Assignment one Hydraulic structure two, due next Thursday March 6th, 2025

1. River Morphology and Sediment Transport in the Blue Nile

Describe the key morphological features of the Blue Nile River (e.g., channel pattern, bed forms, bank
stability) and explain how sediment transport influences its shape. Discuss how Ethiopia’s Green Legacy
Initiative, which has planted billions of trees over the last five years, might affect sediment yield in this
river system. Estimate the number of trees planted from 2019 to 2023 and the hectares of land covered
based on available reports.

2. Impact of Deforestation and Afforestation on the Awash River

Analyze how historical deforestation along the Awash River basin has altered its morphology (e.g.,
channel width, depth, and sinuosity). Investigate the Green Legacy Initiative’s afforestation efforts: What
was Ethiopia’s forest coverage before (pre-2019) and after (2023) the initiative? How might these
changes influence erosion rates and river stability in the basin?

3. Channel Adjustments in the Omo River

Explain the concept of river channel adjustment (e.g., aggradation, degradation, and lateral migration)
using the Omo River as a case study. Assess how the current deforestation rate in Ethiopia (reportedly
high in some regions) and afforestation rate (driven by the Green Legacy) could alter the Omo River’s
morphology. What is the implication of planting over 25 billion trees in the last five years on
downstream sediment dynamics?

4. Green Legacy and River Bank Stabilization

River bank erosion is a significant issue in Ethiopian rivers like the Tekeze. Discuss how vegetation
influences bank stability and sediment deposition. Research the Green Legacy Initiative: How many
hectares of degraded land have been restored through tree planting since 2019? How might this effort
reduce bank erosion and reshape river morphology in the Tekeze watershed?

5. Hydraulic Geometry and the Baro-Akobo River System

Define hydraulic geometry and explain how it applies to the Baro-Akobo River system. Investigate how
land use changes, including deforestation and the Green Legacy’s afforestation (with forest coverage
increasing from 17.2% in 2019 to 23.6% in 2023), could modify the river’s width, depth, and velocity.
What are the potential long-term effects on river morphology?

6. Floodplain Morphology and the Green Legacy

Floodplains play a critical role in river morphology. Using the Wabe Shebelle River as an example,
describe how floodplain characteristics (e.g., width, sediment deposition) are influenced by upstream
vegetation cover. Estimate the deforestation and afforestation rates in Ethiopia today and discuss how
the Green Legacy’s tree-planting efforts over the past five years might mitigate flooding and alter
floodplain development.

7. River Meandering and Land Use in the Ethiopian Highlands

Explain the factors that control river meandering, focusing on a river in the Ethiopian Highlands (e.g.,
Genale River). Assess how historical deforestation has increased meander migration rates and how the
Green Legacy Initiative (with billions of trees planted) might stabilize these patterns. What was
Ethiopia’s forest coverage before and after the initiative, and how does this impact river morphology?

8. Sediment Budget and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)

A sediment budget is essential for understanding river morphology near hydraulic structures like the
GERD on the Blue Nile. Analyze how upstream deforestation and the Green Legacy’s afforestation
efforts (covering millions of hectares since 2019) influence the sediment budget reaching the GERD.
What are the implications for the dam’s reservoir and downstream river morphology?

9. Anthropogenic Impacts on Ethiopian River Morphology

Human activities, such as agriculture and urbanization, significantly affect river morphology. Select an
Ethiopian river (e.g., Dawa River) and evaluate how these activities have altered its channel form.
Incorporate the Green Legacy Initiative: How many trees were planted in the last five years, and how
might this afforestation reduce anthropogenic impacts on river morphology?

10. Climate Change, Green Legacy, and River Morphology

Climate change affects rainfall patterns and river flow regimes in Ethiopia. Discuss how these changes
might alter the morphology of a river like the Gibe River (e.g., incision, widening). Investigate the Green
Legacy’s contribution: What is the current deforestation rate versus the afforestation rate, and how
does the increase in forest coverage from 17.2% (2019) to 23.6% (2023) influence water retention and
river morphology?

11. Numerical Problem for Topic 6: The Wabe Shebelle River experiences an average annual
discharge of 50 m³/s. Before the Green Legacy Initiative (pre-2019), deforestation increased
runoff and sediment, widening the floodplain. Post-Green Legacy (2023), afforestation reduced
peak discharge by 20%. Assume pre-Green Legacy coefficients: a = 5.0, b = 0.5,for width, and
c = 0.8,f = 0.4 for depth. After afforestation, ‘b’ decreases to 0.45 due to reduced erosion, and ‘f’
increases to 0.45 due to deeper, more stable channels.
a) Calculate the channel width and depth before the Green Legacy Initiative.
b) Calculate the new discharge, width, and depth after the Green Legacy’s 20% reduction in
peak flow.
c) Discuss how these changes might affect floodplain morphology.

12. The Genale River in the Ethiopian Highlands has a slope S=0.002, sediment diameter ds=0.02 m

(gravel), and shear stress θ=0.06 before deforestation. After Green Legacy afforestation, vegetation
strengthens banks, reducing θ to 0.05 due to lower flow velocity and erosion.

a) Calculate the critical shear stress (τc) for bank stability.

Notes for the Student:

Green Legacy Data: The Green Legacy Initiative, launched in 2019, aimed to plant 20 billion trees by
2022, with reports indicating over 25 billion trees planted by 2022 and efforts continuing into 2023.
Forest coverage reportedly increased from 17.2% in 2019 to 23.6% in 2023, according to official
statements. Approximately 22 million hectares of degraded land are targeted for restoration by 2030,
with significant progress in the first five years.

Deforestation/Afforestation Rates: Ethiopia historically lost forests at a rate of approximately 92,000

River Morphology Implications: Increased vegetation from afforestation can reduce soil erosion, stabilize
river banks, and alter sediment transport, potentially leading to narrower, deeper channels and reduced
flood risk. Conversely, ongoing deforestation exacerbates erosion and sediment load, impacting
hydraulic structures and river stability.
Student Guidance: Students are encourafed to use AI, to consult Ethiopian government reports, UNEP
data, or academic studies for precise figures, as data may vary. Field observations or GIS tools could
enhance their analysis if available.

This assignment blends theoretical river morphology with practical Ethiopian applications, fostering
critical thinking and awareness of environmental initiatives like the Green Legacy. Let me know if you’d
like adjustments or additional questions!