Evaluating damming effect on eco-hydrological alteration in river and wetland using indicators of hydrological alteration

Abstract

Present work successfully examined the damming impact on the eco-hydrological conditions of the river and wetland. The study found that monthly mean discharge was attenuated by 1.61 to 57% after damming. About 28.57 to 100% flow failure rate was found in the post-dam period and a moderate to the high degree of negative hydrological alteration (HA) for different IHA groups was identified. The flow failure rate in the river was >70% in most of the months while wetland water depth failure rates were 43% in pre-dam to 71% in post-dam, and a low and high negative degree of HA was observed over 20% and 9% of wetland areas respectively during post-monsoon season. The damming effect was found more intensive in the river than in wetlands. The eco-hydro deficit was recorded, which is an indication of growing ecological distress. The current result is used for river and wetland restoration planning.

Keywords:

• Damming effect
• indicators of hydrological alteration (IHA)
• degree of alteration
• eco-hydro-deficit/surplus
• and ecological distress

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The first author of this research paper (Rajesh Sarda) would like to acknowledge University Grants Commission (UGC Ref. No.: 3430/(NET-DEC 2018)), New Delhi, India for providing financial support as a Junior Research fellowship to conduct the research work presented in this paper. We would like to extend my gratitude to USGS for providing Landsat imageries.