IAHR_5_S6.2: Advances in sustainable hydropeaking management: ecological needs and implications

Hydropeaking operations are closely linked to short-term energy grid demands. However, intermittent turbine operations cause artificial river flow and stage fluctuations in the river downstream of the hydropower plant. Such periodic flow fluctuations entail adverse consequences for river hydrology, sediment transport, surface-groundwater interactions, and the biotic integrity of the river ecosystem. It is, therefore, fundamental to improve understanding of energy grid market drivers, hydropower operations, and hydro-biogeochemical and ecological processes over multiple spatial and temporal scales, as well as the linkages between these topics. Such enhanced understanding will expedite the design and implementation of successful mitigation measures for the affected river systems.

This interdisciplinary session aims to bring together different disciplines relevant to the field of hydropeaking, such as engineering, economics, and ecology. The range of topics will be broad, from laboratory-scale experiments to catchment or supra-regional studies, from time series analysis of parameters affected by hydropeaking to ecohydrological studies, and from new hydropower designs to impact assessment tools. Modeling and experimental works are welcome. Also, presentations on case studies are encouraged, particularly where the adverse effects of hydropeaking are characterized and where mitigation actions are planned or implemented.