Post-regulation River Channel Dynamics in the Course of Environmental Renaturalization

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydraulics and Hydrodynamics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 253

Special Issue Editors

Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
Interests: fluvial geomorphology; geomorphology; physical geography
Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
Interests: rivers; geospatial science; satellite image analysis; digital mapping; satellite image processing
Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
Interests: fluvial geomorphology; geomorphological mapping; rivers; physical geography; geomorphology; landslides; environmental change

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Variances in river channels are the result of long-term natural and anthropogenic processes taking place across entire catchments and in the river channels themselves. The regulation of river channels consisting of their narrowing, straightening, and increasing their slope has resulted in an excessive increase in downcutting and deterioration of the ecological condition of rivers. The improvement of natural conditions in river systems comes in the form of renaturalization. Extensive research suggests that it is not possible for a fluvial system to return to its exact pre-alteration state. It is only possible to restore the natural processes leading to the restoration of riverbed systems. Renaturalization may affect the entire sectional structure of channels or individual morphodynamic sections. Engineering solutions for renaturalization require large financial outlays and often produce a small effect. For these reasons, spontaneous renaturalization consisting of the abandonment of maintenance procedures and the introduction of a free migration corridor is a better solution. Due to the fact that the potential for renaturalization is different in different types of channels, there is a strong need to develop conceptual models describing various renaturalization patterns. Spontaneous renaturalization can be enhanced by introducing riparian vegetation, beavers, and dead wood into the channel system. A separate issue is the impact of dams and their removal. For spontaneous or biologically-assisted renaturalization to be successful in a given system, good quality scientific research must be carried out in tandem with the socioeconomic support and cooperation of ecologists and researchers from other disciplines. The rate of renaturalization is also shaped by extreme hydrologic events that affect the fragmentation of riverbed systems. 

The purpose of this special issue is to gather papers aiming at the identification of different aspects of channel renaturalization, with a special emphasis on spontaneous renaturalization and its possible uses. We invite authors of studies concerning entire fluvial systems or river sections, both high- and low-gradient, affected by different degrees of human impact. Manuscripts introducing new conceptual models and social acceptance of river renaturalization are of interest in this issue as well.

Prof. Dr. Kazimierz Krzemień
Dr. Elżbieta Gorczyca
Dr. Mateusz Sobucki
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • renaturalization
  • anthropocene
  • post-regulation period
  • channel incision
  • channel fragmentation
  • beavers
  • riparian vegetation
  • perception of rivers
  • ecosystem services

Published Papers

There is no accepted submissions to this special issue at this moment.
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