Environmental Restoration and Changes of Sediment and Hydrodynamic Parameters in a Section of a Renaturalised Lowland Watercourse

cris.virtual.author-orcid0000-0002-0750-9489
cris.virtual.author-orcid0000-0002-5829-502X
cris.virtual.author-orcid0000-0002-2028-1618
cris.virtual.author-orcid0000-0002-7035-9874
cris.virtual.author-orcid0000-0001-9093-4365
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid260f2d42-464a-4758-8570-4276d0d768d5
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid25b4fea8-1bac-418e-b7bf-c26ec1e15244
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid65396c4b-3b9e-41f4-a81c-810c69e46ce7
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid2d571207-6c12-4387-94a1-bf7767fa5220
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid1a97415b-d71c-4504-92c0-69469f9e5e82
dc.abstract.otherIn Europe, the routes of most watercourses were straightened and shortened, leading to the destruction and degradation of many natural environments. Currently, in places where it is possible, as part of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, efforts are made to improve environmental sustainability, including improving the ecological condition of rivers. This paper presents the impact of three in-stream deflectors on changes in the section of a small lowland river—the Flinta (Poland)—where (from 2018 to 2023) detailed, systematic geodetic, and hydrometric research and an assessment of the ecological conditions were carried out. The presented results show the influence of deflectors on the initiation of fluvial processes in the transverse and longitudinal layouts of the channel. The river channel was narrowed from 6 to 5 m, and the current line shifted by almost 3 m. Changes were observed in the distribution of velocities and shear stresses, varying along the surveyed section of the river. In the first year after their application, an increase in velocity at the deflectors can be observed (from 0.2 m∙s−1 to 0.6 m∙s−1 in the deflector cross-section). In the following years, on the other hand, a clear decrease in velocity was observed in the sections between the deflectors (to 0.3 m∙s−1). The introduction of deflectors resulted in a significant increase in the values of shear stresses (from an average value of 0.0241 N∙m−2 in 2018 to 0.2761 N∙m−2 in 2023) and local roughness coefficients (from 0.045 s∙m−1/3 before the introduction of the deflectors to 0.070 s∙m−1/3 in 2023). Based on analyses of sediment samples, erosion and accumulation of bottom material were initially observed, followed by a subsequent stabilisation of particle size. Differences in grain size were observed, especially in the cross-section of the deflectors (increase in granularity d50% downstream of the deflector from 0.31 mm to 3.9 mm already 2 years after the introduction of deflectors). This study confirmed the positive impact of using deflectors on hydromorphological processes as deflectors facilitate the achievement of a good ecological status, as required by the WFD. The innovation of this paper lies in demonstrating the possibility of using small, simple structures to initiate and intensify fluvial processes, which may contribute to improving the ecological conditions of watercourses.
dc.affiliationWydział Inżynierii Środowiska i Inżynierii Mechanicznej
dc.affiliation.instituteKatedra Inżynierii Wodnej i Sanitarnej
dc.affiliation.instituteKatedra Ekologii i Ochrony Środowiska
dc.contributor.authorZaborowski, Stanisław
dc.contributor.authorKałuża, Tomasz
dc.contributor.authorJusik, Szymon
dc.contributor.authorDysarz, Tomasz
dc.contributor.authorHammerling, Mateusz
dc.date.access2024-11-25
dc.date.accessioned2024-11-25T08:20:24Z
dc.date.available2024-11-25T08:20:24Z
dc.date.copyright2024-05-08
dc.date.issued2024
dc.description.abstract<jats:p>In Europe, the routes of most watercourses were straightened and shortened, leading to the destruction and degradation of many natural environments. Currently, in places where it is possible, as part of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, efforts are made to improve environmental sustainability, including improving the ecological condition of rivers. This paper presents the impact of three in-stream deflectors on changes in the section of a small lowland river—the Flinta (Poland)—where (from 2018 to 2023) detailed, systematic geodetic, and hydrometric research and an assessment of the ecological conditions were carried out. The presented results show the influence of deflectors on the initiation of fluvial processes in the transverse and longitudinal layouts of the channel. The river channel was narrowed from 6 to 5 m, and the current line shifted by almost 3 m. Changes were observed in the distribution of velocities and shear stresses, varying along the surveyed section of the river. In the first year after their application, an increase in velocity at the deflectors can be observed (from 0.2 m∙s−1 to 0.6 m∙s−1 in the deflector cross-section). In the following years, on the other hand, a clear decrease in velocity was observed in the sections between the deflectors (to 0.3 m∙s−1). The introduction of deflectors resulted in a significant increase in the values of shear stresses (from an average value of 0.0241 N∙m−2 in 2018 to 0.2761 N∙m−2 in 2023) and local roughness coefficients (from 0.045 s∙m−1/3 before the introduction of the deflectors to 0.070 s∙m−1/3 in 2023). Based on analyses of sediment samples, erosion and accumulation of bottom material were initially observed, followed by a subsequent stabilisation of particle size. Differences in grain size were observed, especially in the cross-section of the deflectors (increase in granularity d50% downstream of the deflector from 0.31 mm to 3.9 mm already 2 years after the introduction of deflectors). This study confirmed the positive impact of using deflectors on hydromorphological processes as deflectors facilitate the achievement of a good ecological status, as required by the WFD. The innovation of this paper lies in demonstrating the possibility of using small, simple structures to initiate and intensify fluvial processes, which may contribute to improving the ecological conditions of watercourses.</jats:p>
dc.description.accesstimeat_publication
dc.description.bibliographyil., bibliogr.
dc.description.financepublication_nocost
dc.description.financecost0,00
dc.description.if3,3
dc.description.number10
dc.description.points100
dc.description.reviewreview
dc.description.versionfinal_published
dc.description.volume16
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/su16103948
dc.identifier.issn2071-1050
dc.identifier.urihttps://sciencerep.up.poznan.pl/handle/item/2064
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/10/3948
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationenvironmental engineering, mining and energy
dc.relation.ispartofSustainability
dc.relation.pagesart. 3948
dc.rightsCC-BY
dc.sciencecloudsend
dc.share.typeOPEN_JOURNAL
dc.subject.endeflector
dc.subject.enecological restoration
dc.subject.ensustainability
dc.subject.enlowland river
dc.subject.enhydromorphology
dc.subject.enFlinta River
dc.titleEnvironmental Restoration and Changes of Sediment and Hydrodynamic Parameters in a Section of a Renaturalised Lowland Watercourse
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.issue10
oaire.citation.volume16