DOCSLIB.ORG

Physical Stream Assessment: a Review of Selected Protocols for Use in the Clean Water Act Section 404 Program

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Physical Stream Assessment: a Review of Selected Protocols for Use in the Clean Water Act Section 404 Program United States A rmy Corps of Engineers United States Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Branch W etland Division W ashington, DC. 20314 W ashington, DC. 20460 PHYSICAL STREAM ASSESSMENT: A Review of Selected Protocols for Use in the Clean Water Act Section 404 Program September 2004 DISCLAIMER This review of physical stream assessment methods was funded wholly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and conducted in support of the National Mitigation Action Plan. It has been subjected to review by the Federal Interagency Mitigation Workgroup and approved for release. Approval does not signify that the contents reflect the views of the Agencies, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. This document is not a regulation itself, nor does it change or substitute for statutory provisions and EPA or USACE regulations. Thus, it does not impose legally binding requirements on EPA, USACE, States, or the regulated community. Prepared by Nutter & Associates, Inc. 1073 S. Milledge Avenue Athens, GA 30605 ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We wish to express our gratitude to Palmer Hough, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Kathy Trott and Mike Rabbe, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for their assistance and support during compilation of this report. We are also grateful for preliminary reviews of the Stream Assessment Protocol questionnaire provided by Morris Flexner, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Brian Riggers, U.S. Forest Service. We also received helpful insight from Brett Roper, U.S. Forest Service, during the preliminary phase of the project. Finally, we wish to thank all of the local, state, and federal agency representatives who provided information by responding to the Stream Assessment Protocol questionnaire. We hope that our efforts prove useful to the on-going maturation of stream assessment and restoration efforts across the country. Appropriate citation: Somerville, D.E. and B.A. Pruitt. 2004. Physical Stream Assessment: A Review of Selected Protocols for Use in the Clean Water Act Section 404 Program. September 2004, Prepared for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds, Wetlands Division (Order No. 3W-0503- NATX). Washington, D.C. 213 pp. Document No. EPA 843-S-12-002. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DISCLAIMER ........................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS................................................ iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................iv LIST OF TABLES.....................................................vi LIST OF FIGURES................................................... vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS / ACRONYMS . viii 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................... 1 2.0 INTRODUCTION . 4 2.1 Objectives .................................................. 5 3.0 BACKGROUND ................................................. 7 3.1 Objectives of Stream Assessment................................ 7 3.2 Components of Stream Assessment Protocols ...................... 7 3.3 Accuracy and Precision of Physical Stream Assessment Data .......... 8 3.3.1 Evaluations of Visual-Based (Qualitative) Stream Habitat Classification and Assessment Variables . 9 3.3.2 Evaluations of Measurement-Based (Quantitative) Habitat Classification and Assessment Variables .................... 10 3.4 The Utility of Stream Classification ............................... 13 4.0 STREAM ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL QUESTIONNAIRE ............... 15 4.1 Objective of the Stream Assessment Protocol Questionnaire .......... 15 4.2 Questionnaire Results . 15 4.2.1 General Utility of Stream Assessments ...................... 17 4.2.2 Overview of Responses to Technical Questions ............... 17 4.2.2.1 Stream Classification ............................... 17 4.2.2.2 Specific Parameters and Methods ..................... 17 4.2.2.2.1 Physical Stream Assessment Variables ............. 18 4.2.2.2.2 Physiochemical Parameters ...................... 18 4.2.2.2.3 Habitat Classification and Assessment Variables ...... 19 4.2.2.3 Use of Reference Reach Conditions . ................. 19 4.2.2.4 Bankfull Stage or Discharge .......................... 19 4.2.3 Overview of Responses Related to Data Reduction and Synthesis ............................................ 20 4.2.3.1 Categorization of Stream Assessment Data . ............ 20 4.2.3.2 Relationships Among Stream Assessment Variables ...... 21 iv 4.2.3.3 Integration of Riparian Zones and Streams .............. 21 4.2.3.4 Seasonal Variability . 21 4.2.3.5 Minimizing Observer Bias............................ 22 4.2.3.6 Training.......................................... 22 4.2.3.7 Level of Effort..................................... 22 4.2.4 Future Needs for Stream Assessments ..................... 23 5.0 STREAM ASSESSMENT PROTOCOLS . 25 5.1 Existing Protocol Reviews ..................................... 25 5.2 Protocol Review Procedures . 25 5.3 Clean Water Act Section 404/401 Regulatory Protocols .............. 27 5.3.1 Federal Regulatory Protocol Reviews ....................... 28 5.3.2 State and Local Regulatory Protocol Reviews................. 30 5.4 Non-Regulatory Protocol Reviews ............................... 30 5.5 Discussion ................................................. 32 6.0 RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................... 