Hydrodynamic Modeling and Evaluation of Surface Water Intake Structures in the Maule River Basin Integration of Standard NCh7771 and Climate Change

This paper presents original research on the hydraulic and structural behavior of surface water intake structures in the Maule Riverbasin, contrasting the prescriptive requirements of the Chilean standard NCh777/1 with advanced two-dimensional hydrodynamic models (HECRAS 2D) and precipitation-runoff transformations (HEC-HMS). Faced with the evident hydrological non-stationarity driven by the megadroughtin central Chile, the study analyzes centennial flood events, desilting efficiency, and compliance with ecological flow requirements mandated byLaw No. 21,435. Results demonstrate that traditional stationary methodologies underestimate bedload sediment loads by 22 percent underextreme climate scenarios.