Hydrological Drought Investigation of Armand River Using Low Flows Analysis

Document Type : Complete scientific research article

Authors

1 Master of Watershed Management, Environment and Natural Resources faculty, Behbahan Khatam Alanbia University of Technology, Behbahan, Iran

2 Range and Watershed Management department, Environment and Natural Resources faculty, Behbahan Khatam Alanbia University of Technology, Behbahan, Iran

3 Hydrology department, Water Science faculty, Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz, Ahwaz, Iran

Abstract

Background and objectives: Monitoring and evaluation of hydrological drought has become a necessity due to its frequent occurrence in various basins of Iran, and in order to prevent and manage the resulting crisis. In most studies, drought indices have been used to investigate it. Drought indices like Streamflow Drought Index, using statistical calculations on river flow data, ultimately leads to a number that does not have the ability to completely investigate and analyze drought in the studied area. Low flow or minimum river flow is one of the most important drought indices that using different criteria can get a comprehensive understanding of the hydrological drought situation in the region. In most studies, deficit characteristics or low flow frequency analysis have been used. Using different low flow indices is necessary to recognize different aspects of drought and its management. Therefore, the aim of this research was to study hydrological drought of Armand river using all of the low flow indices including flow duration curve, deficit characteristics, low flow frequency analysis and base flow index, which can be used to determine characteristics such as dry and wet periods, amount of flow during drought, drought threshold, duration of drought, volume and intensity deficit and frequency of low flows. Also, in this study, the environmental flow of river was calculated and analyzed.
Materials and methods: The Armand River basin with 9961 Km2 area located in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province was selected as the study area and the daily flow statistics of the Armand hydrometric station were used from 1957 to 2013. First, by plotting the flow duration curve, three low flow indices Q70, Q90 and Q95 also, the river status including wet, normal and drought periods was determined. Then, the minimum environmental flow was calculated based on the two indices Q75 and Q90, and the deficit characteristics using the threshold level Q70. In order to estimate the return period of low flow series (AM7), a suitable two-parameter gamma distribution function was considered appropriate. Finally, the base flow index was calculated using recursive digital filter method in different time scales.
Results: Based on the results, the Armand River in 28, 22 and 14 years (from 57 years of statistical period) has a flow of less than Q70, Q90 and Q95, respectively (45, 32 and 27 m3/s). Due to the gentle slope of the flow duration curve of basin, also the high value of the BFI index (0.95), it was concluded that groundwater had a high participation in the river flow. The dry period in this river begins when the flow reaches less than 45 m3/s (the threshold level Q70). The results showed that the deficit volume and intensity increased over the past 50 years. Based on the frequency analysis of low flow, in the return periods of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 years, the low flow was 34.26, 26.8, 23.1, 21.1, 19.1 and 17 m3/s. Comparison of these values with the minimum environmental flow showed that the river flow becomes less than its minimum environmental flow on average every two years.
Conclusion: Despite the sustained flow in the Armand River (due to the snow-rainy regime of the region, the ability of the basin to save water and drain it during the dry season), the dry periods with different intensities occurred over the past 57 years. Also, the severity of drought has increased due to the increase in the volume deficit of the river in recent years, and if this continues in the future, the severity and frequency of the drought occurrence will increase and the overall flow of the river will decrease.

