Impact of rainstorm-triggered landslides on high turbidity in a mountain reservoir

Typhoon-triggered landslides deliver huge amounts of sediment to the upstream channel of the Shihmen Reservoir in northern Taiwan. Observation data regarding landsliding, sediment discharge and water turbidity following five major typhoon events from 1985 to 2006 demonstrated that each time water turbidity in the reservoir area rapidly increased up to ten-fold from the river catchment drainage, and the weight of landslide debris exceeded total sediment discharge five-fold. The fact that huge amounts of landslide debris still remained on upstream slopes and water turbidity suddenly increased in the reservoir area but not in upstream channel implied that the increasing water turbidity in the Shihmen Reservoir was indirectly related to the large landslides occurring in the upstream catchment. The main cause of high turbidity in the reservoir area was that, during a typhoon event, high water discharge flowing into the reservoir scoured the fine fraction sediment at the bottom of the reservoir and formed hyperpycanl flow with high turbidity, which then ascended to contaminate the reservoir surface water.

Research Highlights► High water discharge scoured the fine fraction of the reservoir and formed hyperpycnal flow. ► High turbidity flowed along the reservoir bottom besides the landsliding and surface weathering. ► High landslide ratios do not correspond to high sediment discharge. ► The landslide debris is possibly not the major factor to induce sudden increase of turbidity.