Tracking of sedimentation / erosion for a hydroelectric plant at great altitudes

The location of a barrage lake close to a proglacial margin leads to high sedimentation rates in the lake. Operational problems caused by these depositions impose frequent purging operations.

Sequent bathymetric measurements allowed the detection of the arrival of a large volume of glacial sediments from one tributary. The progressive displacement of these sediments toward the deeper parts of the lake could be observed. Therefore, an optimization purges was made possible by the repetition of bathymetric measurements and precise calculations of the displaced sediment volume.

The repetition of the measurements in different years allows the quantification and positioning of the subaquatic sedimentation and erosion dynamics.