Assessment of a sediment management solution in a reservoir with a sluicing technique using a HEC-RAS 2D model : Case study of Andakílsá river in west Iceland

Abstract: Sediment-related issues in reservoirs can often pose significant challenges to their operational effectiveness, sustainability, and environmental impact. Sustainable sediment management can help resolve these issues and extend the lifespan of dams. The reservoir in Andakílsá river in west Iceland is one out of many reservoirs that has experienced sediment-related problems, and in this study, it was evaluated whether a particular sediment management solution called SediCon Sluicer could be a suitable solution for the site. More specifically, evaluate whether the river transport capacity is sufficient to transport the sediments released from the SediCon Sluicer outlet pipe, so they don’t settle and form thick deposit layers in the river bottom. A hydraulic model of the river was set up in a two-dimensional HEC-RAS model (version 6.3.1) and the Manning’s roughness coefficient in the channel calibrated using water level data. The Manning’s value 0.025 was found to best describe the channel roughness. A HEC-RAS 2D Sediment Transport model was then used to simulate different amount of sediments being released into the river for different flow scenarios. A flood event with 95% confidence level to occur once a year was found to have a peak flow of 50 m3/s and have a duration of around 18 hours. However, the average peak flow from the biggest flood events during a 14-year period was found to be 118 m3/s, and that type of flood events can have a duration up to 70 hours. The results from the sediment simulation scenarios showed that for flood events with long duration and high discharge, the yearly accumulated sediments could most likely all be flushed once a year without too much deposit in the river. A shorter flood event, that is almost certain to occur once a year, is not likely to be able to flush out all the yearly accumulated sediments all at once. Perhaps the SediCon sluicer could be operated several times a year, but a more detailed flow frequency analysis must reveal what smaller floods can be expected yearly. This solution could be a suitable option for the river, but more research and analysis need to be performed for a better certainty on the optimal operational range.