Identification of the degree of impact of dams on the hydrologic regime of semi-arid rivers: an evaluation of the DHRAM method

ABSTRACT The flow regulation that results from the implantation of dams causes consequences to the river ecosystems due to the modification on the characteristics of the hydrologic regime. The investigation of these changes become relevant, mainly in semi-arid regions where there is a great amount o...

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Main Authors: Naiah Caroline Rodrigues de Souza, Andrea Sousa Fontes, Lafayette Dantas da Luz, Sandra Maria Conceição Pinheiro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Associação Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos
Series:Revista Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2318-03312017000100209&lng=en&tlng=en
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author Naiah Caroline Rodrigues de Souza
Andrea Sousa Fontes
Lafayette Dantas da Luz
Sandra Maria Conceição Pinheiro
author_facet Naiah Caroline Rodrigues de Souza
Andrea Sousa Fontes
Lafayette Dantas da Luz
Sandra Maria Conceição Pinheiro
author_sort Naiah Caroline Rodrigues de Souza
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT The flow regulation that results from the implantation of dams causes consequences to the river ecosystems due to the modification on the characteristics of the hydrologic regime. The investigation of these changes become relevant, mainly in semi-arid regions where there is a great amount of these hydraulic structures and lack of such analyzes. Considering the above, this paper aims to evaluate the Dundee Hydrological Regime Alteration Method (DHRAM) through the classification of the degree of impact of dams located on rivers Itapicuru, Paraguaçu and their tributaries, verifying the adequacy of its use to represent the semi-arid hydrologic regime. Thereby, the DHRAM was applied in three versions: considering the thresholds that define the scores to classify the degree of impact in its original set (accordingly to Black et al. (2005)); with the adjustment of those thresholds to local conditions; and, with the regrouping of variables and adjustment of thresholds. The results showed that the method in its original set is applicable to semi-arid rivers, however it tends to be very restrictive against the high natural hydrologic variability characteristic of these rivers, and it ends up pointing to a high degree of alteration for dams that are known for not causing a very siginifcant flow regulation. The DHRAM with the regrouping of variables and the adjustment of thresholds presented the classification that approached the most to the known characteristics of the studied dams, being useful for the evaluation of the impact of dams still in project, and also to guide the adoption of operating rules that minimize the most significant hydrologic alterations that are identified.
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spelling doaj.art-845231f7e7064932bed1692ee9235ee92022-12-21T17:14:52ZengAssociação Brasileira de Recursos HídricosRevista Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos2318-03312210.1590/2318-0331.011716093S2318-03312017000100209Identification of the degree of impact of dams on the hydrologic regime of semi-arid rivers: an evaluation of the DHRAM methodNaiah Caroline Rodrigues de SouzaAndrea Sousa FontesLafayette Dantas da LuzSandra Maria Conceição PinheiroABSTRACT The flow regulation that results from the implantation of dams causes consequences to the river ecosystems due to the modification on the characteristics of the hydrologic regime. The investigation of these changes become relevant, mainly in semi-arid regions where there is a great amount of these hydraulic structures and lack of such analyzes. Considering the above, this paper aims to evaluate the Dundee Hydrological Regime Alteration Method (DHRAM) through the classification of the degree of impact of dams located on rivers Itapicuru, Paraguaçu and their tributaries, verifying the adequacy of its use to represent the semi-arid hydrologic regime. Thereby, the DHRAM was applied in three versions: considering the thresholds that define the scores to classify the degree of impact in its original set (accordingly to Black et al. (2005)); with the adjustment of those thresholds to local conditions; and, with the regrouping of variables and adjustment of thresholds. The results showed that the method in its original set is applicable to semi-arid rivers, however it tends to be very restrictive against the high natural hydrologic variability characteristic of these rivers, and it ends up pointing to a high degree of alteration for dams that are known for not causing a very siginifcant flow regulation. The DHRAM with the regrouping of variables and the adjustment of thresholds presented the classification that approached the most to the known characteristics of the studied dams, being useful for the evaluation of the impact of dams still in project, and also to guide the adoption of operating rules that minimize the most significant hydrologic alterations that are identified.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2318-03312017000100209&lng=en&tlng=enhydrologic indicatorsclassification of the degree of impactsemi-arid
spellingShingle Naiah Caroline Rodrigues de Souza
Andrea Sousa Fontes
Lafayette Dantas da Luz
Sandra Maria Conceição Pinheiro
Identification of the degree of impact of dams on the hydrologic regime of semi-arid rivers: an evaluation of the DHRAM method
Revista Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos
hydrologic indicators
classification of the degree of impact
semi-arid
title Identification of the degree of impact of dams on the hydrologic regime of semi-arid rivers: an evaluation of the DHRAM method
title_full Identification of the degree of impact of dams on the hydrologic regime of semi-arid rivers: an evaluation of the DHRAM method
title_fullStr Identification of the degree of impact of dams on the hydrologic regime of semi-arid rivers: an evaluation of the DHRAM method
title_full_unstemmed Identification of the degree of impact of dams on the hydrologic regime of semi-arid rivers: an evaluation of the DHRAM method
title_short Identification of the degree of impact of dams on the hydrologic regime of semi-arid rivers: an evaluation of the DHRAM method
title_sort identification of the degree of impact of dams on the hydrologic regime of semi arid rivers an evaluation of the dhram method
topic hydrologic indicators
classification of the degree of impact
semi-arid
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2318-03312017000100209&lng=en&tlng=en
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