Financial support of the Moravian-Silesian Region for students and academic researchers of Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology

Within the program „Podpora vědy a výzkumu v Moravskoslezském kraji 2014 (RRC/07/2014)“ (see link in Czech), financial support for two PhD students and three assistant professors was received. Namely PhD students Mgr. Radek Tichavský, Mgr. et Mgr. Ondřej Turský and assistant professor RNDr. Tomáš Galia, Ph.D. (member of Czech-Rivers research group), RNDr. Jan Lenart, Ph.D. and RNDr. Václav Škarpich, Ph.D. (member of Czech-Rivers research group) were involved in financial support. The main aim of the program was support of starting community of talented students and young researchers at universities in the Moravian-Silesian Region from 1st of January 2014 to 31st of August 2015. 

Financial support of PhD students and assistant professors of Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology resulted in publishing of several peer-reviewed articles with impact factor and home and international conference participations with oral/poster presentation of research topics.

V rámci programu „Podpora vědy a výzkumu v Moravskoslezském kraji 2014 (RRC/07/2014)“ (odkaz na web) získali finanční podporu dva studenti doktorského studia Environmentální geografie Mgr. Radek Tichavský a Mgr. et Mgr. Ondřej Turský a také odborní asistenti RNDr. Tomáš Galia, Ph.D. (člen výzkumné skupiny Czech-Rivers), RNDr. Jan Lenart, Ph.D. a RNDr. Václav Škarpich, Ph.D. (člen výzkumné skupiny Czech-Rivers). Cílem finanční dotace v období 1. 1. 2014 – 31. 8. 2015 bylo podpořit začínající vědeckou kariéru talentovaných studentů a mladých vědeckých pracovníků univerzit v moravskoslezském regionu.

Finanční podpora studentů a absolventů Katedry fyzické geografie a geoekologie PřF Ostravské univerzity přispěla k publikování několika prestižních vědeckých publikací v impaktovaných časopisech a k prezentaci vědeckých výsledků na řadě zahraničních i domácích konferencí.

REFORM: International Conference, 2015 (Wageningen, Netherlands)

We were involved in 'Novel Approaches to Assess and Rehabilitate Modified Rivers' an international conference on river and stream restoration. Conference followed REFORM - Summer School (see report - link). Main scope and objectives of the conference was to enlarge awareness of the need and appreciation for the benefits of river rehabilitation.

Members of CZECH-RIVERS, Dr. Tomáš Galia and Dr. Václav Škarpich presented information about river restoration projects and monitoring in Czech part of the flysch Carpathians. Namely about: (i) Morávka River channel widening and (ii) Kněhyně torrent restoration project where we involved in the research monitoring.

Time schedule and basic description of presented contributions:

Anti-erosive construction in the Morávka River – problematic approach to management of flysch Carpathian rivers, Czech Republic 

Authors: Václav Škarpich, Tomáš Galia, Jan Hradecký, Radek Dušek

June 30, 2015 (17:45 p.m to 19:15 p.m.) - poster presentation

During the last century the Morávka River channel has been transformed from anabranching to single channel river pattern that incised as deep as into the bedrock. These changes have been caused by a strong and inappropriate management (as a bank stabilising, weir and valley dam constructing). Contemporary channel changes have not been evident at reach r. km 7.0 to 10.5 which has partly preserved the original anabranching river pattern with lateral erosion. In order to preserve this anabranching channel reach and the prevention of proceeding backward erosion and protection against destruction Vyšní Lhoty weir at r. km 11.3 anti-erosion construction of local channel widening was constructed at r. km 10.7. However, spring flood in year 2010 accelerated present erosive processes and channel incision to the bedrock and showed that the antierosive construction was not well designed. In some parts, the original river bed has lowered by as many as 2.5 m. The anti-erosion construction itself has also been affected by massive incision. This paper summarizes results of monitoring, processes and function of anti-erosion construction of local channel widening with connection to bad management of Water Authorities in Czech Part of the flysch Carpathian Mts and discuss the problematic management solution of destabilized channel reach and gives proposition of the future management.

Torrent restorations in the flysch mid-mountain environment: The case study of the Kněhyně Torrent, Czech Republic 

Authors: Tomáš Galia, Václav Škarpich, Jan Hradecký

July 1, 2015 (11:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.) - oral presentation

The occurrence of channel-reach morphologies (e.g., bedrock channels, step-pools, anabranching channels) in mountainous landscape is driven by several internal and external time- and space-variable factors. Especially, the identification of the sediment supply potential related to transport capacity is crucial for later stream management in torrential mountain channels. The contribution deals with theoretical aspects of stream restorations of this part of fluvial net with emphasis on the flysch Western Carpathians on the example of restored anabranching channel-reach of the Kněhyně Torrent. This channel-reach was partly renaturalized by the 100y flood event in 1997, when the single riprap-regulated channel was transformed into anabranching pattern with relatively large gravel deposits. Stabilization elements were added into the channel to preserve that morphology during the restoration project realized in 2003-2004. The field geomorphological mapping shows, that longitudinal disconnectivity in the form of checkdams exists in the stream longitudinal profile and recent potential sediment sources are limited at the watershed scale. These facts make difficult the sustainable preservation of the transport-limited conditions in the Kněhyně. We suppose, that the original anabranching pattern noticed by the 2nd Military survey (half of the 19th century) was resulted from the higher sediment supply caused by different land-use of mountain region and the important role was played by the sediment delivery driven by debris flows under suitable climatic conditions during the LIA. The role of potential sediment supply estimations, bedload transport modelling and dendrogeomorphological approach is discussed in order to better asses relationship between the sediment supply, transport capacity and resulted channel-reach morphology.

