Please note that this session was withdrawn and is no longer available in the respective programme. This withdrawal might have been the result of a merge with another session.
HS9.5 | Ecohydraulic and sedimentary processes in regulated systems: restoration and mitigation approaches
EDI
Ecohydraulic and sedimentary processes in regulated systems: restoration and mitigation approaches
Convener: Roser Casas-Mulet | Co-conveners: Kordula Schwarzwälder, Markus Noack, Sebastian SchwindtECSECS, Lennart Schönfelder
Water and sediments interact at different spatial and temporal scales, sustaining highly dynamic freshwater ecosystems. Such hydro-morphodynamics create and maintain ecosystem diversity with highly valuable habitats for freshwater biota. Sediment erosion, transport, and deposition are, therefore, vital processes shaping morphological patterns of river ecosystems and their ecological functions.
Anthropogenic activities, such as dam construction and flow regulation, lead to fragmentation and ecosystem degradation, interfering with natural hydro-morphodynamics and aquatic ecology. Additionally, climate change accelerates and multiplies extreme events affecting habitat quality and ecosystem services. Integrating both physical (abiotic) and ecological (biotic) processes in river restoration efforts is critical to inform restoration efforts for freshwater ecosystem conservation, and such investigations are at the heart of the Ecohydraulics and River Science fields of research. Therefore, advances in these research areas are paramount for future management decisions in freshwater systems.

This session aims to integrate the core research disciplines contributing to Ecohydraulics and River science, including but not limited to hydrology, hydraulic engineering, fluvial geomorphology, remote sensing, freshwater ecology, and environmental management. We welcome fundamental and applied research, presenting approaches at different spatio-temporal scales. Contributions may include holistic tool chains and methods (concepts, measurements, monitoring, modelling) to improve the assessment, analysis, prediction, or management of restoration in rivers and reservoirs, focusing on physical processes, ecological responses, and societal interactions. Contributions may refer to but are not restricted to:
- Environmental flow approaches
- Examples of (successful and unsuccessful river restoration approaches and measures)
- Hydropeaking assessment and management
- Large wood management in rivers
- Nature-based solutions in hydraulic engineering
- Sediment transport, fluvial dynamics, and sediment budgets
- Reservoir sedimentation processes and management
- Macro- and microplastics management and removal
- In-channel and riparian interactions
- Aquatic plants, macroinvertebrates, and other freshwater organisms as quality indicators
- Multiple stressors in aquatic systems
- Sustainable water resources management