Lowland river flow control by an artificial water plant system

Abstract

This article concerns the influence of water plants on the river flow. It is known that the influence of the plants is rather strong. Colonies of water plants with long afloat culms create considerable forces of resistance to the flow. They reduce flow velocity and increase a stream depth, what often is desirable. Water plants location in a stream is uncontrollable. They appear in not suitable locations of the river and mostly obstruct than help to control the river flow. Water plants and their colonies served for us as a prototype for creation of the flow control system. A method of computation and field tests that enables designing and arranging an artificial water plant system is presented in this article, and it may be used successfully to increase the river flow depth and to improve navigation, free-flow (kinetic) hydropower development and recreation conditions. The suggested system for river flow control is simple, cheap and friendly to the environment.