Analysis of dam-induced cyclic patterns on river flow dynamics

Hakan Tongal, Mehmet C. Demirel, Hamid Moradkhani

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of the Hungry Horse Dam on streamflow dynamics in the South Fork of the Flathead River, Montana, USA. To this end, pre- and post-dam periods of raw and naturalized streamflow data were analysed. Pettitt’s change point analysis indicated a significant change point in streamflow dynamics due to dam construction. Complexities in the pre- and post-dam periods were evaluated by sample and multi-scale entropy analyses, and the entropies of the post-dam period were found to be higher than those of the pre-dam period. Possible reasons for this, unrelated to the natural hydrological cycle caused by the dam, were analysed using wavelet analyses. The wavelet analyses showed a clear change in the phase relationship between precipitation and streamflow. Finally, weak positive trends found in the hydrological variables indicated the effects of human activities (e.g. dam construction). The results also revealed distorted lead times, which can improve the streamflow forecasts for different lead times.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)626-641
Number of pages16
JournalHydrological Sciences Journal
Volume62
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12 Mar 2017

Keywords

  • cross-wavelet transform
  • Hungry Horse Dam
  • multi-scale entropy
  • Pettitt’s analysis
  • sample entropy
  • wavelet coherence

Programme Area

  • Programme Area 2: Water Resources

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Analysis of dam-induced cyclic patterns on river flow dynamics'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this