Trap efficiency of reservoirs
- 1 June 1953
- journal article
- Published by American Geophysical Union (AGU) in EOS, Transactions American Geophysical Union
- Vol. 34 (3) , 407-418
- https://doi.org/10.1029/tr034i003p00407
Abstract
Forty‐four records of reservoir trap efficiency and the factors affecting trap efficiency are analyzed. The capacity‐inflow (C/I) ratio is found to offer a much closer correlation with trap efficiency than the capacity‐watershed (C/W) ratio heretofore widely used. It appears likely from the cases studied that accurate timing of venting or sluicing operations to intercept gravity underflows can treble or quadruple the amount of sediment discharged from a reservoir. Desilting basins, because of their shape and method of operation, may have trap efficiencies above 90 pct even with very low C/I ratios.Semi‐dry reservoirs with high C/I ratios, like John Martin Reservoir, may have trap efficiencies as low as 60 pct. Truly “dry” reservoirs, such as those in the Miami Conservancy District, probably have trap efficiencies in the 10 to 40 pct range, depending upon C/I ratioKeywords
This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- A comparison of the sediment loads carried by the Missouri and upper Mississippi riversEOS, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 1949
- A consideration of factors influencing reservoir‐sedimentation in the Ohio Valley regionEOS, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 1941
- Storage to be Provided in Impounding Municipal Water SupplyTransactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, 1914