A geographic information system (GIS) approach for creating a three-dimensional (3D) topographic data set for straight or meandering river channels is presented. As input, the approach requires channel banklines, an initially arbitrary centerline, and a set of (x,y,z) river bathymetry points. A curvilinear orthogonal s,n -coordinate system that references data along and transverse to flow in the river channel is used. The methodology includes locating the channel centerline along the thalweg and then using it as a reference for assigning s,n -coordinates to the bathymetric data. The resulting bathymetric data in the s,n,z -coordinate system are used to create a square mesh, or FishNet, and this FishNet is then transformed back to the original x,y,z -coordinates to get a flow-oriented 3D mesh. The resulting 3D mesh is a network of lines transverse to the flow (cross sections) and lines parallel to the flow (profile lines). The output thus provides a flow-oriented 3D representation of channel geometry that ...

Elevated levels of total dissolved gas (TDG) may occur downstream of dams, leading to increased incidence of gas bubble disease in fish. Accelerating the dissipation of supersaturated TDG in the downstream river can mitigate this problem; however, data useful for modeling the dissipation of supersaturated TDG through the free surface in natural rivers are limited. Lacking data to the contrary, prior modeling studies have assumed (1) dissolved oxygen (DO) is a reasonable proxy for TDG; and (2) unsaturated reaeration is sufficiently similar to supersaturated dissipation such that the same rate coefficients may be applied to either process. To test the validity of these assumptions and motivate future research, laboratory experiments were conducted to estimate the first-order dissipation rate coefficients for supersaturated DO and TDG and the reaeration rate coefficients for DO under identical turbulence conditions. The results indicate the dissipation process is quantitatively different from the rea...

New integral, finite-volume forms of the Saint-Venant equations for one-dimensional (1-D) open-channel flow are derived. The new equations are in the flux-gradient conservation form and transfer portions of both the hydrostatic pressure force and the gravitational force from the source term to the conservative flux term. This approach prevents irregular channel topography from creating an inherently non-smooth source term for momentum. The derivation introduces an analytical approximation of the free surface across a finite-volume element (e.g., linear, parabolic) with a weighting function for quadrature with bottom topography. This new free-surface/topography approach provides a single term that approximates the integrated piezometric pressure over a control volume that can be split between the source and the conservative flux terms without introducing new variables within the discretization. The resulting conservative finite-volume equations are written entirely in terms of flow rates, cross-sectional areas, and water surface elevations – without using the bottom slope (S₀). The new Saint-Venant equation form is (1) inherently conservative, as compared to non-conservative finite-difference forms, and (2) inherently well-balanced for irregular topography, as compared to conservative finite-volume forms using the Cunge–Liggett approach that rely on two integrations of topography. It is likely that this new equation form will be more tractable for large-scale simulations of river networks and urban drainage systems with highly variable topography as it ensures the inhomogeneous source term of the momentum conservation equation is Lipschitz smooth as long as the solution variables are smooth.

A coupled three-dimensional hydrodynamics and two-dimensional underflow model is adapted to provide simulation of plunging inflows in reservoirs. The new approach accounts for the effect of the barotropic term prior to the plunge point of the inflow. Simulations of plunging flows in constant width and constant slope channels are conducted and the resulting plunge depths are in agreement with prior empirical models. Simulation of a previously measured underflow in Wellington Reservoir (Australia) demonstrates the model application to a plunging inflow in a natural water body and good agreement between field and model results.

Tidal freshwater zones (TFZs) are transitional environments between terrestrial and coastal waters. TFZs have freshwater chemistry and tidal physics, and yet are neither river nor estuary based on classic definitions. Such zones have been occasionally discussed in the literature but lack a consistent nomenclature and framework for study. This work proposes a measurable definition for TFZs based on three longitudinal points of interest: (1) the upstream limit of brackish water, (2) the upstream limit of bidirectional tidal velocities, and (3) the upstream limit of tidal stage fluctuations. The resulting size and position of a TFZ is transient and depends on the balance of tidal and riverine forces that evolves over event, tidal, seasonal, and annual (or longer) timescales. The concept, definition, and transient analysis of TFZ position are illustrated using field observations from the Aransas River (Texas, USA) from July 2015 to July 2016. The median Aransas TFZ length was 59.9 km, with a late summer maximum of 66.0 km and a winter minimum of 53.6 km. The TFZ typically (annual median) began 11.8 km upstream from the river mouth (15.4 km winter/11.2 km summer medians) and ended 71.7 km upstream (69.0 km/77.2 km). Seasonally low baseflow in the Aransas River promoted gradual coastal salt encroachment upstream, which shortened the TFZ. However, sporadic large rainfall/runoff events rapidly elongated the TFZ. The TFZ definition establishes a quantifiable framework for analyzing these critical freshwater systems that reside at the nexus of natural and human‐influenced hydrology, tides, and climate.