Characterization of dam-impacted flood hydrograph and its degree of severity as a potential hazard

Dipsikha Devi, Anupal Baruah and Arup Kumar Sarma ()
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Dipsikha Devi: Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Anupal Baruah: Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Arup Kumar Sarma: Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, 2022, vol. 112, issue 3, No 6, 1989-2011

Abstract: Abstract Flooding due to sudden release from a hydropower dam is becoming a concern, as it can cause severe impacts to a far distance downstream. Rain-induced flash flood at the upstream during full reservoir condition forces the dam authority to open spillway gate, generating flood at downstream. In this paper, possible augmentation of a typical inflow hydrograph of 48 h because of hydropower dam operation and its subsequent propagation to downstream area is investigated using a reservoir simulation model and a hydrodynamic model in tandem. This analysis explores the characterization of dam-induced flood disaster in a different category through scientific and logical reasoning. Impact of different initial reservoir storages on flow alteration due to dam operation is also evaluated. A comparative analysis of post- and pre-dam flood scenarios for the same inflow hydrograph is carried out in the Lower Subansiri Hydropower Project located in north-eastern part of India. Results indicate that although the frequency of flooding becomes lower with the dam presence, magnitude of maximum peak flow remains almost the same with significant increase in its flashy characteristics. Flashiness Index of the outflow hydrograph from the reservoir increases from 0.26 for a no-dam condition to a maximum of 0.52, when the dam, filled up to its full capacity, exists. From the view point of hazard potential, the analysis has revealed that dam-induced flooding takes the second rank in the global hazard ranking considering various factors like the degree of severity, suddenness of onset, temporal and spatial extent and socio-economic factors.

Keywords: Flooding; Hydropower dam; Flash flood; Reservoir release; Suddenness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1007/s11069-022-05253-7

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