The impact of dredging on evolution of the branching channel segments of the Ob'

Abstract

The dredging along the waterway of the Ob' became the main factor of its channel formation. At the branching channel segments dredging causes the redistribution of the runoff, conduces to overgrowing of shallows, to consolidation of islands and island massives. It concentrates the runoff in the navigable channels and intensifies the bottom erosion. The abortion of dredging leads to rapid accumulation: in some channels 3-7 m sediment masses were accumulated during 10 years, total volume reaching 1-3*10⁶ m³.