Non-uniform sediment transport downstream from reservoir

The transport characters of non-uniform sediment before and after the reservoir operation are com-pared and analyzed. Field data from the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), Danjiangkou, and Sanmenxia reservoir indicate that the transport character of coarse particle is various in different reaches. Before the reservoir operation, the dramatic decrease of the hydraulic condition in some reaches is the main reason to cause the coarse particle deposited. After the reservoir operation, almost all grain sized sediment may be eroded, when the reach is eroded seriously. However, the transport character of the coarse particle will be consistent with what it was before, when the reach is not eroded seriously. The deposition amount will be less than its pre-dam value, and it will tend to decrease with the time going on. Erosion of fine particle results from its unsaturation. Long-distance erosion downstream from reservoir is caused by shortage of the supply from riverbed, especially the shortage of fine particle.