Colorado State University

Fluvial sediment transport controls the geomorphological evolution of rivers through erosion and deposition processes, which transform the surrounding landscape. These processes can sometimes threaten water infrastructures, such as hydropower dams, crucial for renewable energy generation and water resources management. The construction of dams disrupts the natural flow of water and sediment in rivers, leading to sedimentation in the upstream reservoir.

This sediment accumulation reduces water storage capacity and power generation efficiency, requiring sediment removal techniques. One potential solution is continuously collecting sediment from upstream reservoirs and transporting it downstream of dams through sediment passages. In the first part of the talk, I will present the work that we proposed to strategically construct at one side of a fluvial channel by installing a yawed porous submerged vane array to control lateral bedload transport and enhance sediment collection efficiency. The study focused on quantifying and evaluating the efficiency of sediment lateral redirection by installing yawed submerged vanes, which provides the opportunity to study alternative engineering methods for controlling downstream sediment transport via in-stream submerged structures. On the other hand, sediment transport in natural rivers often involves interactions between flow and vegetation. To enhance restoration efforts and protect ecosystem habitats, it is crucial to understand how vegetation interacts with the environment. In the second part of the talk, I will discuss another experimental study we conducted. We utilized image  processing techniques to investigate the detailed flow  structures within the vegetation canopy and measure suspended sediment concentration profiles.  Subsequently, we proposed a theoretical model to predict sediment concentrations, providing valuable insights for future studies on landscape evolution and water quality  management in vegetated streams.