The effects of check dams on the amount and pattern of flood

Abstract

In this study, field measurement, spatial information, and HEC-RAS modeling were used to determine changes in the amount and pattern of flow in a waterway due to the construction of check dams. The research was conducted in Khorkhoreh watershed, Kurdistan province, Iran. The location map of the structures and their upstream area was prepared in the GIS environment. The flow rate with different return periods was calculated from empirical methods. To simulate the changes in the flow pattern, the HEC-RAS model was calibrated. Flows and corresponding water levels were measured. The flow pattern and time was quantitatively calculated and compared with the conditions before construction. The results by HEC-RAS showed that in most structures, the flow velocity increased after passing the structures. In a 2-yr flood, the flow time increased by 82.8 minutes due to the check dams. This time is lower in floods with higher return periods.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, modeling, field and spatial data collection and analysis were performed by Ata Amini. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Ata Amini, Kaywan Othman and Yahya Parvizi commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Department of Rangeland and Watershed of Kurdistan [Grant Number 94/78/26895].

Notes on contributors

Ata Amini

Dr. Ata Amini is an Associate Professor of water resources engineering at Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Sanandaj, Iran. He completed his doctorate at the University Putra Malaysia in 2009. In recent years, he has been in charge of many research projects and supervised many masters and Ph.D. students in the fields of water engineering and watershed management. Apart from many scientific papers, he is the author of five books and three book chapters. He has devoted his academic career to study of the integrated water resources management, river engineering, sediment, scouring, and watershed management. Dr. Ata Amini has more than 25 years of teaching experience and has published many academic papers and final research reports. He is currently serving as the founder, owner, and the Director-in-Charge of the Environment and Water Engineering journal (EWE).

Kaywan Othman Ahmed

Kaywan Othman Ahmed was born in Suleimani City, Iraq. He earned a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering in 2015 from Tishk International University, Erbil. Additionally, he holds a M.Sc. degree in hydraulic structure and water resource management from Gaziantep University in Turkey, which he earned in 2018. Currently enrolled as a Ph.D. student at KNTU University in Tehran.Since 2018, he has worked as an assistant lecturer in Civil Engineering Department at Tishik International University in Suleimani. His current research interests include computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), modeling with artificial intelligence techniques, laboratory investigations of hydraulic structures, the scouring process downstream of hydraulic structures, water supply, and environmental investigations

Yahya Parvizi

Dr. Yahya Parvizi is an Associate Professor of soil science (soil conservation) at SCWMRI, Tehran, Iran. He completed his doctorate at the Tehran University in 2010.He has directed about 12 research projects and supervised many research projects, masters and Ph.D. students. Apart from many scientific papers, he is the author of two book. He has devoted his academic career to soil conservation, soil erosion modelling, soil quality assessment, and soil and water monitoring and assessment research. He has more than 23 years professional research experience and has published about 50 academic papers and final research reports.