Managing flow, sediment, and hydropower regimes in the Sre Pok, Se San, and Se Kong Rivers of the Mekong basin

摘要: The Lancang/Mekong River Basin is presently undergoing a period of rapid hydropower development. In its natural undeveloped state, the river transports about 160 million metric tons sediment per year, maintaining geomorphologic features basin, sustaining habitats, and transporting nutrients that support ecosystem productivity. Despite importance in river, currently little attention being paid to reservoir trapping. This study devoted assessing potential for managing impact on energy production Se San, Sre Pok, Kong tributaries Mekong River. These drain set adjacent watersheds are important with respect biodiversity ecological productivity, serve as significant source flow mainstream A daily transport model used assess tradeoffs among regime alteration multiple systems. finds eventually 40%–80% annual suspended load may be trapped reservoirs. Clearly, these reservoirs will affect rivers' regimes. However, even after 100 years simulated sedimentation, storage capacities at most sites not significantly reduced. suggests strongest motivation implementing measures reduce their but fish migration survival sediment-dependent ecosystems such Vietnam Delta Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake.