Effects of a Proposed Hydraulic Project on the Hydrodynamics in the Poyang Lake Floodplain System, China

Abstract

Knowledge of dam construction in floodplain systems and its hydrodynamic effects plays a critical role in managing various kinds of floodplains. This study uses 3D floodplain hydrodynamic modeling to explore the possible effects of a proposed hydraulic project in Poyang Lake (PLHP) on the hydrodynamics, exemplified by a large floodplain system. Simulations showed that the water levels across most lake regions presented more significant changes than in the floodplain areas during the study period. The increased water levels upstream from the PLHP (~1.0 m) were distinctly higher than that downstream (~0.1 m). The PLHP may decrease the magnitude of the water velocities in the main channels of the lake, whereas velocities may experience mostly minor changes in the floodplains, depending upon the altered flow dynamics and transport. On average, the water temperature may exhibit mostly minor changes (~<1.0 °C) for both the horizontal and vertical scales within the flood-pulse-influenced lake system. Additionally, the model results indicated that the outflow process caused by the PLHP may be altered from the natural discharge into the Yangtze River to frequent backflow events during the storage period, demonstrating the non-negligible effect of the PLHP on the water supply for the downstream Yangtze River in the future.

Carbon Accumulation Associated with Its Influencing Factors in Sediments from the Poyang Basin

“…As one of the 'double kidneys' of the Yangtze River, the Poyang basin is the largest water-carrying, seasonal, and throughput lake in China [20]. It plays a vital role in flood control, water level regulation, ecological balance improvement, and water conservation in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River basin [21]. Therefore, the basin is a key target area for China's ecological civilization construction programs.…”