Title: | Assessing the hydrological effect of the check dams in the Loess Plateau, China, by model simulations |
Authors: | Xu, Y.D., B.J. Fu and C.S. He |
Year: | 2013 |
Journal: | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
Volume (Issue): | 17 |
Pages: | 2185-2193 |
Article ID: | |
DOI: | 10.5194/hess-17-2185-2013 |
URL (non-DOI journals): | |
Model: | SWAT |
Broad Application Category: | hydrologic only |
Primary Application Category: | reservoirs, ponds, lakes and/or other impoundment effects |
Secondary Application Category: | calibration, sensitivity, and/or uncertainty analysis |
Watershed Description: | 7,725 km^2 Yanhe River located in the Loess Plateau region in north central China. |
Calibration Summary: | |
Validation Summary: | |
General Comments: | |
Abstract: | Check dams are commonly used for soil conservation.
In the Loess Plateau of China, check dams have been
widely constructed as the principal means to retain floodwater
and intercept soil sediments since the 1970s. For instance,
there are more than 6572 check dams in the Yanhe watershed
with an area of 7725 km2 in the Loess Plateau. However, little
research has been done to quantify the hydrological effects of
the check dams.
In this research, the SWAT model (Soil and Water Assessment
Tool) was applied to simulate the runoff and sediment
in the Yanhe watershed.We treated the 1950s to 1960s as the
reference period since there were very few check dams during
the period. The model was firstly calibrated and validated
in the reference period. The calibrated model was then used
in the later periods to simulate the hydrological effects of the
check dams.
The results showed that the check dams had a regulation
effect on runoff and a retention effect on sediment.
From 1984 to 1987, the runoff in rainy season (from May
to October) decreased by 1.54m3 s−1 (14.7 %) to 3.13
m3 s−1 (25.9 %) due to the check dams; while in dry season
(from November to the following April), runoff increased
by 1.46m3 s−1 (60.5%) to 1.95m3 s−1 (101.2 %);
the sediment in rainy season decreased by 2.49×106 ton
(34.6 %) to 4.35×106 ton (48.0 %). From 2006 to 2008, the
runoff in rainy season decreased by 0.79m3 s−1 (15.5 %) to
1.75m3 s−1 (28.9 %), and the runoff in dry season increased
by 0.51m3 s−1 (20.1 %) to 0.97m3 s−1 (46.4 %); the sediment
in rainy season decreased by 2.03×106 ton (79.4 %) to
3.12×106 ton (85.5%).
Construction of the large number of check dams in the
Loess Plateau has enhanced the region’s capacity to control
the runoff and sediment. In the Yanhe watershed, the annual
runoff was reduced by less than 14.3% due to the check
dams; and the sediment in rainy season was blocked by up
to 85.5 %. Thus, check dams are effective measures for soil
erosion control in the Loess Plateau. |
Language: | English |
Keywords: | |