Combined Effects of Hillslope-Concentrated Flows and Riverine Stream Waves on Soil Erosion in the Reservoir Riparian Zone

Abstract

During the exposed season, the water level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir has suffered from hillslope-concentrated flows and riverine stream waves, which considerably complicates the processes and magnifies the rate of bank erosion. This study depicts the forms and patterns of integrated bank erosion in this reservoir marginal landscape, decouples the evolutionary processes involved, explores the underlying mechanisms, and quantifies the magnitude through a case study on a fine-grained sandy bank. Hillslope-concentrated flows over rainfall storm events developed continuous gullies starting from uplands and extending throughout the entire slope of the reservoir bank, characterized by relatively larger depths and widths compared with discontinuous gullies on the lower slope developed by riverine stream waves.