Evaluation of a Simple Hydraulic Resistance Model Using Flow Measurements Collected in Vegetated Waterways

Fredrik Huthoff, Menno W. Straatsma, Denie C. M. Augustijn, Suzanne J. M. H. Hulscher

Department of Earth System Analysis, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Department of Water Engineering & Management, Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Neth- erlands.
HKV Consultants, Lelystad, The Netherlands.

DOI: 10.4236/ojmh.2013.31005                

Abstract

A simple idealized model to describe the hydraulic resistance caused by vegetation is compared to results from flow experiments conducted in natural waterways. Two field case studies are considered: fixed-point flow measurements in a Green River (case 1) and vessel-borne flow measurements along a cross-section with floodplains in the river Rhine (case 2). Analysis of the two cases shows that the simple flow model is consistent with measured flow velocities and the present vegetation characteristics, and may be used to predict a realistic Manning resistance coefficient. From flow measurements in the river floodplain (case 2) an estimate was made of the equivalent height of the drag dominated vegetation layer, as based on measured flow characteristics. The resulting height corresponds well with the observed height of vegetation in the floodplain. The expected depth-dependency of the associated Manning resistance coefficient for could not be detected due to lack of data for relatively shallow flows. Furthermore, it was shown that topographical variations in the floodplain may have an important impact on the flow field, which should not be mistaken as roughness effects.

