Geomorphic Approach to Regional Sediment Management in Engineered and Restored Fluvial Systems
Abstract
This document reviews contemporary practice in regional sediment management. It examines whether catchment wide sediment issues have been considered in the design of engineering and restoration/rehabilitation projects. The study has been undertaken through a review of documented literature in addition to contacting leading practitioners in the field. The results suggest that historically catchment wide sediment issues were rarely addressed in the design of schemes, leading to many project failures. Recently, however, there has been increased consideration of regional sediment issues in the design of schemes. This has been complemented by the development of an increasing number of design approaches that include sediment continuity as an integral part of their procedure. The use of these approaches is still fairly limited and they remain unproven as practical tools. Consequently, there is a need to further refine these methods and ensure that they are suitable to be adopted into widespread engineering practice. In addition, an important requirement for future practice is to enable schemes to be designed taking into account previously documented experiences. This will help projects avoid previous mistakes and define best practice for the future. As a result, an existing geomorphic Post-Project Appraisal approach has been refined to focus specifically on the assessment of regional sediment issues. A Regional Sediment Appraisal Methodology has thus been developed and outlined here.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA394332
Entities
People
- Colin R. Thorne
- Kevin S. Skinner
Organizations
- University of Nottingham