 

Participation to the 'Landscapes and Landforms of the Czech Republic' publication (Springer)

Source of picture: <http://www.springer.com/>

Landscapes and Landforms of the Czech Republic publication (book) is to present the unique geomorphic landscapes of the Czech Republic. It will be published by Springer - as a series of World Geomorphological Lanscapes (see link for more information). Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jan Hradecký and Dr. Václav Škarpich participate to chapter with name: Poodří - Landscape of Ponds and a Preserved Meandering Belt of the Odra River (Authors: Jan Hradecký – Radek Dušek - Marián Velešík – Monika Chudaničová - Václav Škarpich – Radim Jarošek – Jan Lipina). Chapter describes the Poodří Region as a territory of precious natural values that have been created by fluvial processes and also by man who started to participate in the landscape development in the Middle Ages.

Report from REFORM Summer School (Wageningen, Netherlands)

Dr. Tomáš Galia and Dr. Václav Škarpich participated to Summer School 'Restoring Regulated Streams linking Theory and Practice' (link). It was organized by REFORM (REstoring rivers FOR effective catchment Management - see link). The Summer School was realized for 3-day programme from June 27 to June 29, 2015. 

Day 1st (June 27, 2015) started with an introduction and field visit of two contrasting stream restoration, namely: (i) Restoration programme Leuvenumse and Hiederse Beek, (ii) Stream restoration project Lunterse Beek.

 Fig. 1: Floodplain reconnection (for fish population - reconnection to spawning area) - Leuvenumse and Hiederse Beek.

Fig. 2: Feeding-sand (sand suppletion into the river channel) - Leuvenumse and Hiederse Beek.

 Fig. 3: Accumulated sand from feeding-sand (man affected sand suppletion) - Leuvenumse and Hiederse Beek.

 Fig. 4: Addition of wood into the river channel system - Leuvenumse and Hiederse Beek.

 Fig. 5: Addition of wood into the river channel system - Leuvenumse and Hiederse Beek.

 Fig. 6: Stream restoration of the Lunterse Beek.

 

Day 2nd (June 28, 2015) offered the theoretical background of assessing hydromorphological modification of streams and rivers and identifying appropriate restoration measures considering the socioeconomic context. The main topics were presented by: Prof. Ian Cowx, Prof. Angela Gurnell, Prof. Massimo Rinaldi, Dr Christian Wolter, Dr Nikolai Friberg, Dr Jochem Kail and  Dr Gertjan Geerling (see link to lectures video).

Fig. 7: First lecture about 'Planning Stream and River Restoration and Cost-
Benefit Analysis' performed by Prof. Ian Cowx.

 

Day 3rd (June 29, 2015) was be given a case study and work in groups to plan of restoration schemes based on the practices from previous field visit and theoretical background from lectures. The day was finished by presenting of restoration scheme by each group.

Significance of the coarsest bed fraction in flysch headwater streams

Boulders in steep headwater streams play an irreplaceable role in hydraulics, sediment transport and bed stability within this part of fluvial net. A few months ago, our new publication  has been released in Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical geography dealling with the connectivity of the coarsest fraction in Beskydian steep streams. Also, effects of past disturbances (debris-flows) and present lateral sediment supply was discussed in this paper. Debris-flow affected channels indicated more frequent occurrence of larger boulders in bed sediments and limited adjustments to contemporary fluvial processes (e.g. incision). On the other hand, bed sediments in channels void of past debris-flow activity often reflected lateral sediment inputs (e.g. bank failures) and trends of erosion or deposition. This study directly followed our previous paper published in Moravian Geographical Reports, which described downstream trends of coarse bed sediments and clustering of bed sediments reflecting recent fluvial processes in one of headwater stream. Other paper discussing bedload transport of the coarsest bed fraction in relation to recent geometrical parameters of steep channels and transformation of channel-reach morphology during bankfull and high-magnitude discharge is in review. The study will summarize our bedload transport observations (Q20 flood 2010, bankfull event 2011, Q5 flood 2014), contemporary fluvial processes (incision, aggradation) and connectivity of boulder and cobble fraction in local steep channels.   

Sediment Matters (Springer)

Source of picture: <http://www.springer.com/>

New book will be published by Springer - a global publishing company. Book with title Sediment Matters (link) was edited by Peter Heininger and Johannes Cullman. Book presents insights into the complex processes controlling sediment behavior in river basins and into state of the art integrated sediment management concepts.

We participate to chapters:

• Sediment transport in headwater streams of the Carpathian Flysch belt: its nature and recent effects of human interventions.

• Aspects of sediment transport in single-thread and anabranching river channels in flysch Carpathians (a case study from the Czech Republic).
  
  
   

New Czech Science Foundation (GACR) Project

Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Jan Hradecký, Ph.D. and RNDr. Václav Škarpich, Ph.D. are members of research team for realization of project - GAČR: 15-02067S (2015-2017) – Optimalization of dendrogeomorphic methods in landslide research. Project will be realized during the years 2015 – 2017. Research will focused to defining optimal spatial position and number of trees for field sampling, determining optimal age/size of trees that most sensitively reflect landslide movements and increasing the efficiency of landslide signal extraction from tree-rings. 

Source of picture: http://www.gacr.cz/en/