Effects of Hydropower Operation and Oligotrophication on Internal
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Effects of hydropower operation and oligotrophication on internal processes in Lake Brienz David Christian Finger D. Finger Effects of hydropower operation and oligotrophication on internal processes in Lake Brienz Diss. ETH No. 16827 Diss. ETH No. 16827 EFFECTS OF HYDROPOWER OPERATION AND OLIGOTROPHICATION ON INTERNAL PROCESSES IN LAKE BRIENZ A dissertation submitted to the SWISS FEDERAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ZÜRICH for the degree of DOCTOR OF SCIENCES presented by David Christian Finger Dipl. Umwelt-Natw. ETH born August 22nd , 1974 citizen of Klagenfurt, Austria accepted on the recommendation of Prof. Dr. Alfred Wüest (Eawag), examiner Prof. Dr. Peter Reichert (Eawag), co-examiner Prof. Dr. Bernhard Wehrli (ETH), co-examiner Prof. Dr. Peter Huggenberger (University of Basel), co-examiner 2006 En mémoire de Marianne Irminger (1918 - 2004) 3 4 “Understanding the hydrodynamics of lakes, rivers and coastal waters is central for addressing the consequences of human activities and climate change in these systems. The future challenge of environmental science lies in implementing this knowledge in order to preserve the beauty of nature.” Sally MacIntyre, during the PPNW workshop in Lancaster, 6 September 2005 Marine Science Institute and Institute for Computational Earth Systems Science University of California, Santa Barbara 5 Content TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT..............................................................................................................................10 ZUSAMMENFASSUNG..........................................................................................................12 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................ 15 1.1 Background .............................................................................................................. 15 1.2 Unique characteristics of Lake Brienz ..................................................................... 16 1.3 Allochthonous particle input to Lake Brienz ........................................................... 17 1.4 Impacts: Re-oligotrophication and hydropower operations ..................................... 18 1.4.1 Eutrophication and re-oligotrophication .......................................................... 19 1.4.2 Upstream hydropower operations .................................................................... 19 1.4.3 Global climate change...................................................................................... 20 1.5 Objectives and outline.............................................................................................. 21 1.5.1 Chapter 2: Effects of upstream hydropower operation on riverine particle transport and turbidity in downstream lakes .................................................................... 22 1.5.2 Chapter 3: Effects of upstream hydropower operations and re-oligotrophication on the light regime of a turbid peri-alpine lake................................................................ 22 1.5.3 Chapter 4: Effects of upstream hydropower operations on primary production in downstream lakes......................................................................................................... 22 1.5.4 Chapter 5: Effects of oligotrophication and upstream hydropower operations on plankton biomass in peri alpine lakes ......................................................................... 23 2 EFFECTS OF UPSTREAM HYDROPOWER OPERATION ON RIVERINE PARTICLE TRANSPORT AND TURBIDITY IN DOWNSTREAM LAKES ..................... 25 2.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 26 2.2 Study Site ................................................................................................................. 31 2.3 Material and Methods............................................................................................... 33 2.3.1 Monitoring and Sampling of In- and Outflows................................................ 33 2.3.2 Riverine Suspended Particle Loads.................................................................. 34 2.3.3 Particle Distributions in Downstream Lake Brienz.......................................... 37 2.3.4 Sediment Traps, Cores and Thermistor Moorings ........................................... 38 2.3.5 Estimation of Riverine Intrusion Depth ........................................................... 39 2.3.6 One-Box Model of the Upper Layer of Lake Brienz ....................................... 41 2.3.7 Modeling the Natural Hydrology of River Aare .............................................. 43 2.4 Observations and Results ......................................................................................... 45 6 Content 2.4.1 Estimation of Riverine Suspended Particle Load............................................. 45 2.4.2 Dynamics of Suspended Particle Input to Lake Brienz.................................... 47 2.4.3 Intrusion Depths of Aare and Lütschine .......................................................... 49 2.4.4 Vertical Distribution of Suspended Particles ................................................... 52 2.4.5 Simulated Present Particle Budget of Lake Brienz .......................................... 57 2.4.6 Particle Budget of Lake Brienz without Dams................................................. 59 2.5 Discussion ................................................................................................................ 63 2.6 Conclusions .............................................................................................................. 65 2.7 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................. 66 3 EFFECTS OF UPSTREAM HYDROPOWER OPERATION AND OLIGOTROPHICATION ON THE LIGHT REGIME OF A TURBID PERI-ALPINE LAKE ....................................................................................................................................... 67 3.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 68 3.2 Concepts of light regimes in natural waters............................................................. 70 3.3 Materials and Methods............................................................................................. 71 3.3.1 Beam attenuation and optically active constituents ......................................... 71 3.3.2 In situ attenuation measurements ..................................................................... 72 3.3.3 Secchi recordings ............................................................................................. 73 3.3.4 Reflectance measurements ............................................................................... 73 3.3.5 Parameterization of reflectance for past conditions ......................................... 74 3.3.6 Reconstruction of attenuation by Secchi depth and particles........................... 76 3.4 Results ...................................................................................................................... 77 3.4.1 Present light regime in Lake Brienz................................................................. 77 3.4.2 Temporal development of Secchi depth during the 20th century ..................... 77 3.4.3 Correlation of attenuation with Secchi depth and particles.............................. 80 3.4.4 Natural variability of attenuation ..................................................................... 82 3.4.5 Changes in reflectance due to oligotrophication.............................................. 84 3.5 Discussion ................................................................................................................ 87 3.5.1 Present light conditions in Lake Brienz ........................................................... 87 3.5.2 Effect of hydropower on light attenuation ....................................................... 88 3.5.3 Effect of oligotrophication on reflectance........................................................ 89 3.6 Conclusions .............................................................................................................. 90 3.7 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................. 91 7 Content 4 EFFECTS OF ALPINE HYDROPOWER OPERATION ON PRIMARY PRODUCTION IN A DOWNSTREAM LAKE...................................................................... 93 4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 94 4.2 Study site - Lake Brienz........................................................................................... 95 4.3 Material and Methods............................................................................................... 98 4.3.1 Lake in situ primary production measurements ............................................... 99 4.3.2 Model approach.............................................................................................. 100 4.3.3 Estimation of production in clear water ......................................................... 104 4.3.4 Estimation of production under pre-dam conditions...................................... 104 4.4 Results and observations ........................................................................................ 105 4.4.1 Boundary conditions for primary production