Dam removals are becoming increasingly common as dams reach their life expectancy and face costly upgrades associated with relicensing. Though removal is often viewed as a success in terms of ecological restoration, it also represents a major disturbance to an area. Previous research has shown that native species do not survive as well at these disturbed sites, and invasive species often dominate. This study examines the vegetation response in the drained reservoir area after the removal of Hemlock Dam on Trout Creek, a tributary to the Wind River in southern Washington. Transects were established and quadrats were sampled to determine the plant classifications and cover of vegetation and to examine possible correlations between environmental variables and the spatial distribution of plant classification groups. Sampling took place in the third and fourth years following dam removal, and the data was analyzed to determine significant changes and relationships. The results of this study showed that the site was dominated by a volunteer native forb Lotus purshianus (Spanish clover) and a planted native tree Alnus rubra (red alder). Most of the other species found were native volunteer forbs and grasses characteristic of early succession in this region. Both invasive species and planted species, with the exception of Alnus rubra, had low canopy covers. There was a significant increase in native plant canopy cover, as well as total canopy cover, from 2012 to 2013. There were also significant relationships between plant classification groups and environmental variables, including soil infiltration, elevation, and distance from stream. This study will help inform resource managers about the kinds of plants that will volunteer after dam removals and the possible success of re-vegetation projects.

Dams and reservoirs with multiple purposes require effective management to fully realize their purposes and maximize efficiency. For instance, a reservoir intended mainly for the purposes of flood control and hydropower generation may result in a system with primary objectives that conflict with each other. This is because higher hydraulic heads are required to achieve the hydropower generation objective while relatively lower reservoir levels are required to fulfill flood control objectives. Protracted imbalances between these two could increase the susceptibility of the system to risks of water shortage or flood, depending on inflow volumes and operational policy effectiveness. The magnitudes of these risks can become even more pronounced when upstream use of the river is unregulated and uncoordinated so that upstream consumptions and releases are arbitrary. As a result, safe operational practices and risk management alternatives must be structured after an improved understanding of historical and anticipated inflows, actual and speculative upstream uses, and the overall hydrology of catchments upstream of the reservoir. One of such systems with an almost yearly occurrence of floods and shortages due to both natural and anthropogenic factors is the dual reservoir system of Kainji and Jebba in Nigeria. To analyze and manage these risks, a methodology that combines a stochastic and deterministic approach was employed. Using methods outlined by Box and Jenkins (1976), autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models were developed for forecasting Niger river inflows at Kainji reservoir based on twenty-seven-year-long historical inflow data (1970-1996). These were then validated using seven-year inflow records (1997-2003). The model with the best correlation was a seasonal multiplicative ARIMA (2,1,1)x(2,1,2)12 model. Supplementary iv validation of this model was done with discharge rating curves developed for the inlet of the reservoir using in situ inflows and satellite altimetry data. By comparing net inflow volumes with storage deficit, flood and shortage risk factors at the reservoir were determined based on (a) actual inflows, (b) forecasted inflows (up to 2015), and (c) simulated scenarios depicting undefined competitive upstream consumption. Calculated highrisk years matched actual flood years again suggesting the reliability of the model. Monte Carlo simulations were then used to prescribe safe outflows and storage allocations in order to reduce futuristic risk factors. The theoretical safety levels achieved indicated risk factors below threshold values and showed that this methodology is a powerful tool for estimating and managing flood and shortage risks in reservoirs with undefined competitive upstream consumption

