Morphological Simulation of Bank Erosion in a Natural River

ABSTRACT: River bank erosion is a problem with global significance. Bank erosion induced by alluvial river channel migration can cause a large number of economic and environmental problems including, land loss, hazard to aquatic habitats, sedimentation downstream and damage to structures, agricultural and residential area located near the riverbanks and also decreasing water quality of rivers. Bank erosion study is in general a very complex problem because it involves multi-processes comprising bank surface erosion, bank toe erosion and bank material mechanic failure. Therefore, the simulation of bank erosion is very important. In this study, a two dimensional numerical model (CCHE2D) with adjustable computational mesh when the bank boundaries move due to erosion was applied to simulate bank erosion in a natural river with high sediment loads and channel mobility named Khoske Rud Farsan River, in Iran. The results obtained from the model and field data showed the capability of CCHE2D model for simulating bank erosion in this river.