Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.11.024
Title (Primary) Environmental risk of dissolved oxygen depletion of diverted flood waters in river polder systems - A quasi-2D flood modelling approach
Author Lindenschmidt, K.E.; Pech, I.; Baborowski, M.
Source Titel Science of the Total Environment
Year 2009
Department FLOEK
Volume 407
Issue 5
Page From 1598
Page To 1612
Language englisch
Keywords Dissolved oxygen; Elbe River; Eutrophication; Flood; Global sensitivity analysis; Monte-Carlo Analysis; Quasi-2D modelling; Risk assessment
Abstract River polders are retention basins contained by levees alongside rivers into which water from the main river channel is diverted during extreme floods in order to cap the peak discharge of the flood hydrograph and to alleviate downstream flood risk by reducing the water levels. The retained water, however, is stagnant and the organic material in the water and the bottom sediments imposes a strong oxygen demand on the water. This paper presents a quasi two-dimensional computer-based methodology to assess the environmental risk exhibited by the operation of polders with which the concentration of dissolved oxygen in river and polder water can be simulated. A Monte-Carlo analysis allows the probability distribution of all the outcomes of the minimum dissolved oxygen levels in the water to be derived. From this analysis, the environmental risk of the dissolved oxygen concentrations in the polder water falling below 2 mg O2/L (the level considered critical for aquatic ecosystems) can be determined.The August 2002 extreme flood event on the Elbe River, Germany, with a proposed polder system variant was used to calibrate the model. A daily time step was used to for the simulations for a time frame 12-21 August 2008. The results show plausible spatial and temporal variations in the dissolved oxygen concentrations within the polders. The quasi-2D approach was successful in simulating the spatial distribution of water quality constituents in the polder system. There is up to approximately 20% risk that dissolved oxygen levels fall below 2 mg/L in the polders. This risk can potentially increase if sediment oxygen demand increases due to crop residue and water temperatures in polders increase. High nutrient transport in the river during flooding can cause a spurt of phytoplankton growth in the polders.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=372
Lindenschmidt, K.E., Pech, I., Baborowski, M. (2009):
Environmental risk of dissolved oxygen depletion of diverted flood waters in river polder systems - A quasi-2D flood modelling approach
Sci. Total Environ. 407 (5), 1598 - 1612 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.11.024