It is of great importance to ensure the structural safety of dams during earthquakes since a failure may cause catastrophic consequences. Conventional computation of the structural response of dams is based on a simplified approach where the foundation is considered as massless. However, recent developments have produced several new analysis methods that consider the foundation mass, modelled with absorbing boundaries and free-field forces. These newer methods are intended to simulate the seismic structural response more accurately, optimize the design and minimise future unnecessary reparations. The aim of the thesis was to investigate the influence of foundation modelling in seismic time history analyses. This was done by comparing the established massless foundation approach to two approaches with foundation mass and free-field forces included; the analytical approach presented by Song et al. (2018) and the direct FE approach by Løkke (2018). Both the efficiency of the seismic wave propagation simulation and the structural response of the dam were of interest, and points on the dam and foundation were studied to accurately compare these modelling approaches. The time history analyses showed that the massless approach corresponded perfectly with the ideal theoretical velocity at the foundation surface when studying only the foundation block, as expected. The analytical and direct FE however, differed slightly from the theoretical value but still gave an accurate representation. Both methods using free-field forces obtained equivalent and realistic structural responses when studying the dam-reservoir-foundation model. The massless method however,strongly overestimated the dam response and was therefore found to not capture the actual behavior of the dam accurately, despite modifications such as increased material damping in the concrete. Additionally, another aim was to analyse the influence of modelling in 2D versus 3D for determining the dynamic characteristics of the dam such as natural frequencies and eigenmodes of the dam. These frequency analyses were made using models with and without foundation mass considered and was compared to experimental data.The massless 3D model was found to be the most effective modelling approach for deriving the dynamic characteristics of the dam since the use of a 3D model was necessary in order to study the behaviour of the whole dam and post-processing was simpler when using the massless model. / Det är nödvändigt att säkerställa dammars säkerhet mot jordbävningar i design-processen eftersom ett dammbrott kan få katastrofala konsekvenser. Traditionellt används förenklade beräkningar där dammens strukturella respons beräknas med en berggrund där bergets massa är försummad. Den senaste tiden har flera nya analysmetoder tagits fram, som tar hänsyn till bergets massa och är modellerade med absorberande randvillkor och free-field forces. De nyare metoderna förväntas modellera de seismiska krafterna mer exakt för att optimera designen och minimera onödiga reparationer. Syftet med projektet var att undersöka inverkan från olika metoders sätt att beakta berggrunden vid seismiska analyser. Det utfördes genom att jämföra den etablerade masslösa metoden med två metoder som beaktar bergmassan och free-fieldforces; den analytiska metoden av Song et al. (2018) och Direct FE-metoden av Løkke (2018). Både effektiviteten i den seismiska vågutbredningssimuleringen och dammens strukturella respons var av intresse. Modelleringsmetoderna jämfördes genom att studera punkter på både dammen och berget. När enbart berggrunden studerades med den masslösa metoden så erhölls, som förväntat, god överenstämmelse med den ideala teoretiska hastigheten på bergsytan. De analytiska och Direct FE metoderna skiljde sig marginellt från det teoretiska värdet men gav fortfarande en korrekt hastighet på bergsytan. Vid analys av modeller med dam och reservoar inkluderade, gav metoderna som använde free-field forces ekvivalenta och realistiska strukturella responser. Den masslösa metoden däremot, överskattade kraftigt dammens respons och ansågs därför inte modelleradet verkliga beteendet hos dammen på ett korrekt sätt, trots modifieringar med ökad materialdämpning i betongen. Ett annat syfte var att analysera påverkan av modellering i 2D kontra 3D för att bestämma dammens dynamiska egenskaper, som egenfrekvenser och egenmoder. Dessa frekvensanalyser gjordes med hjälp av modeller som både beaktade och försummade bergets massa, och jämfördes med experimentella data. Den masslösa 3D-modellen visade sig vara den mest effektiva modelleringsmetoden för att erhållade dynamiska egenskaperna hos dammen. Det eftersom en 3D-modell var nödvändig för att studera hela dammens beteende och hantering av utdata var förenklad vid användning av den masslösa modellen.

[pt] O presente trabalho apresenta a Barragem de Terzaghi em um contexto da evolução tecnológica da construção de barragens de terra, colocando em foco sua construção e desempenho ao longo de 65 anos de operação bem como a verificação atual de suas condições físicas, analisando o impacto que a carga de sedimentos causa sobre a face montante da barragem, em termos de percolação, tensões e deformações. Tendo como base os métodos observacionais aplicados ao longo da operação da barragem e modelagem por elementos finitos, foram traçadas expectativas do fator de segurança para a seção principal da barragem ao longo do tempo. / [en] This work presents the Terzaghi Dam in a technological evolutionary context of the construction of earthfill dams, focusing on its own construction a performance after 65 years in operation as well as a scrutinized assessment of its physical conditions, implying the sediment load on its upstream slope, regarding seepage, stresses and strains. Taking into account observational methods applied throughout the operation of the dam and finite element simulations, the evolution of factor of safety over the dam lifetime and on was evaluated for the main section of the dam.

