River‐floodplain exchange and its effects on the fluvial oxygen regime in a large tropical river system (Kafue Flats, Zambia)

[1] Hydrological exchange between a river and its floodplain plays a critical role in maintaining key ecosystem services like habitat formation, nutrient transformation, and flood attenuation. We studied the spatial and temporal patterns of river-floodplain exchange in the Kafue Flats, a 6500-km2, dam-impacted floodplain ecosystem in Zambia. In addition, we characterized the effects of floodplain runoff on river biogeochemistry and assessed dam-related changes in the hydrological regime. The basic flood pulse concept poorly describes conditions in the Kafue Flats. Instead, high resolution measurements of discharge and tracers (specific conductivity,δ18O-H2O) along 410 km of river revealed substantial spatial variations in both the magnitude and direction of river-floodplain exchange. During peak discharge, a river channel constriction, 230 km into the floodplain, diverted as much as 80% of the river's ∼700 m3 s−1discharge into the floodplain. As a net result, >80% of the water exiting the Kafue Flats via the river, either passed through the floodplain or originated from precipitation on the floodplain. This floodplain-derived water had a strong impact on river water quality, resulting in a seasonally recurring sharp decline in dissolved oxygen levels to <50μM that persisted for 150 km downstream. A comparison with historical flow data showed that concurrent bank overflow and floodplain inflows were a sustained pattern during the wet season. However, lateral exchange over an annual cycle has been reduced by as much as 50% due to dam operation.