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Hydrology
Special Issues
Current Status and Future Prospects of Hydromorphological Assessment of Rivers
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Current Status and Future Prospects of Hydromorphological Assessment of Rivers

A special issue of Hydrology (ISSN 2306-5338). This special issue belongs to the section "Surface Waters and Groundwaters".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 January 2024) | Viewed by 21871

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elias Dimitriou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 19013 Anavyssos, Greece
Interests: environmental water requirements; water resources management; hydrochemistry; water resources monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Kostas Stefanidis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 46.7 km of Athens-Sounio Ave., Anavyssos, 19013 Attiki, Greece
Interests: ecology; ecohydrology; hydromorphology; aquatic plants; ecological assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. George Papaioannou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Democritus University of Thrace, Ath Pantazidou 193, 68200 Orestiada, Greece
Interests: surface hydrology; flood inundation modeling and mapping; uncertainty analysis in hydrology; water resources management; GIS applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydromorphological alteration is considered one of the most serious causes of ecological degradation of riverine ecosystems. Changes in hydromorphology are usually linked with the destruction of floodplains and riparian areas, hydrological alteration, disruption of the longitudinal continuity and lateral connectivity with the floodplain, and changes in the substrate of the banks and the channel bed. Not surprisingly, numerous hydromorphological assessment methods have been developed, with most of them focusing on the dynamics of hydrology, geomorphology, and riparian zones, in order to evaluate the severity and extent of hydromorphological degradation.

This Special Issue welcomes innovative research studies that focus on hydromophological changes and their impacts on the functioning and structure of riverine ecosystems. Submitted articles may deal with several relevant topics such as:

  • New tools for monitoring and quantifying the hydromorphological changes;
  • Ecological responses to hydromorphological alteration;
  • Climate change impacts on hydromorphological features of rivers;
  • Hydromorphological restoration.

