Work

Centurial changes in channel processes and their contribution to the sediment budget of a lowland river: The influence of river regulations

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The Tisza River in Central Europe has experienced significant changes in its sediment budget since the mid-19th century due to engineering works. The aim of the research is to reconstruct the sediment budget and to assess the effects of various river training works. The analysis of historical maps and channel cross-sections from 1838, 1890, 1929, 1976, and 2017 revealed that channel mobility was high until the early 20th century, after which it gradually declined to one-tenth of its original rate. Lateral erosion and deposition played a crucial role in sediment flux, contributing up to 38–92 % to the sediment flux in some units. Artificial meander cut-offs mobilised large amounts of sediment from the pilot channels that were mainly deposited downstream. By the early 20th century, the sediment budget had reached a state of quasi-equilibrium. However, the increased construction of revetments in the mid-20th century led to an increase in in-channel sediment deposition. The dam and reservoir constructions of the 1970s transformed the river section into a sediment source. Thus, the sediment budget of the Tisza has had significant spatiotemporal variations from net sediment balance to net deposition and finally to net erosion across the centennial scale.

Source: Geomorphology

DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109873

Authors: Tímea Kiss, Marcell Tóth, Sándor Baranya, Rajmund Sági, Gergely T. Török

Institutions: Missouri State University, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research

Language: English

Topic: Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,400

Funders: Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council