The effect of dams on coastal erosion in the Kizilirmak delta

In this study, in which the factors causing coastal regression in the Kızılırmak Delta are evaluated holistically (DSAS, EPM, CVI) and the impact of dams is focused on; the shoreline changes of the Kızılırmak Delta are analyzed and the impact of dams that can be observed in the short term is revealed. While revealing this effect; three different methods were utilized. The first method was to determine the status analysis of shoreline change with DSAS, the second method was to determine the terrestrial impact with the erosion risk model (EPM) of the Kızılırmak Basin area, and the third method was to determine the marine impact with the coastal vulnerability (CVI) analysis of the Kızılırmak Delta. The analyses showed that the erosion of the coastline of the Kızılırmak Delta started with the Hirfanlı Dam (1960) and continued with the Altınkaya (1988) and Derbent (1990) dams. After the construction of Hirfanlı Dam, the shoreline recession increased by 78%, and after the construction of Altınkaya and Derbent dams, the amount of recession decreased to 44%. As a result of this study, it was determined that the western shore was regularly receding, while the eastern shore was subjected to erosion and deposition processes in an irregular manner. This study will contribute to the inclusion of erosion and coastal vulnerability analyses when assessing coastal changes.