Challenges For Management of Sediments in Large Reservoirs - A Case Study of Bhakra Dam

Large reservoirs play a crucial role in water resource management, providing various benefits such as flood control, hydropower generation, irrigation and water supply. However, the accumulation of sediments in these reservoirs poses significant challenges for their effective management. Sediment particles originating from erosion process in the catchments are propagated along the river flow. When river water is stored in a large reservoir, sediments settle down, thereby reducing the capacity the reservoir. Reduction in storage capacity of large reservoirs beyond a limit hampers the purpose for which these are designed. Assessment of sediments deposition, their removal/exclusion and management becomes crucial for smooth operation of large storage reservoirs.

This paper deals with the case study of sedimentation assessment and its management in a large storage reservoir i.e. Gobind Sagar Reservoir of Bhakra Dam, having gross storage capacity of 9867.84 MCM (million cubic meter) on river Sutlej located in the lower foothills of western Himalayas.