Historical Channel Adjustment and Estimates of Selected Hydraulic Values in the Lower Sabine River and Lower Brazos River Basins, Texas and Louisiana
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Historical Channel Adjustment and Estimates of Selected Hydraulic Values in the Lower Sabine River and Lower Brazos River Basins, Texas and Louisiana By Franklin T. Heitmuller and Lauren E. Greene In cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board Scientific Investigations Report 2009–5174 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2009 This and other USGS information products are available at http://store.usgs.gov/ U.S. Geological Survey Box 25286, Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 To learn about the USGS and its information products visit http://www.usgs.gov/ 1-888-ASK-USGS Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Heitmuller, F.T., and Greene, L.E., 2009, Historical channel adjustment and estimates of selected hydraulic values in the lower Sabine River and lower Brazos River Basins, Texas and Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2009–5174, 143 p. iii Contents Abstract ..........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................1 Purpose and Scope .............................................................................................................................2 Previous Studies and Background Information ..............................................................................2 Description of Study Area ..................................................................................................................4 Acknowledgments ...............................................................................................................................4 Methods ..........................................................................................................................................................4 Use of Historical Cross Sections from USGS Streamflow Measurement Data to Evaluate Channel Adjustments .............................................................................................................9 Hydraulic Analyses of Historical Cross Sections .........................................................................11 Alternative Techniques and Additional Sources of Data for Interpreting Channel Adjustment .............................................................................................................................12 Stage-Discharge Rating Curves .............................................................................................13 Stage-Discharge Relations of Field Measurements ...........................................................13 Aerial Photography ...................................................................................................................13 Repeat Ground Photography ..................................................................................................16 Bridge Construction Information ............................................................................................16 Channel Adjustment and Estimates of Selected Hydraulic Properties .............................................17 08026000 Sabine River near Burkeville, Texas ..............................................................................17 08028500 Sabine River near Bon Weir, Texas ................................................................................18 08030500 Sabine River near Ruliff, Texas .......................................................................................19 08096500 Brazos River at Waco, Texas ..........................................................................................20 08098290 Brazos River near Highbank, Texas ...............................................................................21 08106500 Little River near Cameron, Texas ....................................................................................22 08108700 Brazos River at State Highway 21 near Bryan, Texas .................................................23 08109000 Brazos River near Bryan, Texas .....................................................................................23 08110325 Navasota River above Groesbeck, Texas .....................................................................24 08110500 Navasota River near Easterly, Texas .............................................................................25 08110800 Navasota River at Old Spanish Road near Bryan, Texas ...........................................26 08111000 Navasota River near Bryan, Texas .................................................................................27 08111500 Brazos River near Hempstead, Texas ............................................................................28 08114000 Brazos River at Richmond, Texas ...................................................................................29 08116650 Brazos River near Rosharon, Texas ...............................................................................30 Summary .......................................................................................................................................................31 References Cited .........................................................................................................................................33 Figures 1. Map showing location of U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations examined for cross-sectional channel adjustment using historical field- measurement data, lower Sabine and lower Brazos River Basins, Texas, and Louisiana .......................................................................................................................................5 iv 2. Example of front (A) and back (B) of field-measurement sheet for U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station 08114000 Brazos River at Richmond, Texas, May 5, 1960 .................................................................................................................................10 3. Conceptual diagram of scour-and-fill of a river channel bed for various flows at a bridge crossing ..........................................................................................................................11 4. U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station 08026000 Sabine River near Burkeville, Texas, (A) 2004 digital orthophoto quarter-quadrangle; and (B) photograph looking upstream from bridge on State Highway 63, November 9, 2006 ..............................................................................................................................................35 5–6. Graphs showing: 5. Stage-discharge relations of field measurements for U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station 08026000 Sabine River near Burkeville, Texas, 1955–2009 ...........................................................................................................................36 6. Historical cross-sectional channel geometry for U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station 08026000 Sabine River near Burkeville, Texas, (A) at moderate-flow conditions (greater than 5,000 cubic feet per second and less than 15,000 cubic feet per second), 1956–2001; and (B) at high-flow conditions (greater than 15,000 cubic feet per second), 1957–95 ............................37 7. U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station 08028500 Sabine River near Bon Wier, Texas, (A) 2004 digital orthophoto quarter-quadrangle; and (B) photograph looking from left bank adjacent to U.S. Highway 190 bridge, May 30, 1999 .....................39 8–9. Graphs showing: 8. Stage-discharge relations of field measurements for U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station 08028500 Sabine River near Bon Wier, Texas, 1923–2009 ...........................................................................................................................40 9. Historical cross-sectional channel geometry for U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station 08028500 Sabine River near Bon Wier, Texas, (A) at moderate-flow conditions (greater than 5,000 cubic feet per second and less than 10,000 cubic feet per second), 1933–76; (B) at high-flow conditions (greater than 10,000 cubic feet per second), 1932–74; (C) at moderate-flow conditions, 1986–2005; and (D) at high-flow conditions, 1984–2003 ...........................................................................................................................41 10. U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station 08030500 Sabine River near Ruliff, Texas, (A) 2004 digital orthophoto quarter-quadrangle; and (B) photograph looking from left bank adjacent to State Highway 12 bridge, October 24, 2006 ..............45 11. Graph showing stage-discharge relations of field measurements for U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station 08030500 Sabine River near Ruliff, Texas, December 1924–2009 ....................................................................................................46 12. 2004 Digital orthophoto quarter-quadrangle showing