Reservoir Sedimentation Assessment Using Geospatial Technology: A case Study of Dukan Reservoir, Sulaimani Governorate, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Abstract

The accumulation of sediment in reservoirs poses a major challenge that impacts the storage capacity, quality of water, and efficiency of hydroelectric power generation systems. Geospatial methods, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS), were used to assess Dukan Reservoir sediment quantities. Satellite and reservoir water level data from 2010 to 2022 were used for sedimentation assessment. The satellite data was used to analyze the water spread area, employing the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) to enhance the water surface in the satellite imagery of Dukan Reservoir. The cone formula was employed to calculate the live storage capacity of the reservoir within two elevations. According to the study results, the live storage capacity of Dukan Reservoir at elevation 511.78 m had decreased from 8000 MCM to 7007.77MCM and 6923.53 MCM using NDWI and MNDWI respectively, due to sedimentation, resulting in a capacity loss of 14.59% and 15.83% for NDWI and MNDWI respectively.  The annual sedimentation was 13.78 MCM and 14.95 MCM for NDWI and MNDWI, respectively. Joglekar's equation and Khosla's formula have demonstrated that the sedimentation rate in the Dukan reservoir exceeds the critical rate. The findings of this study will inform the development of sediment management strategies aimed at preserving the reservoir's capacity.