Lateral distributions of streamwise velocity in compound channels with partially vegetated floodplains

Natural rivers are commonly characterized by a main channel for primary flow conveyance and a floodplain, often partially covered with vegetation such as shrubs or trees, to carry extra flow during floods. The hydraulic resistance due to vegetation on the floodplain typically causes a further reduction of flow velocity and increases the velocity difference between the main channel and the floodplain. As a consequence a strong lateral shear layer leads to the exchange of mass and momentum between the main channel and floodplain, which in turn affects the overall channel conveyance and certain fluvial processes. The prediction of the lateral velocity distribution is important for many flood alleviation schemes, as well as for studies on sediment transport and dispersion in such channels. The present paper proposes a method for predicting the depth-averaged velocity in compound channels with partially vegetated floodplains, based on an analytical solution to the depth-integrated Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equation with a term included to account for the effects of vegetation. The vegetation is modelled via an additional term in the momentum equation to account for the additional drag force. The method includes the effects of bed friction, drag force, lateral turbulence and secondary flows, via four coefficients f, C _D, λ & Γ respectively. The predicted lateral distributions of depth-averaged velocity agree well with the experimental data. The analytical solutions can also be used to predict the distribution of boundary shear stresses, which adds additional weight to the method proposed.