Keywords

Hydraulic Roughness; Vegetation; River Flow; Floodplains; ADCP Measurements

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	H. L. Cook and F. B. Campbell, “Characteristics of Some Meadow Strip Vegetation,” Agricultural Engineering, Vol. 20, No. 9, 1939, pp. 345-348.
[2]	US Soil Conservation Service, “Handbook of Channel Design for Soil and Water Conservation,” United States Department of Agriculture, Annapolis, 1947.
[3]	J. E. P. Green and J. E. Garton, “Vegetation Lined Channel Design Procedures,” Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Vol. 26, No. 2, 1983, pp. 437-439.
[4]	C. A. M. E. Wilson and M. S. Horritt, “Measuring the Flow Resistance of Submerged Grass,” Hydrological Processes, Vol. 16, No. 13, 2002, pp. 2589-2598. HUdoi:10.1002/hyp.1049U
[5]	R. Garcia Diaz, “Analysis of Manning Coefficient for Small-Depth Flows on Vegetated Beds,” Hydrological Processes, Vol. 19, No. 16, 2005, pp. 3221-3233. HUdoi:10.1002/hyp.5820U
[6]	A. F. Lightbody and H. M. Nepf, “Prediction of Velocity Profiles and Longitudinal Dispersion in Emergent Salt Marsh Vegetation,” Limnology and Oceanography, Vol. 51, No. 1, 2006, pp. 218-228. HUdoi:10.4319/lo.2006.51.1.0218U
[7]	J. C. Green, “Comparison of Blockage Factors in Modelling the Resistance of Channels Containing Submerged Macrophytes,” River Research and Applications, Vol. 21, No. 6, 2005, pp. 671-686. HUdoi:10.1002/rra.854U
[8]	T. Sukhodolova, A. Sukhodolov and C. Engelhardt, “A Study of Turbulent Flow Structure in a Partly Vegetated River Reach,” In: G. Carravetta and D. Morte, Eds., River Flow, Vol. 1, 2004, pp. 469-478.
[9]	J. K. Lee, L. C. Roig, H. L. Jenter and H. M. Visser, “Drag Coefficients for Modeling Flow through Emergent Vegetation in the Florida Everglades,” Ecological Engineering, Vol. 22, No. 4-5, 2004, pp. 237-248. HUdoi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2004.05.001U
[10]	J. Jarvela, “Flow Resistance of Flexible and Stiff Vegetation: A Flume Study with Natural Plants,” Journal of Hydrology, Vol. 269, No. 1-2, 2002, pp. 44-54. HUdoi:10.1016/S0022-1694(02)00193-2U
[11]	Z. Shi and J. M. R. Hughes, “Laboratory Flume Studies of Microflow Environments of Aquatic Plants,” Hydrological Processes, Vol. 16, No. 16, 2002, pp. 3279-3289. HUdoi:10.1002/hyp.1102U
[12]	C. A. M. E. Wilson, T. Stoesser, P. D. Bates and A. Batemann-Pinzen, “Open Channel Flow through Different Forms of Submerged Flexible Vegetation,” Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 129, No. 11, 2003, pp. 847-853. HUdoi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2003)129:11(847)U
[13]	A. Armanini, M. Righetti and P. Grisenti, “Direct Measurement of Vegetation Resistance in Prototype Scale,” Journal of Hydraulic Research, Vol. 43, No. 5, 2005, pp. 481-487. HUdoi:10.1080/00221680509500146U
[14]	A. Murota, T. Fukuhara and M. Sato, “Turbulence Structure in Vegetated Open Channel Flow,” Journal of Hydroscience and Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 2, No. 1, 1984, pp. 47-61.
[15]	T. Tsujimoto, T. Kitamura and T. Okada, “Turbulent Structure of Flow over Rigid Vegetation-Covered Bed in Open Channels,” KHL Progressive Report 2, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 1991.
[16]	D. Klopstra, H. J. Barneveld, J. M. van Noortwijk and E. H. van Velzen, “Analytical Model for Hydraulic Roughness of Submerged Vegetation,” The 27th International IAHR Conference, San Fransisco, 10-15 August 1997, pp. 775-780.
[17]	D. Velasco, A. Bateman and V. De Medina, “A New Integrated Hydromechanical Model Applied to Flexible Vegetation in Riverbeds,” In: G. Parker and M. Garcia, Eds., River, Coastal and Estuarine Morphodynamics, 2005, pp. 217-227.
[18]	D. G. Meijer and E. H. van Velzen, “Prototype-Scale Flume Experiments on Hydraulic Roughness of Submerged Vegetation,” The 28th International IAHR Conference, Graz, 22-27 August 1998, Article ID: D108.
[19]	M. G. Khublaryan, A. P. Frolov and V. N. Zyryanov, “Modeling Water Flow in the Presence of Higher Vegetation,” Water Resources, Vol. 31, No. 6, 2004, pp. 668-674. HUdoi:10.1023/B:WARE.0000046899.00404.baU
[20]	Y. Shimizu and T. Tsujimoto, “Numerical Analysis of Turbulent Open-Channel Flow over Vegetation Layer Using a k-ε Turbulence Model,” Journal of Hydroscience and Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 11, No. 2, 1994, pp. 57-67.
[21]	F. Lopez and M. H. Garcia, “Mean Flow and Turbulence Structure of Open Channel Flow through Non-Emergent Vegetation,” Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 127, No. 5, 2001, pp. 392-402. HUdoi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2001)127:5(392)U
[22]	A. Defina and A. C. Bixio, “Mean Flow and Turbulence in Vegetated Open Channel Flow,” Water Resources Research, Vol. 41, No. 7, 2005, Article ID: W07006. HUdoi:10.1029/2004WR003475U
[23]	F. Huthoff, D. C. M. Augustijn and S. J. M. H. Hulscher, “Analytical Solution of the Depth-Averaged Flow Velocity in Case of Submerged Rigid Cylindrical Vegetation,” Water Resources Research, Vol. 43, 2007, Article ID: W06413. doi:10.1029/2006WR005625
[24]	N. S. Cheng, “Representative Roughness Height of Submerged Vegetation,” Water Resources Research, Vol. 47, No. 8, 2011, Article ID: W08517. HUdoi:10.1029/2011WR010590U
[25]	C. Fischenich and S. Dudley, “Determining Drag Coefficients and Area for Vegetation,” Ecosytem Management & Restoration Research Program, US Army Corps of Engineers, Washington DC, 2000.
[26]	F.-C. Wu, H. W. Shen and Y.-J. Chou, “Variation of Roughness Coefficients for Unsubmerged and Submerged Vegetation,” Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 125, No. 9, 1999, pp. 934-942. HUdoi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1999)125:9(934)U
[27]	D. Sumner, J. L. Heseltine and O. J. P. Dansereau, “Wake Structure of a Finite Circular Cylinder of Small Aspect Ratio,” Experiments in Fluids, Vol. 37, No. 5, 2004, pp. 720-730. HUdoi:10.1007/s00348-004-0862-7U
[28]	H. M. Nepf, “Drag, Turbulence, and Diffusion in Flow through Emergent Vegetation,” Water Resources Research, Vol. 35, No. 2, 1999, pp. 479-489. HUdoi:10.1029/1998WR900069U
[29]	M. R. Raupach, “Drag and Drag Partition on Rough Surfaces,” Boundary-Layer Meteorology, Vol. 60, No. 4, 1992, pp. 375-395. HUdoi:10.1007/BF00155203U
[30]	M. Fathi-Maghadam and N. Kouwen, “Nonrigid, Non-Submerged, Vegetative Roughness on Floodplains,” Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 123, No. 1, 1997, pp. 51-57. HUdoi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1997)123:1(51)U
[31]	J. Jarvela, “Determination of Flow Resistance Caused by Non-Submerged Woody Vegetation,” Journal of River Basin Management, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2004, pp. 61-70. HUdoi:10.1080/15715124.2004.9635222U
[32]	M. Straatsma, “3D Float Tracking: In Situ Floodplain Roughness Estimation,” Hydrological Processes, Vol. 23, No. 2, 2009, pp. 201-212. HUdoi:10.1002/hyp.7147U
[33]	E. H. Van Velzen, P. Jesse, P. Cornelissen and H. Coops, “Stromingsweerstand Vegetatie in Uiterwaarden,” Report RIZA, Arnhem, 2003.
[34]	B. C. Yen, “Open Channel Flow Resistance,” Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 128, No. 1, 2002, pp. 20-39. HUdoi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2002)128:1(20)U
[35]	V. T. Chow, “Open-Channel Hydraulics,” McGraw-Hill, New York, 1959.
[36]	J. M. Eij, “Verwerking van ADCP Stromingsmetingen rond de Pannerdensche Kop tijdens Hoogwater in November 1998,” Technical Report AV DOC 040211, Aqua Vision, Utrecht, 2004.
[37]	A. W. E. Wilbers, “The Development and Hydraulic Roughness of Subaqueous Dunes,” Ph.D. Thesis, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, 2004.
[38]	P. Y. Julien, G. J. Klaassen, W. B. M. Ten Brinke and A. W. E. Wilbers, “Case Study: Bed Resistance of Rhine River during 1998 Flood,” Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 128, No. 12, 2002, pp. 1042-1050. HUdoi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2002)128:12(1042)U
[39]	D. C. Mason, D. M. Cobby, M. S. Horritt and P. D. Bates, “Floodplain Friction Parameterization in Two-Dimensional River Flood Models Using Vegetation Heights Derived from Airborne Scanning Laser Altimetry,” Hydrological Processes, Vol. 17, No. 9, 2003, pp. 1711-1732. HUdoi:10.1002/hyp.1270U
[40]	M. W. Straatsma and M.J. Baptist, “Floodplain Roughness Parameterization Using Airborne Laser Scanning and Spectral Remote Sensing,” Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 112, No. 3, 2008, pp. 1062-1080. HUdoi:10.1016/j.rse.2007.07.012U
[41]	A. P. Nicholas and C. A. Mitchell, “Numerical Simulation of Overbank Processes in Topographically Complex Floodplain Environments,” Hydrological Processes, Vol. 17, No. 4, 2003, pp. 727-746. HUdoi:10.1002/hyp.1162U
[42]	V. Tayefi, S. N. Lane, R. J. Hardy and D. Yu, “A Comparison of One- and Two-Dimensional Approaches to Modelling Flood Inundation over Complex Upland Floodplains,” Hydrological Processes, Vol. 21, No. 23, 2007, pp. 3190-3202. HUdoi:10.1002/hyp.6523U