Dr. Elias Dimitriou
Dr. Kostas Stefanidis
Dr. George Papaioannou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Hydrology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 26649 KiB  
Article
Features of the Distribution of Beaver Dams and Ponds along Small Rivers: The Volga-Kama Region, European Russia
by Artyom V. Gusarov, Aidar G. Sharifullin, Achim A. Beylich and Fedor N. Lisetskii
Hydrology 2024, 11(4), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology11040053 - 9 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1986
Abstract
In this paper, by using GNSS technologies, some features of the distribution and some morphometric parameters of dams and ponds created by the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber L.) along ten rivers of the Volga-Kama region of European Russia were identified. Detected features [...] Read more.
In this paper, by using GNSS technologies, some features of the distribution and some morphometric parameters of dams and ponds created by the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber L.) along ten rivers of the Volga-Kama region of European Russia were identified. Detected features depend on the geomorphological, lithological, and landscape features of these rivers and their basins. The significant role of river slopes, as well as landscape zoning, in the distribution of beaver dams and ponds along small rivers in the study region is shown. In the rivers under study, almost all beaver constructions are located on riverbed slopes of less than 3% (most often, less than 2%). In the south of the forest zone (the southern taiga of the Vyatka River basin), the majority of dams and ponds (about 90%) are located on slopes of less than 1%, while, within the uplands of the forest-steppe zone, this location varies depending on the length of the rivers. In general, the greater the average slope of the river (the greater the average elevation of the river basin), the lower, other things being equal, the degree of beaver transformation of such rivers. This feature is better expressed in the rivers of the forest landscape zone and less expressed in the rivers flowing in the forest-steppe zone. Analysis of the morphometric parameters of beaver dams shows statistically significant trends towards an increase in their average height, as the channel slopes increase. Statistically significant trends were also identified towards a decrease in the length of dams and the length of associated ponds, with an increase in channel slopes. It is noteworthy that the critical values of the slope for a statistically significant and relatively sharp change in these parameters are 1.45%, 1.07 (or 0.54)%, and 0.65 (or 0.47)%, respectively. The greatest average heights of beaver dams are confined to those rivers where their basins are composed of loamy rocks/soils (especially those that are poorly plowed), compared with “sandy” river basins. This may be due to the peculiarities of the ratio of surface and underground water runoff in these basins and, as a consequence, different intensities of snowmelt- and rainfall-induced flood flow. We assume that the above-mentioned features reflect the early stages of beaver expansion (population growth) in the studied rivers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Status and Future Prospects of Hydromorphological Assessment of Rivers)
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23 pages, 9614 KiB  
Article
Monitoring and Quantifying the Fluvio-Geomorphological Changes in a Torrent Channel Using Images from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
by Georgios T. Gkiatas, Paschalis D. Koutalakis, Iordanis K. Kasapidis, Valasia Iakovoglou and George N. Zaimes
Hydrology 2022, 9(10), 184; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology9100184 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6834
Abstract
The study attempts to monitor geomorphological changes (e.g., erosion/deposition) with innovative tools at a typical Mediterranean torrent. The torrent’s geomorphological conditions are studied for an entire affected stream reach. The investigation utilizes two different environments/point views: (a) traditional terrestrial and (b) innovative aerial. [...] Read more.
The study attempts to monitor geomorphological changes (e.g., erosion/deposition) with innovative tools at a typical Mediterranean torrent. The torrent’s geomorphological conditions are studied for an entire affected stream reach. The investigation utilizes two different environments/point views: (a) traditional terrestrial and (b) innovative aerial. The traditional methods include erosion pins at streambanks and field cross-section measurements of the stream channel. For the innovative methods, utilizing an unmanned aerial vehicle, in order to monitor the geomorphologic changes in the entire reach during different days over the last 3 years (2020–2022), there was a total of six flights. The results from innovative methods showcase the episodic nature of stream channel changes since erosion and deposition were captured during the different monitoring periods. Even during one flight in one cross-section, the stream bed and two banks in many cases experienced different changes. The significant erosion and deposition recorded showcase the disequilibrium in the torrent. In addition, the impact of the anthropogenic structure (Irish bridge) is evident, since upstream, more substantial deposition was recorded compared to downstream. The similarity of the results between the innovative method and the traditional methods indicates the method’s effectiveness and the potential usefulness in using UAV images for stream bank and bed monitoring. One of the biggest advantages is the ability to monitor the entire reach at substantially lower costs and time compared to the traditional methods. Still, more testing needs to be conducted in different stream and river environments to better refine the method in order to be adopted by land and water managers to be used for stream and river monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Status and Future Prospects of Hydromorphological Assessment of Rivers)
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13 pages, 2350 KiB  
Article
Hydromorphological Assessment as a Tool for River Basin Management: Problems with the German Field Survey Method at the Transition of Two Ecoregions
by Mariam El Hourani, Joachim Härtling and Gabriele Broll
Hydrology 2022, 9(7), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology9070120 - 30 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2331
Abstract
Since the Water Framework Directive (WFD) came into force in 2000, data on the hydromorphological quality have been collected for all rivers in Europe. In Germany, a reference-based classification scheme is used (LAWA 2000) for hydrological assessment. The question arises whether this method [...] Read more.
