Sediment Transport Study for the Establishment of Erosion, Deposition, and Undermining Zones in the Manglaralto Riverbed, Santa Elena-Ecuador

Abstract

Rivers play an essential role in basin management. Manglaralto River is a natural agent in the water supply of the Manglaralto parish. The undermining, transport, and sedimentation processes are fundamental in the hydraulic dynamics of Manglaralto River, and it impacts the underground hydrology of the basin. This study aims to evaluate the sediments transport in the suspension of the Manglaralto riverbed, using hydrological and hydraulic information of the basin, with the HEC-RAS 5.0.3 software for determining accumulation, undermining, and balance zones and identifying flood risk areas. The methodology consisted of (i) Revising information base, (ii) Obtaining hydraulic data and defining scenarios for simulation, and (iii) performing sediment transport Simulation with HEC-RAS version 5.0.3. The results indicate the presence of balance, sedimentation, and undermining zones. The study reveals that sedimentation along the channel is mainly related to the Manglaralto River speed and water flow rate that produce accumulation, erosion, and balance areas. This analysis is the first guidelines for determining and developing protection perimeters, which must be supported by complementary studies to create an early warning for the population. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.