Classification of geomorphological effects downstream of dams

The effects of dams on downstream geomorphology are reviewed and a typology is devised, consisting of nine cases. The classification can be seen as a further development of Lane's balance between water discharge, sediment load, grain size, and river slope. Depending on changes in released water flow and changes in released sediment load, relative to the transport capacity of the flow, it is possible to estimate resulting cross-sectional geomorphology. The longitudinal extent of changes and their variability with time, and the tributary response to altered mainstream cross-section changes, are also discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.