Avaliação do processo de assoreamento do açude Santo Anastácio - Fortaleza/CE

Abstract

Dams are extremely necessary in order to obtain water, mainly in the Northeastern semi-arid of Brazil where it is considered scarce. A lot of maintenance care must be taken to preserve the quality of the dams, because the higher the volume supply is, the higher the benefits brought to people will be. One of the biggest problems responsible for reducing this kind of water reservoir's life span it is called siltation. The siltation is responsible for shallowing reservoir and at the same time reduces its capacity to retain water. Therefore population will suffer form a reduction of water supply. It is mainly stated that trash, sediment and even sewage system thrown into the dams are responsible for polluting their environment as well as reducing the quality of water. The best technique used to evaivate a dams's siltation process is the batimetric mapping which consists in measuring its average depth and it can also calculate its capacity to retain water. Santo Anastácio dam, located in the urban area of Fortaleza, has been suffering form a fast siltation process. The last batimetric mapping comparisons carried out in the years 1992, 2002, 2006, and 2011 has revealed that Santo Anastácio's siltation is in its way and in order not to be totally silted, solutions must be urgently taken.