Dammar är viktiga byggnadsverk som möjliggör olika samhällsfunktioner. För att säkerställa deras säkerhet krävs noggranna säkerhetsåtgärder och att lära från incidenter. Syftet med studien är att föreslå en kommunikationsstrategi för Svenska kraftnät, för att vägleda hur dammaktörer kan samla in och sprida lärdomar från dammsäkerhetsincidenter. Kommunikationsstrategin utvecklades genom en inkrementell designmetod och den huvudsakliga datainsamlingsmeteoden var intervjuer med 16 aktörer. Intervjuerna strukturerades efter de didaktiska frågorna hur, vem, varför, när och vad gällande kommunikationen mellan dammaktörerna. Aktörerna berättade om hur de samlar in och sprider lärdomar samt vilka utmaningar och behov av utveckling som finns kring dagens arbete. Datan analyserades tematiskt. Kommunikationsmetoderna som identifierades genom intervjuerna var inrapporteringssystem, sammankomster, rapporter, tekniska kanaler och informell kommunikation. Förekomsten och frekvensen av dessa varierade beroende på om kommunikationen skedde internt eller externt mellan aktörskategorierna. Aktörernas svar på frågorna när, varför och vem varierade, medan vad-frågan var svår att finna trender kring. Aktörerna uttryckte utmaningar kring att sprida lärdomar vidare till vissa aktörer, att få dammägare att dela med sig av information och att förhålla sig till säkerhetsskyddslagstiftning kopplad till dammverksamheten. Behoven som identifierades var förbättringar och nyttjande av olika typer av system, interaktiva sammankomster samt olika vägledningar och begreppsdefinitioner. Faktorerna som har legat till grund för kommunikationsstrategin är svaren från intervjuerna, en workshop och teoretiska ramverk kring kommunikation och lärande. I kommunicationsstrategin ges förslag för att möta behoven genom vägledningar, uppmaningar kring att nyttja och utveckla system, förbättra befintlig inrapportering och göra sammanställningar som kan publiceras och utgöra grunden för interaktiva workshop / Dams are important for societal functions, and ensuring their safety requires safety measures and learning from incidents. This study aims to propose a communication strategy for Svenska kraftnät, guiding stakeholders in the dam safety industry on gathering and disseminating lessons learned from dam safety incidents. The communication strategy was developed through an “incremental design method” and the primary method for collection of data was interviews with 16 stakeholders. The interviews were structured around the didactic questions of who, how, why, when and what, regarding the communication between stakeholders. The respondents explained how they gather and disseminate lessons learned, as well as the challenges and development needs for today’s methods. The data was analyzed thematically. The communication methods identified through the interviews were reporting systems, assemblies, reports, technical channels, and informal communication. The occurrence and frequency of these methods varied depending on whether the communication was internally or externally among the stakeholders. Responses to questions of when, why and who varied, while trends for the what-question were challenging to identify. Stakeholders expressed challenges in disseminating lessons to certain stakeholders, getting dam owners to share information, and understanding certain safety legislation. The identified needs included improvements and better utilization of various systems, interactive assemblies, and different guidelines and definitions. The interview responses, a workshop and theoretical communication frameworks provided the foundation for the communication strategy. The strategy includes guidelines, encouraging the use and development of systems, improving existing reporting, and ultimately compiling these for publication and as a basis for workshops.

Master of Science / Division of Biology / Martha E. Mather / In contrast to well documented adverse impacts of large dams, little is known about how smaller low-head dams affect fish biodiversity. Over 2,000,000 low-head dams fragment United States streams and rivers and can alter biodiversity. The spatial impacts of low-head dams on geomorphology and ecology are largely untested despite how numerous they are. A select review of how intact low-head dams affect fish species identified four methodological inconsistencies that impede our ability to generalize about the ecological impacts of low-head dams on fish biodiversity. We tested the effect of low-head dams on fish biodiversity (1) upstream vs. downstream at dams and (2) downstream of dammed vs. undammed sites. Fish assemblages for both approaches were evaluated using three summary metrics and habitat guilds based on species occurrence in pools, riffles, and runs. Downstream of dams vs. undammed sites, we tested if (a) spatial extent of dam disturbance, (b) reference site choice, and (c) site variability altered fish biodiversity at dams. Based on information from geomorphic literature, we quantified the spatial extent of low-head dam impacts using width, depth, and substrate. Sites up- and downstream of dams had different fish assemblages regardless of the measure of fish biodiversity. Richness, abundance and Shannon’s index were significantly lower upstream compared to downstream of dams. In addition, only three of seven habitat guilds were present upstream of dams. Methodological decisions about spatial extent, and reference choice affected observed fish assemblage responses between dammed and undammed sites. For example, species richness was significantly different when comparing transects within the spatial extent of dam impact but not when transects outside the dam footprint were included. Site variability did not significantly influence fish response. These small but ubiquitous disturbances may have large ecological impacts because of their potential cumulative effects. Therefore, low-head dams need to be examined using a contextual riverscape approach. How low-head dam studies are designed has important ecological insights for scientific generalizations and methodological consequences for interpretations about low-head dam effects. My research provides a template on which to build this approach that will benefit both ecology and conservation.

