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High-resolution Numerical Simulation of Flow Through a Highly Sinuous River Reach

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Abstract

River dynamics involve complex, incompletely understoodinteractions among flow, sediment transport and channel form.The capacity to predict these interactions is essential for avariety of river management problems, including channelmigration, width adjustment and habitat development. To addressthis need, high-resolution numerical models increasingly arebeing used by river engineers, fluvial geomorphologists andriver biologists to explore the complexity of river dynamics andto predict fluvial behavior.This paper presents numerical simulations through a naturalmeadering river using two different models: a depth-averagednumerical code with secondary flow correction and a fully 3-D,state-of-the-art, Computational-Fluid-Dynamics (CFD) code.Models predictions are compared to high-quality 3-D velocitydata collected in a highly sinuous reach of the Embarras Riverin Central Illinois, showing a successful simulation of the mainflow features. Implications for sediment transport, planformdevelopment and habitat structure throughout the reach areanalyzed, demonstrating the potential use of the models as atool for river management.

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Correspondence to José F. Rodriguez.

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Rodriguez, J.F., Bombardelli, F.A., García, M.H. et al. High-resolution Numerical Simulation of Flow Through a Highly Sinuous River Reach. Water Resources Management 18, 177–199 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:WARM.0000043137.52125.a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:WARM.0000043137.52125.a0

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