Case Studies 11: IzVRS
Technical note about the monitoring of hydromorphological restoration/management of the Drava 1 River in Slovenia
Project: HyMoCARES Work package: WPC. Communication Activity: Web Site Deliverable: Case Studies 11 Status: 1st draft Date: 28-08-2017 Authors: IzVRS Revision: All the PPs Approval: PP1 APC_PAB
1. General presentation of the study site
Drava River is a transnational river, originating in the south-tyrolean Alps near the border with Austria. It runs through Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia, where it becomes the fourth largest tributary of Danube near the city of Osijek. Drava River is Slovenia’s most water-rich river, since it has large basin area with some of its tributaries in the upper reaches originating from the glaciers in the High Turracher Alps. Upstream Drava River reaches have steep slopes, transporting large amounts of sediment (bedload); however, run-of-the-river hydropower plants (HPP) in Austria and Slovenia (ten (10) in Austria, eight (8) in Slovenia) influence the sediment transport downstream. Geologically, Drava River runs mainly through the Southern Alpine Crystalline and especially Southern Alpine Mesozoic and tertiar structures with some recent sediment deposits in Slovenia.
In Slovenia, Drava River has rain-snow runoff regime with the initial peak in June and a second, weaker peak in October. Mean annual precipitation in the area is 1000 mm. From the Austrian-Slovenian state border, Drava River runs through the Drava valley southbound of Kozjak and northbound of Pohorje hills, while receiving many torrential tributaries along the way. Upstream of Maribor, the valley widens and Drava River reaches the heavily populated urban areas. Below the urban area of Maribor, in the ice age, Drava River has created a large Drava Field alluvial fan into which it has cut the present valley near the foothills of Slovenske Gorice.
Case Studies 11: IzVRS
The study site of Drava is located in the eastern Alpine region in Slovenia near the second largest city in Slovenia, Maribor.
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Figure 1. Pilot area reach as a part of Drava River in Slovenia
Table 1. Main physical features of the pilot site
Pilot Site Pilot site upper boundary Pilot site lower boundary Drainage area (km²)* 13.450 km2 13.664 km2 Location 46°33’28’’ N/15°40’47’’E 46°25’10’’ N/15°51’44’’E Length of the study reach 26,45 (km) Active channel width (m) 45 ÷ 55 Channel slope (m/m) 0,0011 Planform morphology Wandering
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Figure 2. Pilot area reach (Maribor/Melje dam – Ptujsko lake inlet)
Pilot study area reach upstream boundary point is just downstream of Melje dam, where Drava River channel divides into two reaches – one, artificial derivation channel, leading to HPP Zlatoličje powerplant (installed flow 530 m3/s) and other, natural Drava river channel running at the foothills of Slovenske Gorice, with prescribed environmental flow of 10 m3/s in the winter months (from november to february) and 20 m3/s in the warmer season (from march to october). These two channels meet again just upstream of Ptujsko lake inlet.
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Figure 3. Section of pilot area reach near Malečnik (downstream of Melje dam)
2. Hydromorphological restoration/management
Alteration of the Drava River natural channel morphology between the Melje dam and the Ptujsko lake inlet is mainly a consequence of dam construction, city of Maribor wastewater treatment plant outlets and intensive croplands development in the riparian areas and along the main tributaries:
Dam construction acts as a barrier in the river thus causing changes in the river hydraulics and consequently alterations to the morphology (extensive suspended deposits in the areas of the reduced flow), Wastewater treatment plant is in operation since 2002, however some minor organic substance is still present and flocculating, causing some (low-significant) alterations in the channel morphology, Cropland development is exposing topsoil to the rainfall erosion and thus causing soil washing off the fields into river.
Hydromorphological restoration works in the pilot area were done mostly due to further enhance the flood protection in the area, since the area has been regularly flooded in the last 15 years. Restoration works however are limited with the introduction of the Natura 2000 nature conservation legislative system. Following is the table of the main restoration works at the study site.
Case Studies 11: IzVRS
Table 2. Locations and types of restoration works at the pilot/study site Drava (SI)
Location (Gauss- Krüger D48 Site Restoration works Period coordinates) X Y Lowering and merging of two gravel bars, 2003 , 2009, Gravel bar 1 152018 555425 selective vegetation removal (bushes, shrubs, 5 2012 etc.) Vegetation removal, tree cutting, gravel bar 2002, 2007- upper layer restoration. In 2012 gravel bar Gravel bar 3 152645 555200 2008, 2010 - narrowing 711m long x 21m wide; humus 2012 removal Two-phase gravel bar restoration, selective vegetation removal, upper gravel bar layer 2001, 2007- removal, selective tree removal, wooden Gravel bar 4 153529 554971 2008, 2010, debris removal, trench creation for the 2012 purpose to store removed gravel-upper layer mix Lowering (levelling) of gravel bar (in 2002 and 2003), nearby meander sediment reinjection, vegetation removal (smaller trees, shrubs, 2002-2003, Gravel bar 9 156520 554830 etc.), except for the central area of the gravel 2009, 2011-2012 bar, upper earth layer removal. In 2011 and 2012, elevating the gravel bar level by reducing the total area of the gravel bar Partly and selective removal of vegetation, excavation of filled meander near the bank; deposited sediment removal near the centreline of the Drava River, part of the 2008-2010, Gravel bar 10 156912 553720 removed sediment was used to elevate part 2013 of the gravel bar near the left bank, additional lowering of gravel bar after floods in November 2012 Trench dig 10 m wide on the right bank to Gravel bar near deviate flood waves; vegetation removal; rock the highway 157296 552447 weir construction in the meander that 2008-2009 bridge columns prevents low-level discharges in the newly constructed riverbed (meander)
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Wastewater treatment plant Maribor
Figure 4. Restoration works (autumn 2012) – gravel bar 1 and 3 (star marked) (source: VGB Mb 2013)
Figure 5. Sediment depositions removal on gravel bar 11 (source: VGB Mb, 2013)
Bathymetry levels difference [m]
Figure 6. Sediment erosion/deposits after floods in 2012 (red-lined gravel bars) (source: VGB Mb, 2013)
Case Studies 11: IzVRS
The majority of restoration works were in Malečnik area, i.e. in the upper part of the study area. Below is the time-lapse of the works done since 2001. Main reason for these works is riverbed and riparian maintenance to enhance flood protection, especially since the 2012 major floods.