This thesis explores whether environmental justice can attenuate the burdens attributed to the operation of the E.B. Campbell Dam experienced by downstream Indigenous communities in the Saskatchewan River Delta. Environmental justice for Indigenous people who are affected by dam management is important for three reasons. First, Indigenous people often experience environmental burdens of dam management disproportionately. Second, Indigenous people are often excluded from dam decision-making. Third, when Indigenous people are included in dam decision-making, their rights and values are sometimes misrecognized within decision-making processes. While exploring environmental justice for Indigenous people in the context of dam management, this thesis contributes to a recommendation that empirical studies of environmental justice should describe the underlying causes of environmental injustice. This thesis contributes to this recommendation by documenting how power relations challenge environmental justice for Indigenous people in dam decision-making. A place-based, interdisciplinary methodology was taken to clarify an environmental justice pathway for downstream Indigenous communities in the Saskatchewan River Delta. This methodology involved analyses of hydrometric data, interview data and legal and policy documents. The findings of this thesis include that Indigenous people, through their meaningful participation in dam decision-making, could help government representatives recognize the environmental burdens of dam management. However, imbalances in power between Indigenous people and government representatives could constrain Indigenous people’s meaningful participation. The implication of these findings is that if power relations are accounted for in decision-making, the meaningful participation of Indigenous people can facilitate the recognition and remediation of environmental burdens attributed to dam management.

L’objectif du présent travail est l’analyse du fonctionnement des aménagements antiérosifs les plus répandus en Tunisie, les banquettes et les lacs collinaires. L’évaluation des banquettes a été basée sur leur caractérisation, le diagnostic de leur état, leur incidence sur le développement et la croissance de la culture de l’orge et leur impact sur certains paramètres physico-chimiques du sol. La reconstitution des apports hydriques, l’estimation des prélèvements pour l’irrigation et la détermination des apports solides moyens et exceptionnels ont été utilisés comme indicateurs pour l’évaluation des lacs collinaires. L’analyse diachronique a mis en évidence l’importance des cultures annuelles du périmètre aménagé en banquettes et la régression des espaces réservés aux terrains de parcours au cours du temps. Les résultats montrent que certaines banquettes ont été surdimensionnées tel que pour les écartements, les superficies des inter-ouvrages et leur longueur. Le diagnostic de l’état des ouvrages montre qu’une forte proportion des banquettes a été affectée par diverses formes de dégradation qui semblent être en rapport avec l’événement pluvieux exceptionnel de l’hiver 2003. L’évaluation des effets de l’aménagement en banquettes sur la production des céréales montre que la croissance, le développement végétatif et la production de matière sèche de la culture d’orge ont été significativement améliorés pour la zone située à proximité de l’ouvrage en comparaison avec la zone non aménagée. Après plus de trois décennies de la réalisation de l’aménagement, l’accroissement du rendement attribué à la mise en œuvre des banquettes a été évalué à 33% à proximité du bourrelet et à près de 10% en intégrant la superficie de l’ensemble de l’inter-banquette. Par ailleurs, l’aménagement en banquettes permet d’accroître la profondeur du sol, la teneur en matière organique, la capacité de rétention de l’eau, la fraction fine du sol et de réduire le taux de cailloux dans la zone limitrophe des ouvrages. Le taux de carbonates, le pH et la conductivité électrique semblent être non affectés par la mise en œuvre des banquettes. L’évaluation des prélèvements annuels, pour les besoins en eau d’irrigation, en moyenne durant la période de suivi, au niveau des lacs collinaires sur l’oued Fathiza I, l’oued Ras Rmal et l’oued Sned sont plus faibles que les apports effectifs indiquant une sous-utilisation de l’eau. Les apports moyens effectifs représentent entre 36% et 195% des apports estimés selon les ouvrages. Les apports solides moyens initialement estimés pour chacun des trois ouvrages ont été sous évalués se traduisant ainsi par une sédimentation prématurée. Les taux élevés de sédimentation risquent de compromettre la durée de vie des réservoirs. Les pertes de capacité, à la suite des précipitations exceptionnelles de l’hiver 2003, varient de 3,5% à 7,3% de la capacité initiale. Ces taux de sédimentation montrent l’impact des évènements paroxysmiques sur l’érosion au niveau des bassins versants de ces lacs collinaires. La spatialisation de la sédimentation à travers les cuvettes montre que l'essentiel du dépôt solide a lieu à l'amont des cuvettes.