Since the Water Framework Directive (WFD) came into force in 2000, data on the hydromorphological quality have been collected for all rivers in Europe. In Germany, a reference-based classification scheme is used (LAWA 2000) for hydrological assessment. The question arises whether this method can compensate sufficiently for a change of ecoregion. In our study of the Hase River in NW Germany, the frequency of the river classes was compared between two ecoregions (Lower Saxonian Mountains vs. Northwest-German Lowlands). In the lowlands, the evaluation shows a significantly higher proportion of class 5 river sections. This can mainly be attributed to the main parameters, longitudinal section, riverbed structure and bank structure. While the bad results in the longitudinal section and bank structure can be explained by changes in geology and anthropogenic pressures, the evaluation scheme cannot sufficiently compensate for changes in the riverbed structure. This problem is aggravated by the inconsistent implementation of the evaluation scheme in Germany, where the federal states use different approaches with regard to section length. Using 100 m sections throughout the river course can lead to severely underestimating the number of structures. Further improvement and standardization in the evaluation scheme seem to be necessary for the adjustment of the field survey method to different ecoregions in Germany. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Status and Future Prospects of Hydromorphological Assessment of Rivers)
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14 pages, 2459 KiB  
Article
A Comparative Evaluation of Hydromorphological Assessment Methods Applied in Rivers of Greece
by Konstantinos Stefanidis, Theodora Kouvarda, Anna Latsiou, George Papaioannou, Konstantinos Gritzalis and Elias Dimitriou
Hydrology 2022, 9(3), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology9030043 - 24 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3958
Abstract
The ecological assessment of all surface water bodies in Europe according to the Water Framework Directive involves the monitoring of biological, physicochemical and hydromorphological quality elements. For the hydromorphological assessment in particular, there are numerous methods that have been developed and adopted by [...] Read more.
The ecological assessment of all surface water bodies in Europe according to the Water Framework Directive involves the monitoring of biological, physicochemical and hydromorphological quality elements. For the hydromorphological assessment in particular, there are numerous methods that have been developed and adopted by EU member countries. With this study, we compared three different methods (River Habitat Survey, Morphological Quality Index and River Hydromorphology Assessment Technique) applied in 122 river reaches that are part of the National Monitoring Network of Greece. The main objectives were (a) to identify whether different assessment systems provide similar classifications of hydromorphological status and (b) to distinguish strengths and weaknesses associated with the implementation of each method. Our results show that the River Hydromorphology Assessment Technique (RHAT) and the Morphological Quality Index (MQI) resulted in the same classification for 58% of the studied reaches, while 34% of the remaining cases differed by only one quality class. Correlations between the two indices per river type (ICT) showed that the two indices were strongly correlated for water courses located at low altitudes. Concerning the HMS index of the River Habitat Survey (RHS), which is an index that reflects the overall hydromorphological pressure, it showed larger differences with the other two indices, mainly because it classified more sites as “Poor” and “Bad” quality classes. Based on our results, we recommend that the two indices, RHAT and MQI, can be implemented complementary to the RHS for providing a rather easy and quick assessment of the overall hydromorphological status, at least until a national hydromorphological database is compiled that will allow for the proper adaptation of the Habitat Quality Assessment (HQA) index. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Status and Future Prospects of Hydromorphological Assessment of Rivers)
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19 pages, 6135 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Automatically Monitored Water Levels and Water Quality Indicators in Rivers with Different Hydromorphological Conditions and Pollution Levels in Greece
by Angeliki Mentzafou, George Varlas, Anastasios Papadopoulos, Georgios Poulis and Elias Dimitriou
Hydrology 2021, 8(2), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology8020086 - 31 May 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4423
Abstract
Water resources, especially riverine ecosystems, are globally under qualitative and quantitative degradation due to human-imposed pressures. High-temporal-resolution data obtained from automatic stations can provide insights into the processes that link catchment hydrology and streamwater chemistry. The scope of this paper was to investigate [...] Read more.
Water resources, especially riverine ecosystems, are globally under qualitative and quantitative degradation due to human-imposed pressures. High-temporal-resolution data obtained from automatic stations can provide insights into the processes that link catchment hydrology and streamwater chemistry. The scope of this paper was to investigate the statistical behavior of high-frequency measurements at sites with known hydromorphological and pollution pressures. For this purpose, hourly time series of water levels and key water quality indicators (temperature, electric conductivity, and dissolved oxygen concentrations) collected from four automatic monitoring stations under different hydromorphological conditions and pollution pressures were statistically elaborated. Based on the results, the hydromorphological conditions and pollution pressures of each station were confirmed to be reflected in the results of the statistical analysis performed. It was proven that the comparative use of the statistics and patterns of the water level and quality high-frequency time series could be used in the interpretation of the current site status as well as allowing the detection of possible changes. This approach can be used as a tool for the definition of thresholds, and will contribute to the design of management and restoration measures for the most impacted areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Status and Future Prospects of Hydromorphological Assessment of Rivers)
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