7 2001 Initial conditions
2006
Gravel bar 11 extension
Maintenance works at gravel bar 10
2009
Maintenance works at gravel bar 10 (lowering, reshaping) Maintenance works at Floodwave deviation gravel bar 9 trench – highway gravel bar
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2013
Gravel bar vegetation overgrowing Newly formed gravel bar after 2012 floods 8
Lowered gravel bar 10
2014
Gravel bar vegetation overgrowth
2016 Present state
Figure 7. Time-lapse (2001 – 2016) of restoration works in the upper part of Drava River pilot area (Background images source: Google Earth) 3. Monitoring activities 3.1 General objectives of the monitoring program
A non-alterated/natural reach with projected, environmental flow of 10 m3/s in dry season and 20 m3/s in rainy season represents study area on Drava River. At normal hydrological conditions, water is directed through artificial open channel to HPP
Case Studies 11: IzVRS
Zlatoličje powerhouse, with obligatory 10 (20) m3/s derived via Melje dam to the old/natural Drava River channel.
Within this study area, we plan to connect and identify common strategies and synergies with already undertaken activities on this section. Besides obligatory (periodical) maintenance works (gravel bars, river/riparian vegetation management), there are also 9 opportunities by connecting to existing LiveDrava LIFE+ project – riparian ecosystem restoration of the lower Drava River in Slovenia and some other sediment transport management related activities/other river restoration plans.
Main objective of our planned monitoring is to obtain crucial data by precise field surveys to enhance the existing survey data (external expertise) and executing geological drill holes to obtain lacking riverbed samples for sediment transport modelling. We will obtain other necessary data through scheduled monitoring of national hydrological service, dam management services and through aforementioned active projects. Results of modelling will then be the basis to identify the effect of ecosystem services on hydromorphology and optimize their relation.
3.2 Physical monitoring
Physical monitoring on the Drava study area will consist of the following:
Geological riverbed drill holes to obtain samples, Gravel bar sampling, Locally enhanced field surveys to improve existing survey data (especially in the case of habitat modelling).
We present proposed drill holes locations on the following figures; however, the precise location is still subject to more thorough terrain analyses. Additionally, we chose areas of interest (AOI) within the study area at which detailed sediment erosion/deposits dynamics will be thoroughly analysed (sediment transport modelling together with resulting river hydraulics).
River sediment transport/dynamics will be analysed according to corresponding ecosystem services, i.e.:
sediment transport modelling based on extreme hydrologic conditions and influence on flood protection and vice-versa, sediment transport modelling based on low flows and hydromorphologic influence on selected (riparian) areas,
Case Studies 11: IzVRS
proposed scenarios of dynamically regulated environmental flow and its influence on hydromorphologic conditions on pre-selected areas of interest within the study area, hydropower plant operation in relation to sediment transport, (habitat modelling). 10
Based on this, interim results in the following form will serve as a supporting data for the modelling phase:
sediment deposits/erosion locations and levels by 3D comparison of available terrain/bathymetry, sediment concentration, generated grain-size curves from drill holes and gravel bar sampling, hydrologic statistics (low/mean/high monthly/annual discharges, distributions, etc.).
We identified three areas of interest within this study reach to have as an extra field of research: AOI1 - as a sediment transport model based test field where from the naturally incised dead-end lateral river branch a lateral river connection will be modelled and tested in the scope of local sediment/morphology development together with appropriate actions and/or measures, AOI2 - as a sediment transport model based test field where bridge column scour development will be analysed (sediment around the bridge columns has been eroded to the foundations through the years); AOI3 – as a sediment transport model based test field where sediment deposition/erosion dynamics under the bridge and in the local areas near the bridge columns (scour) will be analysed.
Case Studies 11: IzVRS
AOI1
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Figure 8. Area of interest 1 – dead-end river branch restoration
AOI2
AOI3
Figure 9. Areas of interest 2 and 3 – bridge column scour analysis locations
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Scour location
Figure 10. Area of interest 2 – bridge column scour locations (arrows)
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Figure 11. Geological drill hole and area of interest locations in the study area.