Key techniques include sediment bypassing , drawdown/empty flushing (releasing water to scour out settled sediment), and turbidity current venting .
The book, which is still a vital reference as of 2026, often features case studies from Japan, China (e.g., Sanmenxia Reservoir), Switzerland, and the USA. in North America? How to find a copy of the book? Reservoir Sedimentation Handbook
Here is a useful, real-world story of successful sediment management highlighted by the principles in the handbook: The Story: The Nunobiki Reservoir (Japan) Reservoir sedimentation handbook: design and ma...
The implementation of SBTs at Nunobiki increased the projected reservoir life from 60 years to over 1,260 years—a nearly 21-fold increase. Key Takeaways for Sustainable Use
The handbook warns that the "sudden loss of the world's reservoir capacity would be a catastrophe," yet the slow loss of capacity is often ignored until it is too late. How to find a copy of the book
The book focuses on moving away from "trapping sediment" to "routing sediment" around or through the dam.
The Nunobiki Dam in Japan was severely impacted by sediment, restricting its capacity to store water, which is a common fate for older dams, often losing 1% of their capacity annually, per 1998 Morris and Fan . The book focuses on moving away from "trapping
Instead of just letting the dam die or performing expensive dredging, operators utilized Sediment Bypass Tunnels (SBT) . These tunnels are engineered to route sediment-laden inflow around the dam storage pool during floods.