Title: Impact of barrages on downstream air entrained in water and on upstream river water quality

Authors: Emad Hamdy Imam; Sherine Ahmed El Baradei

Addresses: Construction and Architectural Engineering Department, The American University in Cairo, 40 El Mesaha Street in Dokki, Giza, Egypt ' Construction and Architectural Engineering Department, The American University in Cairo, 40 El Mesaha Street in Dokki, Giza, Egypt

Abstract: This research studies the effect of barrages on upstream river water quality and on its self-assimilative. Also, the impact of barrages on upstream water temperature profile is studied. The amount of entrained air in water at river downstream side as a result of barrage existence is also studied. Constructing barrages in river reaches will alter its hydraulics and thus its water quality and thermal regime. A mathematical model is developed to simulate river hydraulics, water quality parameters and temperature. A case study of a Nile River reach in Egypt was studied, to investigate the impact of the existence of Esna barrage on water quality and temperature at its upstream side. Barrages were found to have negative impacts on upstream self-assimilative capacity of rivers. On the other hand, they have positive impacts on DO concentrations and air entrained at the downstream side. Finally, barrages cause a slight decrease in water temperature.

Keywords: self-assimilative capacity; river water quality; river barrages; mathematical modelling; dissolved oxygen concentrations; photosynthesis; respiration; water temperature; self-assimilation; hydraulics; Nile; Egypt; barrage impact.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2014.067008

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2014 Vol.6 No.4, pp.383 - 402

Received: 06 Jan 2012
Accepted: 28 Dec 2012
Published online: 31 Jan 2015 *

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