<p>A lot of mine waste rock and tailings arise from all mining processes and have to be stored in an appropriate way. Tailings are deposited in impoundments retained by tailings dams. The objective of tailings dams is to retain the slurry from the mining process and in that way prevent spill into the surroundings that might be harmful for the environment. Tailings dams are often constructed as staged embankments so that construction costs and demand of materials are spread more evenly over the period of deposition.</p><p>The objective of this thesis has been to compile information about and evaluate events at Swedish tailings dams and also to develop a collective database for all Swedish mining companies for all tailings dams and all events that occur at tailings dams.</p><p>Information about 60 events at Swedish tailings dams has been gathered and evaluated. The evaluation has been performed by comparison between and analysis of individual parameters and also by use of a multivariate statistical method called PLS. The statistical analysis shows a decrease in the numbers of events during the last five years, which indicates improved dam safety within the mining industry. The analysis also shows that severe events and the human factor might be related when it comes to the initiating cause of the event. Further relations between the parameters and the severity of the events can be seen from the PLS-analysis, for example that low and short tailings dams to a greater extent are subjected to severe events. To be able to draw more reliable conclusions further studies with a more complete basic data are needed.</p><p>This work has shown a need of a collective database within the Swedish mining industry for tailings dams and occurring events at tailings dams so that more complete basic data could be obtained for future studies. A structure for such a database has been developed in Microsoft Access 2000. The aim of the database is to facilitate feedback within the mining industry and to gather comprehensive data for future statistical evaluations.</p> / <p>Vid alla gruvprocesser skapas stora mängder restprodukter i form av gråberg och anrikningssand som måste tas om hand på lämpligt sätt. Anrikningssanden deponeras tillsammans med vatten från gruvprocessen i magasin omgärdade av dammvallar, s.k. gruvdammar. Gruvdammar har som syfte att hålla kvar anrikningssand och vatten och måste vara stabila så att de skyddar omgivningen från utsläpp av anrikningssand som skulle kunna vara skadligt för miljön. En gruvdamm byggs ofta upp i etapper eftersom byggkostnaderna och behovet av dammfyllnadsmaterial då sprids över tiden.</p><p>Syftet med arbetet har varit att sammanställa och utvärdera händelser vid svenska gruvdammar samt att utforma ett för gruvindustrin gemensamt dammregister och felrapporteringssystem.</p><p>60 händelser vid svenska gruvdammar har sammanställts och utvärderats. Utvärderingen har genomförts dels genom att enskilda parametrar jämförts och analyserats och dels med hjälp av den multivariata analysmetoden PLS. Den statistiska analysen visar på en minskning i antal händelser under de senaste fem åren, vilket tyder på ett förbättrat dammsäkerhetsarbete inom gruvindustrin. Analysen har kunnat uppvisa ett samband mellan allvarliga händelser och den mänskliga faktorn när det gäller vad det är som initierat händelserna. Genom PLS-analysen har ytterligare samband mellan de undersökta parametrarna och allvarlighetsgraden av händelserna kunnat utläsas, bl.a. visar analysen att låga och korta dammar i större utsträckning drabbas av allvarliga händelser jämfört med höga och långa dammar. För att säkra slutsatser ska kunna dras krävs dock vidare studier med ett mer komplett statistiskt underlag.</p><p>Examensarbetet har påvisat ett behov av ett branchgemensamt damm- och felrapporteringsregister för att ett mer komplett underlag ska kunna erhållas i framtiden. En färdig databasstruktur för ett sådant dammregister och felrapporteringsregister för svenska gruvdammar har utformats. Databasen är uppbyggd i Microsoft Access 2000 och är tänkt att underlätta erfarenhetsåterföring inom branschen samt att ge ett underlag för framtida statistiska undersökningar.</p>

This is an American Indian ethnographic study for the Hoover Dam Bypass Project. The study sites included three bypass bridge alternatives, each located within one mile from where United States Highway 93 (U.S. 93), at the time of the study, crossed over the top of Hoover Dam at the Arizona-Nevada state line. Due to growth in population and commerce in the Southwest, the roadway at Hoover Dam has experienced a tremendous increase in traffic over the past 30 years, resulting in increased safety hazards to motorists, pedestrians, and the dam itself. Federal, state, and local governments have worked to find a solution to the impacts of increased traffic across Hoover Dam. This project was a continuation of EIS efforts that began in 1989. The goal of this project was to evaluate alternative crossings of the Colorado River near Hoover Dam. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential impacts to American Indian cultural resources related to the three proposed crossing alternatives. This report is an expanded version of the draft produced in 1998. In 2000, funding became available to carry out further ethnographic research and involve Mohave, Hualapai, and Southern Paiute people.