Hydrology in Mountainous Regions.

II - Artificial Reservoirs; Water and Slopes

(Proceedings of two Lausanne Symposia, August 1990). IAHS Publ. no. 194, 1990.

The influence of a dam on the downstream degradation of a

river bed: case study of the Tigris River

Thair M.AL-Taiee
Assistant Lecturer, Saddam Dam Research Center,
Mosul University, Mosul, Iraq

ABSTRACT Changes in Tigris river bed profiles

at Mosul station for different period during
the years 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988 after Mosul
dam construction, in addition to the measureme-
nts of suspended sediment concentration from
the downstream river were used to study the
effect of water storage in Mosul dam on the
degradation processes occurred in the downstre-
am Tigris river 's bed due to the high velocity
and tractive force of the released clear water
from the reservoir.
From the comparison of Tigris river profi-
les, surface water levels of the river associa-
ted with the analysis of grain size distributi-
on of the bed load material and water temperat-
ure variation it was concluded that Mosul dam
effect on the degradation of Tigris river bed
was clear due to its retaining percent of 95.5
of suspended sediment load in the reservoir.Al-
so it was observed that about twenty five cent-
imeters in an average was degraded from Tigris
river bed in addition to the increment of the
(Dso) of river bed material from 8 mm.to 17mm.
after four years of Mosul dam construction.

INTRODUCTION
There are many negative side effects of the dam constructi-
on on the downstream river 's regime and on its hydraulic
structures.Before dam construction the river was in a state
of equilibrium characterized by a clear low water and a
flood was loaded with suspended matter.As the water stores
behind a constructed dam, it looses most of the material
suspended in it. The increased water velocity of pure water
in front of the dam starts to degrade the bottom and the
banks of the downstream river to compensate for the loss of
the material deposited in the reservoir. Minor degradation
below dams is sootimes desirable and beneficial since it
increases channel capacity and improves drainage of
adjoining lands.
Tremendous quantities of bed materials have been removed
from the channel below Hoover'dam.Measurements reported by
Borland and Miller,(1964) indicated that about 11,559,320
cubic metres have been removed from the channel for a dist-

153
ThairM. Al-Taiee 154

ance of 148 kilometers ailes below the dam during the peri-
od 1935 to 1951. Observation Bade at lake Mead indicated
that when the clarified water was released from the dan on
the Rio grand, the flow was carried away from the bed more
fine materials than coarse particles (lane, 1953). Several
modern dans in India of relatively low height have failed
as a result of erosion at the toe of the structure due to
the sediment carried away fron the bed by the clarified
water (Jogtefcar,1951).
The rate of degradation below reservoirs depends upon
the type of material in the channel and the hydraulic char-
acteristics of the outflow.These degradation processes will
eventually reduce the water level and increase the hydraul-
ic pressure on the structures located downstream of the dam
such as bridges.
The present case study for the above mentioned problem
was applied to observe the effect of Mosul dam on the
degradation of Tigris river bed. The dam was located on
Tigris river 60 kilometers north of Mosul city, (Fig 1).
The dam construction completed in 1985 and started to store
water behind in the beginning of 1985.

FIG. 1 Location nap.

 155 A dam and downstream degradation of the Tigris

METHODOLOGY
A Tigris river profile in the entrance of Mosul city was
selected in the present work as a case study of the present
problem.
This river profile was located within Mosul discharge Meas-
urement station which was installed 150 metres upstream of
an old Mosul bridge.
The field estimates of degradation are based on observ-
ations of drops in the bed level of the studied river
profile and the decreases in water levels. Field suspended
sediment measurements, discharge measurements, measurements
of surface water slope and cross section profiles are
periodically carried out after dam construction for the
years 1985 till the end of the year 1988 by the ministry of
Irrigation (1988). Sediment samples from the Tigris river
bed at Mosul station were analyzed for grain size distribu-
tion by Nedeco (1976),Najib (1980) and Hayawi (1987). Water
temperatures from the upstream and downstream of Mosul dam
were measured and recorded too.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
It is natural that such a complex scheme like a dam should
have some effects. Some of those are positive whilst others
are negative.An important one of those negative effects are
the degradation processes which are the by-product of
flowing clear water from the dam to the downstream river.
This clear water has trapped its suspended sediment
material in the upstream reservoir before releasing from
the dam. The above mentioned problem was applied on Mosul
dam trying to study its effect on the downstream Tigris
river specially near one of the oldest hydraulic construct-
ion in Mosul city (old Mosul bridge).
Three important factors and indications were used in
the present work to satisfy and discuss the effect of rele-
asing clear water from Mosul dam on downstream river. One
of those indications was the sediment concentration measur-
ements in downstream river for the periods before and after
Mosul dam construction.The other two factors were the cross
section profiles of Tigris river for different periods and
the water temperature differences between the upstream and
downstream behaviour of erosion and deposition processes.
For the sediment concentration, the mean annual suspended
load transported by Tigris river prior to construction of
the dam have been amounted to about 20500 tons. The maximum
observed sediment concentration prior to construction of
Mosul dam was 6725 ppm. whilst the minimum was 29 ppo.
giving the ratio of (230 - 1 ) , (ministry of Irr. 1988).
After the construction of the dam, the mean monthly
concentration of suspended sediment in the downstream river
dropped to a range between 85 ppm. and 38 ppm. It is clear
from the above mentioned numbers that since construction of
the dam (1985),95.5% of the total suspended sediment load
carried by flood was deposited in Mosul reservoir. This
Thair M. Al-Taiee 156

