Three-dimensional numerical modeling of mixing at river confluences

Lateral mixing of a pollutant is considered as a slow process that is usually complete within 100-300 river widths. Recent studies on flow dynamics at river confluences revealed that lateral mixing can be markedly enhanced when the tributary channel is shallower than the main channel. This study uses a three-dimensional model to examine mixing processes immediately downstream of confluences as well as further downstream in the mainstream. Simulations are presented for a concordant and discordant laboratory junction and a field confluence for a low and a high flow condition. The decrease in standard deviation at a cross section of a tracer over a distance of 5 channel widths is 30% for discordant beds but only 10% for concordant beds in the laboratory simulation. At the natural site, bed discordance is more important at the low flow than at the high flow with corresponding decreases in the standard deviation of 31 and 18% over 3.5 channel widths. Mixing is completed after a distance of 25 and 37 channel widths for the low and high flow conditions, respectively. Further downstream, mixing is mainly affected by planform curvature of the channel.