ACEDP Project: Environmental

Flows in The Lower Yellow River

Jiang Xiaohui
YRCC

Workshop, Beijing
2012 Feb 23

Contents
Background
General environmental flow assessment
methodology
Brief description of work
Experience and recommendations

Background

Study Area

Survey
Site three

Luokou
Liaocheng
Aishan

Lijin
Lijin

Zibo

Jinan
,
Tai an

Sunkou
Dongping
Dongping Lake

Dam
Gaocun

Xiaolangdi
Sanmenxia

River
Qinyang

Sanmenxia

Luoyang

Kaifeng
Huayuankou

Zhengzhou

Hydrological station
City
Lake

Lower Yellow River Flow Issues

Mother River
High water demand
High degree of regulation
Climate change and human activities
Flows reducing over past 50 years, cease to flow sometimes
from 1970s to 1990s
Sediemnt
A very high sediment load to the lower river,flood
Yellow River Delta a dynamic estuarine Ramsar wetland
Depends on sediment supply for growth
Riverine wetlands
Mostly disconnected due to flood dyke construction
Aquatic ecosystem
lost diversity

In China there is a strong awareness of the need and importance of

environmental flows. Environmental flow assessments have been undertaken in
a number of rivers,

General environmental flow assessment

methodology
Environmental flow methods used in China:
Hydrological--Tennant
Hydraulic rating-Wetted perimeter method,
R2CROSS(Focus on one or a few key species)
Habitat simulation-IFIM (focus on one or a few key species)
Holistic
--Consider the entire ecosystem

--Not constrained by the analytical tools

--Consider other water user
--expensive

General environmental flow assessment

Brief description of work

Select sites and reaches

Field trip sample workshop and literature search

Reaches

River channel

3
Delta
wetlands

2
Dongping
Lake

Mengjin
wetlands

Zhengzhou
wetlands

Kaifeng
wetlands

Identify ecological assets

River asset

A river asset is any attribute of the natural ecosystem of

value to society. The value could be ecological, social
and/or economic.
River assets include species, biological communities,
habitats and ecosystems of conservation importance
(collectively referred to as conservation assets).

Assets in the low Yellow River

Fish species, e.g. Yellow River Carp

Wetland vegetation
Birds
Spawning process
Sediment transport
Water quality
Geomorphology

Develop conceptual models linking asset health and flow components

Geomorphology, plants, fish, macroinvertebrates, water quality, birds

Flow regime

Low flows

Maintain depth
of water in
refuge pools

Maintain
adult fish
population

Flow pulses

High flows

Food resources

Stimulate
spawning

Floods

Sediments from
upstream and
catchments
increase. and DO
decreases

Maintain
larval Maintain backwater refuges
and
and food resources for fish.
juvenile habitat in Fish mortality increases.
river channel

Figure. The links between individual flow components and flow requirements for carp

Table. Flow components and hydraulic criteria relevant to Yellow River Carp requirements.
D = depth, V = velocity
Objective

Flow
component

Hydraulic criteria

Timing

Maintain sufficient water

depth in pools for large
bodied fish

Low flow

Max D > 1.5 m

V: 0.1-0.8 ms-1

Nov-Mar,
April-June

Stimulate spawning

Flow pulse

D: 1-2 m at peak of flow

pulse.
Inundated beach area, and
increase back water
V<0.3 ms-1

April - June

Provide new habitat and

feeding opportunities for
fish

High flow

Average D > 0.7 m;

V: 0.3 ms-1-1ms-1

July-October

Provide new habitat and

feeding opportunities for
fish, but increased
sediment and low DO may
increase mortality

Flood

Average D > 0.8 m;

V: 0.5 ms-1-1.2ms-1

July-October

Fish

No.
F1

Flow component
Cease-to-flow; Low flow

Hydraulic/hydrologic criteria
Q YRCC warning standards of low flow emergency; maintain area
critical depth* at pool crossings (specified each month)

F2

Low flow

Maintain area critical depth* with V 2.0 m/s1,2

F3

High flow, high flow recession

Maintain longitudinal connectivity and area critical depth* over

barriers (shallow areas)

