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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » National Sedimentation Laboratory » Watershed Physical Processes Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #354935
Research Project: Managing Water and Sediment Movement in Agricultural Watersheds

Location: Watershed Physical Processes Research

Title: Reservoir sedimentation management: a sustainable development challenge

Author
item ANNANDALE, GEORGE - George W Annandale, Inc
item RANDLE, TIMOTHY - Bureau Of Reclamation
item Langendoen, Eddy
item HOTCHKISS, ROLLIN - Brigham Young University

Submitted to: Popular Publication
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/17/2018
Publication Date: 11/19/2018
Citation: Annandale, G.W., Randle, T.J., Langendoen, E.J., Hotchkiss, R.H. 2018. Reservoir sedimentation management: a sustainable development challenge. Popular Publication. Hydrolink. 3:72-75.

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Suitable dam and reservoir sites are scarce resources that should be sustainably developed to satisfy the needs of current and future generations. Historic and current dam development approaches do not address the issue of sustainable development (i.e., reservoir water storage is needed for both current and future generations). Estimated global net reservoir storage, after allowing for storage loss due to sedimentation, is either stagnating or declining despite continued dam construction worldwide. Average global storage loss due to reservoir sedimentation is estimated to be on the order of 0.8% or 1% per year. Globally, the per capita reservoir storage has been in decline since about 1980, with current per capita storage on the same order as it last was in the late 1950’s.