Improvement of SWAT2000 modelling to assess the impact of dams and sluices on streamflow in the Huai River basin of China

Abstract Hydrological simulation and assessment in a dam–sluice regulated river basin are a complex and challenging issue. In this article, an improved SWAT2000 modelling system was developed that incorporated the Shuffled complex evolution (SCE‐UA) optimization algorithm and the multi‐site and multi‐objective calibration strategy. The implication of multi‐objective is different for different types of outlets, i.e. streamflow for an ordinary outlet, inflow for a sluice, and water storage for a reservoir. Model parameters were redefined to improve model simulations. The surface runoff lag time (SURLAG) was extended as a spatially distributed parameter, and a correction coefficient was introduced to modify the saturated hydraulic conductivity. The modelling system was then applied to the Huai River basin of China under various climatic conditions, including a very dry year (1999), a dry year (1981), an average year (1971), and wet year (1991). In all, 26 dams and 35 sluices were considered, among which about 20 dams/sluices were used for model calibration. The impact assessment primarily focused on the very dry year (1999). The results indicated that the released water from large reservoirs was blocked in the river channels by sluices located downstream. In the very dry year, the dam–sluice operations could result in an increase of the runoff volume during the non‐flood season and a decrease in runoff during the flood season, but the changing magnitude during the non‐flood season was much greater. An important conclusion of this case study is that the sluices in the Sha‐Yin branch located in the north region and the dams in the southern mountainous region above the Wangjiaba Hydrological Station have played the most significant role in regulating the streamflow of the entire river basin. The methods addressed in this article can simulate hydrological regime in the river basins regulated by dams and sluices under different climatic conditions at the whole‐watershed scale. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.