F4

Low flow

Maintain area with depth critical depth* in pools

F5

High flow pulse

F6

High flow

Achieve area with depth critical depth* over barriers (shallow

areas)
Maintain area with D = 0.5 1.0 m1,2 and V 1.4 m/s1,2

F7

High flow

Maintain area with velocity 1.0 2.0 m/s1

F8

High flow pulse

Maintenance of appropriate salinity gradient in estuary

F9

Low flow and high flow

Maintain area of D 1.5 m 1,2 and V 1.0 m/s1,2

F10

Low and high flow pulses

Achieve sufficient depth* to replenish/maintain water in river

associated wetlands and backwaters

F11

Low flow and high flows

Maintain adequate cross-sectional area/discharge* to transport

nutrients required to sustain primary productivity

F12

Bankfull

2,600 - 4,000 m3/s - see Geomorphologic objective G1

F13

Bankfull

2,600 - 4,000 m3/s - see Geomorphologic objective G2

F14
F15
F16

High flow
High flow and low flow
Low flow

See Vegetation objective V1

See Vegetation objective V7
Maintain mean pool velocity 0.01 m/s

F17

High flow and low flow

Sufficient discharge* to maintain morphology in and around the

estuary mouth

F18

Bankfull

2,600 - 4,000 m3/s - see Geomorphologic objectives G3 and G4

Plants
No.

Objective

Flow component

Hydraulic/hydrologic criteria

V1

High flow

Inundation to 1 m

V2

Maintain submerged aquatic

vegetation (e.g. Vallisneria,
Potomageton and Myriophyllum
spp.)
Maintain meadow vegetation

High flow

Inundation to 0.3 m

V3

Maintain Tamarix/Salix shrubland

High flow, low flow and low

flow pulse

100% of time shallow groundwater; Jul Sep

waterlogging; inundation by summer flow
pulse events 30 days; soil salinity 10
30 psu

V4

Maintain Tamarix/Salix woodland

High flow, low flow and low

flow pulse

100% of time shallow groundwater (at 1.5

3.0 m); inundation by summer flow pulse
events 30 days; soil salinity 10 30 psu

V5

Maintain sand flats

High flow and low flow

V6

Maintain Suaeda salsa

High flow pulse

100% of time shallow groundwater (at

1.8 m); soil salinity 30 psu
Inundate once per year for 30 days or 30 to
180 days of varying depth from -0.1 to
+0.1 m; 100% of time shallow groundwater
(at 1.8 m); soil salinity 5 30 psu

V7

Maintain Phragmites australis

grassland

High flow and low flow

100% of time waterlogging; varying

inundation 0 0.5 m deep (1.5 m max.; 0.3 m
mean) in summer

Birds
No.

Objective

Flow component

B1
B2

Foraging
Foraging

Low flows
Low flows

B3
B4

Foraging
Wintering area

Low flows
Low flows

B5

Food supply and breeding

High flows

B6

Foraging

High flow recession

B7

Mudflat foraging habitat

creation

Bankfull

B8

Summer-autumn habitat
area

Bankfull

Hydrologic/hydraulic
criteria
Expose Carex
Shallow water (<0.3 m)
over submerged or
emergent aquatic plant
community with mud or
sand base
Expose mudflats
Maintain ice free water
bodies*
Inundate areas of
submerged macrophytes
(Vallisneria, Phragmites,
Typha, Carex, Tamarisk)
Gradually receding water
levels from Bankfull peak
An annual event that
supplies enough sediment
load to at least maintain
delta area
An annual event to
inundate backwaters and
wetlands

Geomorphology

Set objectives for each asset and important process

Ecological management objectives (what level of river health is desired?
taking account of constraints, and other uses of the river)
Hydraulic/hydrologic objectives to achieve the ecological objectives

Set objectives

18 Fish objectives
6 Water quality objective
8 Bird objective
8 Macroinvertebrate objectives
4 Geomomorphic objectives

These can be rationalised to a smaller group for evaluation

13 objectives

Key Obj. met

obj.
A
F1; M1

Objectives description

Flow component

Prevent habitat loss through drying of shallow areas

Cease to flow

B1; B2; B3

Expose Carex and mudflats; shallow water over submerged aquatics

Low flow

F2

WQ1, WQ2, WQ3,

WQ4
V3; V4
M2; M5; F3; F4; F11;
F16

Maintain shallow habitats with moderate-high velocity for shallow water dwelling species Low flow
and spawners during low flow periods
Dilute contaminants to Grade III standard
Low flow and high flow

E
F

Maintain Tamarix/Salix shrubland and woodland

Maintain reasonable area of habitat for most of the time for longitudinal connectivity,
survival of large-bodied fish, maintenance of primary productivity in the estuary; and
maintenance of DO levels in deep pools

Low flow and high flow

Low flow and high flow

F6; F7; F9

Provide suitable habitats for spawning, allow access of large bodied fish to backwater
and wetland habitats; maintain downstream transport of semi-buoyant eggs within the
water column; and sufficient depth in pools for large-bodied fish