Keywords

References

1.Agawala, S., Barlow, M., Gullen, H., and Lyon, B. 2001. The drought and humanitarian crisis Central Southwest Asia: A climate perspective. IRI Special Report. 01: 1. 11-24.
2.Bayazidi, M., Saghafiyan, B., Sedghi, H., and Kaveh, F. 2010. Hydrological drought analysis of Karoon Basin by daily data. J. Water. Manage. 86: 3. 52-63.(In Persian)
3.Biabanaki, M. 2004. Low flow analysis using hybrid method in Karkheh watershed. Master's thesis for water engineering. Isfahan University of Technology. Isfahan, 112p. (In Persian)
4.Chang, M., and Boyer, D.G. 1997. Estimates of low flows using watershed and climatic parameters. Water Resources Research. 13: 6. 997-1001.
5.Chow, V.T., Maidment, D.R., and Mays, L.W. 1988. Applied hydrology. MCGraw- Hill, NewYork, 281p.
6.Dudangeh, E., Soltani Koupaie, S., and Sarahidi, A. 2009. Frequency analysis of minimum flow in Gilvan Water Basin for management of drinking and agricultural water quality in the region. 8th International River Engineering Conference, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz. (In Persian)
7.Eghtedari, M., Bazrafshan, J., Shafie, M., and Hejabi, S. 2016. Prediction of stream flow drought using SPI and Markov chain in Kharkheh Basin. J. Water Soil Cons. 23: 2. 115-130. (In Persian)
8.Environmental flow guidelines. Environment ACT. 1999. Australia.
9.Frend. 1989. Flow regimes from experimental and network data. I: Hydrological studies. 1-334; II: Hydrological data, Wallingford, UK.1-266.
10.Feyen, L., and Dankers, R. 2009. Impact of global warming on Stream flow drought in Europe. J. Geophysic. Res. 114, D17116.
11.Ghanbarpour, M.R., Timouri, M., and Gholami, Sh.A. 2010. Comparison of basin base flow estimation methods based on hydrograph separation of the current case study of Karoon watershed. J. Natur. Sci. Technol. 12: 44. 1-10.(In Persian)
12.Ghobadi, S., Abghari, H., and Erfanian, M. 2016. Monitoring the spatial and temporal distribution of the intensity droughts using the isoSDI and isoSPI in the West of Lake Uremia. J. Water Soil Cons. 24: 5. 111-127. (In Persian)
13.Gustard, A., Bullock, A., and Dixon, J.M. 1992. Low flow estimation in the United Kingdom. Institute of hydrology, Report. No.1. 08-88.
14.Heo, J.H., Kim, J.H., and Salas, J.D. 2001. Estimation of confidence intervals of quantiles for the Weibull distribution. J. Stochastic Environ. Res. Risk Assess. 15: 4. 284-309.
15.Hisdal, H., Clausen, B., Gustard, A., Peters, E., and Tallaksen, L.M. 2004. Event definitions and indices, In: Hydrological drought - processes and estimation methods for stream flow and groundwater. P 1-155, Tallaksen, L.M., and Lanen, H.A.J., van (eds), Developments in Water Science, 48. Elsevier Science, Amsterdam.
16.Hisdal, H. 2002. Regional aspects of drought. Ph.D. Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. University of Oslo, Oslo, thesis, 221p.
17.Hosseini Zare, N., and Saadati, N.2002. The effect of drought on thewater quality of Karoon and Dez Rivers in Khuzestan Province. The First National Conference on Coping with Water Crisis. Zabol University, Zabol, Pp: 171-189. (In Persian)
18.Islami, A.R., and Shokouhi, A.R. 2013. Analysis of river flow status using hydrological-environmental drought index. J. Water Manage. Engin. Manage. 5: 2. 125-133. (In Persian)
19.Islamian, S.S., Zarei, A.R., and Abrishamchi, A. 2004. Regional estimation of low flows for Mazandaran River Basin. J. Agric. Sci. Technol.8: 1. 27-38. (In Persian)
20.Karimi, M., Shahedi, K., and Bayazidi, M. 2015. Analysis of hydrological drought using constant threshold level method (Case study: Karkheh River Basin, Iran). J. Water. Manage. Res.6: 11. 59-72. (In Persian)
21.Kazemi, R., and Ghermez Cheshmeh, B. 2016. Investigation of different base flow separation methods using flow duration indices (Case study: Khazar region). J. Water Soil Cons. 23: 2. 131-146.(In Persian)
22.Lyne, V., and Hollick, M. 1979. Stochastic time-variable rainfall- runoff modeling. Hydrology and Water Resources Symposiun, Institution of Engineers, Australia, Perth. Pp: 89-92.
23.Marchand, M.D. 2006. Environmental flow requirements for rivers: An integrated approach for river and coastal zone management. Report. Z2850 WLDelft Hydraulics. Pp: 28-50.
24.Mauser, W., Marke, T., and Stoeber, S. 2008. Climate change and water resources: Scenarios of Low flow conditions in the Upper Danube River Basin. XXIVth Conference of Danubian Countries. IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 4: 1. 012-027.
25.Mijuskovc-Svetinovic, T., and Maricic, S. 2008. Low flow analysis of the Lower Drava River. J. Earth Environ. Sci.
4: 112-125.
26.Nathan, R.J., and McMahon, T.A. 1990. Evaluation of automated techniques for base flow and recession analyses. Water Resources Research. 26: 7. 1465-1473.
27.Pandey, R.P., Mishra, S.K., Singh, R., and Ramasastri, K.S. 2008. Stream flow drought severity analysis of Betwa
River system, (India). Water Resource Management. 22: 8. 1127–1141.
28.Pyrce, R. 2004. Hydrological low flow indices and their uses. Watershed Science Centre. WSC Report. 04,
Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario.04: 1-33.
29.Rudy, K.A., and Broder, J.M. 2015. Invesigation of the potential surface-groundwater relationship using automated baseflow separation techniques and recession curve analylsis in Al Zerbaof Aleppo, Syria. Arabi. J. Geosci.8: 12. 1-21.
30.Sadaii, N., and Soleimani, K. 2013. Prioritization of Chang-Simon-Richardson, Begovolde and Tofalto formulas in three rivers using AHP method. J. Water Soil Sci. 23: 3. 235-247. (In Persian)
31.Soltani, S., Yaghmaii, L., Khodagholi, M., and Sabuhi, R. 2011. Ecological zonation of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province using multivariate statistical methods. J. Agric. Technol. Water and Soil Science. 14: 54. 53-68. (In Persian)
32.Shamaiezadeh, M., and Soltani, S. 2014. Low flow frequency analysis of low currents in North Karoon Basin. J. Agric. Sci. Technol. 18: 70. 231-243.(In Persian)
33.Smakhtin, V.Y., and Watkins, D.A. 1997. Low flow estimation in South Africa. Water Research Commission Report. 494/1/97, Pretoria. South Africa. Pp: 1-40.
34.Smakhtin, V.U. 2001. Low flow hydrology: a review. J. Hydrol.240: 147-186.
35.Svetinovic, T.M., and Maricic, S. 2008. Low flow analysis of the Lower Drava River. XXIVth Conference of the Danubian Countries. IOP Conf.Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 4: 1. 012-011.
36.Taghavi Kaljahi, S., Reiazi, B., and Taghavi, L. 2014. Determination of the environmental right of the Miankaleh wetland. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.16: 2. 101-109. (In Persian)
37.Tasker, G.D. 1987. A comparison of methods for estimating low flow characteristics of streams. Water Resource Bull. 23: 6. 1077-1083.
38.Yurekli, K., Kurunc, A., and Gul, S. 2005. Frequency analysis of low flow series from Çekerek stream Basin. Tarim Bilimleri Dergisi. 11: 1. 72-77.
39.Vogel, R.M., and Kroll, C.N. 1989. Low-flow frequency analysis using probability-plot correlation coefficients. J. Water Resour. Plan. Manage. ASCE (ASCE). 115: 3. 338 - 357.
40.World meteorological organization. 2008. Manual on low flow estimation and prediction. Operational hydrology report No.50.WMO - NO. 1029. 13-136.
41.Zare Bidaki, R., Mahdiyan fard, M., Honarbakhsh, A., and Zainiwand, H. 2015. Estimating the base flow of Lorestan's Tire River to assess the environmental flow. J. Echohydrol.2: 3. 275-287. (In Persian)
Journal of Water and Soil Conservation
Volume 26, Issue 3
September and October 2019
Pages 247-263

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics