Regulation of Peace River

This book presents a comprehensive overview of the first
longitudinal study of the downstream response of a major river to
the establishment of a large hydropower facility and dams. Peace
River, a northward flowing boreal river in northwestern Canada was
dammed in 1967 and the book describes the morphological
response of the 1200 km downstream channel and the response of
riparian vegetation to the change in flow regime over the first
forty years of regulated flows.

Beginning with a description of the effect of regulation on the
flow and sediment regimes of the river, the book proceeds to study
changes in downstream channel geometry on the main stem, on the
lowermost course of tributaries, and on the hydraulic geometry, the
overall morphology of the channel, and riparian vegetation
succession. The river is subject to annual freeze-up and break-up,
so a chapter is devoted to the ice regime of the river. A chapter
compares the effects of two extraordinary post-regulation flood
events. The penultimate chapter presents a prediction of the
ultimate equilibrium form of the regulated river based on rational
regime theory. An online database of all the main
observations will provide invaluable material for advanced students
of river hydraulics and geomorphology.

This book carefully brings together a range of studies that have
been previously inaccessible providing a rare and comprehensive
analysis of the effects of a big dam on a river, a river that
itself represents an example of the kind of system that is
likely to receive considerable attention in the future from dam
engineers and environmentalists.

• An invaluable reference to river scientists, hydroelectric
  power developers, engineers and environmentalists

• Focus on a northward flowing boreal river, a type that
  holds most of the remaining hydroelectric power potential in the
  Northern Hemisphere

• Exceptional separation of water and sediment sources,
  permitting study of the isolated effect of manipulating one of the
  two major governing conditions of river processes and form

• Unique example of water regulation and both natural and
  engineered flood flows

• Detailed study of both morphological changes of the channel
  and of the riparian vegetation

• Online data supplement including major data tables and
  numerous maps. Details of the main observations and provides
  material for problem study by advanced students of river hydraulics
  and geomorphology are provided

Auteur

Michael
Church is Professor Emeritus at the University of British
Columbia, where he taught geomorphology, hydrology and studies in
resources and environment for 38 years. He researches river
morphodynamics, with a major interest in sediment transport and
sedimentation. He has focused much work on the large Fraser and
Peace rivers in western Canada, the former an important salmon
stream, the latter a regulated boreal river.

Résumé
This book presents a comprehensive overview of the first longitudinal study of the downstream response of a major river to the establishment of a large hydropower facility and dams. Peace River, a northward flowing boreal river in northwestern Canada was dammed in 1967 and the book describes the morphological response of the 1200 km downstream channel and the response of riparian vegetation to the change in flow regime over the first forty years of regulated flows.

Beginning with a description of the effect of regulation on the flow and sediment regimes of the river, the book proceeds to study changes in downstream channel geometry on the main stem, on the lowermost course of tributaries, and on the hydraulic geometry, the overall morphology of the channel, and riparian vegetation succession. The river is subject to annual freeze-up and break-up, so a chapter is devoted to the ice regime of the river. A chapter compares the effects of two extraordinary post-regulation flood events. The penultimate chapter presents a prediction of the ultimate equilibrium form of the regulated river based on rational regime theory. An online database of all the main observations will provide invaluable material for advanced students of river hydraulics and geomorphology.

This book carefully brings together a range of studies that have been previously inaccessible providing a rare and comprehensive analysis of the effects of a big dam on a river, a river that itself represents an example of the kind of system that is likely to receive considerable attention in the future from dam engineers and environmentalists.

• An invaluable reference to river scientists, hydroelectric power developers, engineers and environmentalists
• Focus on a northward flowing boreal river, a type that holds most of the remaining hydroelectric power potential in the Northern Hemisphere
• Exceptional separation of water and sediment sources, permitting study of the isolated effect of manipulating one of the two major governing conditions of river processes and form
• Unique example of water regulation and both natural and engineered flood flows
• Detailed study of both morphological changes of the channel and of the riparian vegetation
• Online data supplement including major data tables and numerous maps. Details of the main observations and provides material for problem study by advanced students of river hydraulics and geomorphology are provided

Contenu

Contributing authors, vii

Preface, ix

1 On regulated rivers, 1
Michael Church

2 The regulation of Peace River, 13
Michael Church

3 Downstream channel gradation in the regulated Peace River, 39
Christopher P. Ayles and Michael Church

4 Tributary channel gradation due to regulation of Peace River, 67
Christopher P. Ayles and Michael Church

5 The hydraulic geometry of Peace River, 89
Michael Church

6 Ice on Peace River: effects on bank morphology and riparian vegetation, 115
Lars Uunila and Michael Church

7 Post-regulation morphological change on Peace River, 141
Michael Church and Jiongxin Xu

8 Studies of riparian vegetation along Peace River, British Columbia, 175
Margaret E. A. North and Michael Church

9 The response of riparian vegetation to flow regulation along Peace River, Alberta, 209
Michael Church, Lars Uunila and Margaret E. A. North

10 The floods of 1990 and 1996 on Peace River, 233
Michael Church, Christopher P. Ayles and Brett C. Eaton

11 The future state of Peace River, 251
Brett C. Eaton and Michael Church

12 Implications for river management, 267
Michael Church

Appendix: data files online, 273

Index, 275