High flow

H
I
J

V1; B5; M3; M4; F14

V2
M6; F8

Maintain submerged aquatic vegetation

Maintain meadow vegetation
Maintain favourable salinity at estuary and mouth for rearing of Chinese shrimp; and
maintain salinity gradient for anadromous fish spawning migration

High flow
High flow
High flow

V3; V4; F10

F5; F10

Maintain Tamarix/Salix shrubland and woodland; and replenish/maintain water in river

Low flow pulse
associated wetlands and backwaters
Stimulate spawning, migration (anadromy and potadromy) and maintain habitat
High flow pulse
continuity between near-shore/estuarine and freshwater habitats to allow free upstream
passage; and replenish/maintain water in river associated wetlands and backwaters

G1, G2, G3, G4,

Scour and deposition processes to maintain dynamic and diverse habitats in the
Bankfull
3
WQ6; B6; B7; B8; M7; channel and connected floodplains; maintain channel capacity at 4,000 m /s; seaward
M8; F12; F13;
progradation of the delta; allow flow into delta wetland channels for habitat provision and
physical maintenance; provide low velocity littoral habitats for small bodied species; and
maintain shallow pool crossings with moderate-high velocities

Hydrological and hydraulic modelling

Determine the characteristics of the flows (magnitude, duration,
frequency and timing) required to meet the objectives

Hydraulic model
Convert Hydraulic index to flow index

1-dimension
Inexpensive
Cover a long reach
Cross-section average Mean velocity V

2-dimension
Expensive
Cover a short reach
Depth-averaged
Mean velocity V
Depth D

Depth D

1-D HEC-RAS model output

2-D River2D model output

Mesh

Depth

Velocity

Flow direction

Lower Yellow River data

370 cross-sections
Surveyed every year
Use for 1-D model of whole river

3 sites surveyed in detail

Lijin
Huayuankou
Yiluo junction
Use for 2-D model

Establish flow rules

Integrate the information through collaboration:
Produce a set of practical flow rules that stakeholders agree on
Create options with different levels of risk to the health of the assets

Huayuankou recommendation low risk

Objectives met

Flow component

Hydrologic criteria

Mean annual
frequency/duration

Inter-annual
frequency

Timing

F1; M1
B1; B2; B3, F2; WQ1,
WQ2, WQ3, WQ4;
V3; M2; M5; F3; F4;
F11; F16

Cease to flow
Low flow

No cease to flow
Dec 307

Continuous
Continuous

100% of the time

75% of the time

All year
Dec - May

Continuous

75% of the time

Jun - Nov

Jan 280
Feb 321
Mar 377
Apr 463
May 430

F6; F7; F9; V1; B5;

M3; M4; F14

High flow

Jun 434
Jul

783

Aug 1,137
Sep 1,124
Oct 866
Nov 543
V3; V4; F10

Low flow pulse

2,000

1 per year /
1 30 days;
rates of rise and fall
within natural range

4 in 5 years

Nov - May

G1, G2, G3, G4,

WQ6; B6; B7; B8;
F12; F13; F5; F10

Bankfull

3,000 4,000

1 per year / ~10

30 days duration;
rates of rise and fall
within natural range

4 in 5 years

Jun Sep

Huayuankou recommendation medium risk

Objectives partly met

Flow
comp
onen
t

Hydrologic
criteria

Mean annual
frequency/duratio
n

Inter-annual
frequenc
y

Timing

F1; M1

Cease to
flow

No cease to flow

Continuous

100% of the
time

All year

B1; B2; B3, F2; WQ1,

WQ2, WQ3,
WQ4; V3; M2; M5;
F3; F4; F11; F16

Low flow

Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May

185
174
191
229
284
263

Continuous

75% of the
time

Dec - May

F6; F7; F9; V1; B5; M3;

M4; F14

High flow

Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov

265
466
754
744
534
335

Continuous

75% of the
time

Jun - Nov

G1, G2, G3, G4, WQ6;

B6; B7; B8; F12;
F13; F5; F10

Bankfull

3,000 4,000

1 per year / ~10 30

days duration;
rates of rise and fall
within natural range

4 in 5 years

Jun Sep

V3; V4; F10

Not
provi
ded

Model water resources availability

What are the impacts on river users from the flow options?

Experience and recommendations

Experience
--- Get new think, method from Australian expert
---The result close to the think of river manager, and can be
implement
Recommendation
---The e-flow assessment can be applied in other river in China

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION