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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 6, 2025

Watershed Planning within a Quantitative Scenario Analysis Framework

Watershed Planning within a Quantitative Scenario Analysis Framework

Published on: July 24, 2016

Impact evaluation of instream bar management using morphodynamic modelling.

Qingcheng Yu¹, Colin D Rennie¹, Jonathan M Slaney²

¹Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1N 6N5, Canada.

Journal of Environmental Management

|June 30, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Bar realignment in the Bow River can protect aquatic habitats and enhance recreation. However, bar removal is more effective for lowering future flood levels by creating a less obstructed channel, mitigating flood risk.

Keywords:

Aquatic habitat Bar realignment Bar removal Flood Gravel bar Morphodynamic modelling

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Area of Science:

Environmental Engineering
River Geomorphology
Flood Risk Management

Background:

The 2013 Bow River flood caused significant damage in Calgary.
Post-flood bar growth has narrowed the river channel, increasing flood risk.
The efficacy of bar removal for flood mitigation remains uncertain.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate bar removal and realignment strategies for flood mitigation.
To assess impacts on aquatic habitats and river recreation.
To model future channel responses to different bar management plans.

Main Methods:

Developed and calibrated a 2D hydrodynamic model using Delft3D.
Validated a morphodynamic model with post-flood bed elevation data.
Simulated and compared flood peaks and channel morphology under different bar management scenarios.

Main Results:

Bar realignment preserves aquatic habitat and offers recreation benefits.
Bar removal more effectively reduces future flood peak levels.
Instream bar manipulation has minimal downstream morphological effects.

Conclusions:

Creating a less obstructed channel is key for flood mitigation.
Bar management strategies offer trade-offs between flood control, habitat, and recreation.
Further research into optimal bar management is warranted.