siltation process in the reservoir brought into clear degr-

adation downstream river of the dam due to the releasing of
clear water with high tractive force and high resistance.
Average monthly records of suspended sediment concentration
befor and after dan construction were shown in Table (1).

TABLE 1 Average Monthly Sediment concentration (ppn) in

Tigris River at Mosul station Before and After Daa
Construction.

Period/year J F M A M J J A S O N D

1959 - 1975 1163 2052 2427 1346 1063 903 964 807 661 516 518 785
1986 - 1988 60 65 70 81 85 62 48 42 38 40 51 70

Variation of Grain Size Bed Material

Bed material size in the downstream reach from Mosul dao
exerts considerable influence on the nature, degree, rate
and extent of degradation. Decrease in peak discharges and
its sediment concentration after dam closure due to flood
storage, reduces the ability of the river to transport the
coarsest fractions of the bed material. However, reduced
sediment loads downstream from the dam allows the regulated
flows to erode fine material from the bed and banks. This
leads to progressive coarsening of the bed material and the
development of surface armour layers which protect the sub-
surface layers from erosion.
The analysis of the field measurements and observations
made on the Tigris river indicated that when the treated
water released from Mosul dam to the river the flow carry
away from the bed more fine particles than coarse
particles.Figure (2) shows the increase in the size of the
Tigris river bed material at Mosul station for different
periods before and after dam construction.
One of the important indications of the river degradat-
ion is the water surface slope and the water surface
elevation of the river at certain site. It was found that
the water surface slope at Mosul river station for the
periods before and after the daa construction (1980, 1987)
was 4.7 x 10-"* and 4.85 x 10 - * m/m respectively. (Figure 3)
shows the discharge rating curve at Mosul station before
and after dam construction .(Ministry of Irrigation,1988) .
It was clear from the figure that the average water level
drop in the river after Mosul daa construction was about
twenty five centimeters which gave an indication that a
river bed degradation occurred.
Number of Tigris river profiles at Mosul station were
dependant as the second factor in the observation of river
degradation. These river profiles represent different
 157 A dam and downstream degradation of the Tigris

100
90 * * Nedeco 1976 /" / /
80

70 .
Najib

Haycwi
1980

1987
r-V
« 60 \ / •''' •

"

01
o
50
c40 '/" .0 -
«30
a
20-
10-

°01 1 DQrticlf <;i7p 10 100

~5amr uruvel
fine |med |coais.|càais|finè I fine jmed" |eoar-| coafee

FIG. 2 Grain-size distribution of Tigris river bed material

at Mosul station.

219-
1978-1980

o -c 1981 - 1987

218-

</> 217-

tn 216-

215

214
1000 2000 "355 ÂÔED~ 5000 KB)
3 ,
Discharge m/s-

FIG. 3 Tigris River rating curve at Mosul station.

discharges and period after dam construction, (Figure 4). An

observation of the Tigris river profiles for the years 1985
and 1988, the effect of sediment absence in the downstream
river due to Mosul dan construction was clear During the
year 1985 , the maximum degradation occurred was forty to
fifty centimeters when the river discharge increased from
285 m 3 /s during December 1984 to 2044 m 3 /s during March
1985.While during the year 1988(the abnormal flood season),
Thair M. Al-Taiee 158

