Innovative components
The management of multifunctional rivers requires the consideration of river functions such as flood conveyance, ecology, and navigation. River interventions are constructed to benefit these functions but these interventions should have minimal effects on the other functions of the river. Better insight into the morphological changes that result from such interventions can aid to optimize their design and improve the sediment management of the river.
Findings and implications to practice
We derive several maps that indicate the bed level changes along the river as a function of the discharge. These maps can be used to characterize the bed level changes in the river and to evaluate suitable interventions. The location of the intervention can be chosen such that the resulting bed level changes are enhanced or mitigated. The proposed method is therefore relevant for both river interventions that should have minimal impact on the navigational function river and river interventions that need to reduce the degradation rate of the river.
Based on our results we propose changes to the current way of planning and designing river interventions. We apply our method to the Rhine branches, but it is generally applicable to other rivers. Taking into the seasonality of the bed level support planning and designing river interventions in multi-functional rivers.
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Last modified: 06/07/2020