or be dissected from the floodplain by channel avulsion. Depositional and erosional processes result in different island types and developmental stages. Differences in the apparent trajectories of island development are identified for each of the eight study sites along the river. The management implications of the model and associated observations of the role of riparian vegetation in island development are considered. In particular, the potential impacts of woody debris removal, riparian tree management, regulation of river flow and sediment regimes, and changes in riparian tree species' distribution are discussed.

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425 citations

"Morphological response to river eng..." refers background in this paper

...Within this context, an exception is represented by the Tagliamento River (Eastern Alps) that can be considered the last large river in the Alps essentially retaining pristine morphological and ecological characters (Ward et al., 1999; Gurnell et al., 2001)....
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