INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE
River Engineering
(WRL-507)
Prof. Mohit P. Mohanty
Assistant Professor
Department of Water Resources Development and Management, IIT Roorkee
16 January 2025
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE
Sediment transport processes
Geologists| Geomorphologists |
Sedimentologists| Hydraulic Engineers
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE
• Morphology: Science of structure and/or form
• Geomorphology is the science of landforms; it is interpretive description of
the relief features of the earth
• It explains the surface of the lithosphere, its origin and history
Fluvial Geomorphology
Fluvial means produced/connected to river action
It is the branch of geomorphology that deals with the form of the streams and
adjoining areas as brought about by erosion, transportation, and deposition of
sediments by the running water
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE
What is River Engineering?
It is a discipline of Civil Engineering which studies human intervention in the
course, characteristics, or flow of a river with the intention of producing some
defined benefit.
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE
Albert F. Shield William L. Graf R.J Garde
Technischen Hochschule Berlin University of Wisconsin IIT Roorkee
Expertise- Sediment transport Expertise- Human impacts on river Expertise- Hydraulic Engineering and
Major contributions- Graph for critical morphology, contaminant transport, fluvial hydraulics
tractive force (Shield’s curve), and and riparian habitat changes in river Major contributions- River
sediment transport formula ecosystems Morphology, Turbulent flow, and Fluid
Major contributions- Fluvial processes mechanics
in dryland rivers, Dam safety and
maintainance
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE
Dynamic cycle of rivers: Hydrology, Fluvial processes, Morphology, and Human (Society)
River Physical Advanced
Modeling Modeling measurements
Morphology River Health River
Engineering
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River Modeling
Flexible mesh Built up area, and water body layout Flood map Flood hazard map
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Physical Modeling
Source: [Link]
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Advanced measurements
River channel depth, velocity of flow, sediment
concentration etc.
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE
River Morphology
Deals with changes of river planform and cross-section shape due to sedimentation and erosion processes
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE
River Health
The term “River Health”, applied to the assessment of river condition, is
often seen as being analogous with human health, giving many a sense of
understanding
Increased examination of relationships between environmental variables
that affect aquatic biota, such as habitat structure, flow regime, energy
sources, water quality and biotic interactions and biological condition
Numerical Flood Inundation and Hazard Modeling Safed Glacial Lake, Uttarakhand
Research footprints
New Delhi city (~ 150 sq. km)
Ganga sub-basin
(~ 94,000 sq. km)
Jagatsinghpur district
(~ 1760 sq. km), Odisha
Kosi Mega Fan
(~ 14,885 sq. km), Odisha
Chennai
Metropolitan
Area (~ 540 sq.
km), Chennai
Mithi river catchment (~ 74 sq. km), Mumbai
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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE
A glance at Jagatsinghpur district in the Lower Mahanadi Basin, Odisha, India
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE
Computational efforts?
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River Morphology problems
Reservoir sedimentation
• Depletion of capacity
• Flooding in the U/S regions
• Water released from the reservoir is
sediment free, and hence it picks up
sediment from the beds and banks of
the stream
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River Morphology problems
Inland water transportation
• Water transport is relatively easier, and
cheaper
• River is navigable, with construction of
dams, locks, channel widening, channel
straightening, and channel contraction
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River Morphology problems
Sand Mining
Process of removing sand from natural
environments, such as rivers, beaches, and
wetlands, for commercial use. Sand is a
valuable resource that is used in many
products, including concrete, toothpaste,
and glass.
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River Morphology problems
Interbasin transfer
Michigan Ditch in northern Colorado carries water from the
North Platte River watershed over Cameron Pass to the South
Platte River watershed.
Interbasin transfer or transbasin diversion are (often hyphenated) terms used to describe man-made
conveyance schemes which move water from one river basin where it is available, to another basin
where water is less available or could be utilized better for human development.
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River Morphology problems
Climate change
This map of Earth in 2024 shows
global surface temperature
anomalies, or how much warmer
or cooler each region of the planet
was compared to the average from
1951 to 1980. Normal
temperatures are shown in white,
higher-than-normal temperatures
in red and orange, and lower-than-
normal temperatures in blue.
Alters the hydrology of rivers, which in turn changes the flow of water and sediment. This can lead to changes in
the shape of the river channel, the rate of erosion, and the amount of sediment deposited.
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River Morphology problems
Climate changes
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Course content
S. No. Contents Contact
Hours
1. Sediment Transport Processes: Incipient motion of sediment particles; Regimes of flow; Resistance to 8
flow and velocity distribution in alluvial streams; transport of bed, suspended and total load
2. River Morphology: Plan form variations and river channel pattern; Meandering and braided stream 8
characteristics; River equilibrium, river dynamics and adjustments to stream power
3. River Training Techniques: Principles of stabilisation and rectification of rivers, river bank stability analysis, 8
spur / groyne, stream bank armouring, guide banks, submerged vanes, porcupine and jack jetty systems,
gabions; Bandalling, surface and bottom panels
4. Inland Navigation Channel Development: Fairway dimensions and maintenance, canalization, navigation 5
locks and terminals
5. River Models: Mathematical modelling - types, mathematical formulation, numerical procedures, 8
calibration and validation; Scale modelling – types, principles of similitude and dimensional analysis,
model verification, limitations
6. Flood Management and Remote Sensing Applications: Flood control planning, flood plain zoning and 5
other non – structural measures, use of satellite imageries and topo sheets for DEM generation for flood
plain zone mapping
Total 42
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Suggested books
S. No. Name of Authors /Book /Publisher Year of
Publication/Reprints
1. Blazejewski, R., Pilarczyk, K.W, and Przedwojski, B., “River Training Techniques: Fundamentals, 1995
Techniques and Applications”, A. A. Balkema, Rotterdam.
2. Cunge, J. A., et. al., “Practical Aspects of Computational River Hydraulics”, Pitman Advance Pub. 1980
Program.
3. Garde, R. J. and Rangaraju, K. G., “Mechanics of Sediment Transportation and Alluvial Stream 2006
Problems”, New Age International (P) Ltd. Revised Reprint 3rd Edition.
4. Jansen, P. P., et. al., “Principles of River Engineering”; Pitman Publishing Co. 1979
5. Julien, Pierre, Y., “River Mechanics”, Cambridge University Press. 2002
6. Peterson, Margaret, S., “River Engineering”; Prentice Hall. 1986
7. Shen, H. W., “Modeling of Rivers”, John Wiley and Sons. 1979
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Primary focus
To understand various processes/mechanisms involved in river flow, and
determine potential solutions for improvement
• We also do have practical components (2 nos. per week), where
students will be able to have exposure to various lab facilities,
instruments, and experiments in the River Engineering
Laboratory.
• This will also include hands-on-sessions on hydrological
modeling, hydrodynamic modeling, and geo-spatial analysis
related to geomorphology.
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