Author(s): Yan Zhou; Yongxin Liao; Haoyan Sun; Chong Li; Dianchang Wang

Linked Author(s):

Keywords: Bailin River watershed; Integrated hydrologic model; Environmental flow; Streamflow regime; Spatial-temporal analysis

Abstract: Environmental flows, which maintain the natural functions of rivers to support aquatic ecosystems, often conflict with human demands, particularly in watersheds facing increasing anthropogenic pressures. Balancing these competing needs requires a thorough understanding of the relationship between streamflow dynamics and environmental flow requirements. In this study, a fully distributed hydrologic model was integrated with a stream hydrodynamic model to assess the hydrologic variability of the Bailin River watershed. After calibration, the predicted streamflow regime underwent a spatial-temporal analysis and contrasted against established environmental flow standards. Results revealed significant spatial variability among tributaries and across chainages, with upstream reaches showing ephemeral tendencies and downstream reaches receiving perennial baseflow contributions. Only the most downstream 10 kilometers of the river maintained adequate flow for environmental requirements. Temporally, flows during the dry season exceeded the environmental target for 48% of the time, while flows during the wet season were below the target, occurring only 15% of the time. These findings highlight critical areas and times where environmental flow is compromised, informing future water resource management strategies.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64697/978-90-835589-7-4_41WC-P2043-cd

Year: 2025