219-.
, APril 1988 Q =4666 m/s

207- y © — 9 way
o o APril
e «' J u n -

205-

0 15 S 45 60 75 90 105 120 S 150 165 180 195 205 220 235 250
Distance -meter-

Fig. 4 Tigris River profiles at Mosul station for different

periods.

the degradation depth reached ninty to one hundred centine-

ters when the river discharge increased fron 530 irVs
druing Feb. to 4666 n3/s during April. The sane degradation
process occurred during the year 1987 in which the
degradation depth reached thrity centineters when the
discharge increased fron 450 to 1600 n 3 /s. These observat-
ions of the degradation processes gave an indication that
although, there is a proportional relation between degradat-
ion depth and discharge, there is also an inverse relation
with the sediaent concentration.
Figure (5)shows clearly that Tigris river bed was degr-
aded and refilled during the years 1985,1987 and 1988 after
daa construction due to subsequent high and low flood crest
as clearly shown through the river profiles at April and
June 1988. These degradation and deposition processes were
extended and continued around the piers of the old Mosul
bridge.These processes show that some engineering protecti-
on around the piers of the bridge may be required such as
filling the degraded cavities around the foundation of the
 159 A dam and downstream degradation of the Tigris

6 20 45 ê5 ëB î5ô 120 140 iéo îffi 2to 220 240 260

Distance _ meter-

Mav 1987 Q= 1603 m/s

.Nqv.J987 _0_EZ60_n?/s_
. Oct- 1987 Q = 449 m7s

0 20 40 ÏBÔ 120 440 ÎS Î5Ô 200 '220 240 260

Distance - meter-

219.
APril 1968 0=4666 m/s

S 2 45 6~5 85 ÎÔO 120 140 ÎS) léo 200 220 240 260
Distance - meter_

FIG. 5 Tigris River profiles at Mosul station for the years

1985, 1987 and 1988.

piers with large size rock riprap which gives more stabliz-
ation to the piers and push away the vortices formed there.
Water Temperature Effects
It has been noted that the movement of bed material in mov-
Thair M. Al-Taiee 160

able bed can be affected by the temperature of the water,

(Walter, 1963). That is to say the change in viscosity of
water affect the fall velocity of a particle of sediment.
This fall velocity essentially determines or controls the
ability of water to put into suspension or motion certain
sizes and quantities of sediment. A preliminary analysis to
some of the laboratory experiments showed an increase in
the energy gradient with a decrease in water temperature
for the same rate of bed movement,(Walter 1963).
It is known that the stored water behind a dan,releases
to the downstream river from a large depths in reservoir in
which it keeps water in a cool temperature. This cool water
will aid in the degradation processes of the river bed.
Water temperature differences between the upstream and
downstream of Mosul dam was observed,(Table 2). This decre-
ase in the water temperature downstream of the daa added a
significant factor to the mentioned reasons for Tigris
river degradation.
TABLE 2 Water Temperature in C of Tigris River
For Different Periods.
Oct. Nov. Jan. Feb. Mar. May. June.
Period 1987 1987 1988 1988 1988 1988 1988
upstream
of dam 27 25 18 15.5 10 14 24
downstream
of dam 22 19 13 9 9 12 17

REFERENCES
Borland, W.M and Miller, C.R. (1964) Degradation below
reservoir. Handbook of Applied Hydrology, V.T. Chow.
Hayawi,G.A.M.(1987)A hydraulic model to study and train Ti-
gris river between Ninavah bridge and AL-Hurriya bridge
at Mosul city. Thesis presented to the University of
Mosul at Mosul.College of Engineering, Irrigation Depa-
rtment .
Jogtekar, D.V. and Wadelar, G.T.U951) The effect of weirs
and Dams on the regime of rivers. International
Association of Hydraulic Research. Bombay.
Lane, E.W and Borland, W.M.(1953) River bed scour during
floods. American Society of Civil Engineers, Journal of
Hydraulic Division . Vol. 5. Ministry of Irrigation
(1988).Seasonal Reports,Mosul Irrigation Office,Iraq.
Najib, Y.E.(1980) Characteristics of Tigris river at Mosul.
Thesis presented to the University of Mosul at Mosul,
College of Engineering , Irrigation Department.
Nedeco (1976) Navigation study Tigris river, Mosul-Baghdad
Reach, Republic of Iraq, Planning report.
Walter C.Carey (1963) Effect of Water temperature on the
river bed configuration. Paper No. 31 In The
Proceeding of the Federal Inter-Agency of Sediment
Conference.Miscellaneous Publication No.970. Agricultu-
ral Research Service.