Analyzing the adjustment mechanism of daily sediment content under large reservoir operations

Adjustment of daily discharge and sediment content in the Lower Jinsha River Basin has changed dramatically. However, the adjustment mechanism of daily sediment content under reservoir operation remains unclear. The Double Mass Curve (DMS) method was used to divide different periods of daily discharge-sediment content relationship change, and the Flow Duration Curve (FDC) was used to calculate the energy dissipation of streamflow by reservoirs. With the operation of large reservoirs, the average flood discharge and its proportion significantly decreased. With the variation in flow regime, the quantile relationship and Lower boundary relationship of daily discharge and sediment content both showed a downward trend, from 1999 to 2019. Under different periods, adjustment of the cross-flow profile was decreased with larger daily discharge, which was characterized by the ratio of sediment content to the lower boundary. An improved flow duration curve method was proposed to calculate the energy dissipation of streamflow. We discovered a novel model between the relative reduction of sediment content and relative energy dissipation of the daily discharge regime, with a good fitness of 0.97. In this study, the effect of the flow regime constructed on sediment content change was emphasized. It is helpful to evaluate the sediment reduction of the total basin caused by reservoirs. [Display omitted] •Average flood discharge and sediment content significantly decreased with the operation of large reservoirs in the Jinsha River Basin.•Under natural conditions, adjustment of the cross-flow profile declined with increased daily discharge in the Jinsha River Basin.•Under large reservoir operations, we found a new relationship between sediment content and energy dissipation in the discharge regime.