35 7.0 REFERENCES................................................. 38 APPENDIX A Stream Assessment Protocol Questionnaire APPENDIX B Regulatory Protocol Reviews APPENDIX C Non-Regulatory Protocol Reviews APPENDIX D Bibliography of Protocols v LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Respondents of the Stream Assessment Protocol questionnaire. ...... 44 Table 2. Programmatic uses of stream assessments cited by respondents of the Stream Assessment Protocol questionnaire. ...................... 46 Table 3. Components/Methods of physical stream assessments cited by respondents of the Stream Assessment Protocol questionnaire. ................. 47 Table 4. Physiochemical parameters included in stream assessments cited by respondents of the Stream Assessment Protocol questionnaire. ....... 48 Table 5. Methods to reduce observer variability in stream assessment data cited by respondents of the Stream Assessment Protocol questionnaire. ....... 49 Table 6. Time required to execute stream assessments in the field and in the office according to respondents of the Stream Assessment Protocol questionnaire. 50 Table 7a. Programmatic summary of regulatory stream assessment and mitigation protocols.................................................. 51 Table 7b. Technical summary of regulatory stream assessment and mitigation protocols.................................................. 53 Table 8a. Programmatic summary of non-regulatory stream assessment and mitigation protocols.......................................... 55 Table 8b. Technical summary of non-regulatory stream assessment and mitigation protocols.................................................. 58 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Geographic distribution of respondents to the Stream Assessment Protocol questionnaire. 16 vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS / ACRONYMS BEHI Bank Erosion Hazard Index CFR Code of Federal Regulations CWA Clean Water Act D50 Median particle size, typically referring to riffle substrate FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency GIS Geographic Information System GPS Global Positioning System HUC Hydrologic Unit Code IBI Index of Biotic Integrity NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NRCS U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service PSD Particle Size Distribution (typically referring to channel substrate) RBP Rapid Bioassessment Protocol SCS U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service (now referred to as NRCS) TVA Tennessee Valley Authority USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USBLM U.S. Bureau of Land Management USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture USDC U.S. Department of Commerce USDOD U.S. Department of Defense USDHUD U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development USDOI U.S. Department of the Interior USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency USFS U.S. Forest Service USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service USGS U.S. Geologic Survey W/D Width:Depth Ratio (Bankfull Stream Dimensions) WQC Water Quality Certification viii 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY We reviewed stream assessment and mitigation protocols collected from throughout the United States in an effort to identify attributes most pertinent to the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 regulatory program. We also solicited input from practitioners utilizing stream assessment protocols nationwide in an effort to identify common attributes of existing protocols and to seek recommendations for future training and technical needs to enhance stream assessment. Subjective, visual-based assessment protocols are rapid and relatively easy to use. They may provide an acceptable means of watershed-scale stream assessment or coarse level prioritization. However, they are rarely detailed enough to be used for project design, and their accuracy and precision has been subject to debate. In contrast, objective, quantitative assessments, often referred to as transect-based or measurement-based assessments, are time consuming and labor intensive. Detailed quantitative assessment is a prerequisite to project design and should be based on comparison to stable reference conditions. However, the precision of even some commonly utilized quantitative stream assessment metrics has been
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Lesson 4: Sediment Deposition and River Structures
    LESSON 4: SEDIMENT DEPOSITION AND RIVER STRUCTURES ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What combination of factors both natural and manmade is necessary for healthy river restoration and how does this enhance the sustainability of natural and human communities? GUIDING QUESTION: As rivers age and slow they deposit sediment and form sediment structures, how are sediments and sediment structures important to the river ecosystem? OVERVIEW: The focus of this lesson is the deposition and erosional effects of slow-moving water in low gradient areas. These “mature rivers” with decreasing gradient result in the settling and deposition of sediments and the formation sediment structures. The river’s fast-flowing zone, the thalweg, causes erosion of the river banks forming cliffs called cut-banks. On slower inside turns, sediment is deposited as point-bars. Where the gradient is particularly level, the river will branch into many separate channels that weave in and out, leaving gravel bar islands. Where two meanders meet, the river will straighten, leaving oxbow lakes in the former meander bends. TIME: One class period MATERIALS: . Lesson 4- Sediment Deposition and River Structures.pptx . Lesson 4a- Sediment Deposition and River Structures.pdf . StreamTable.pptx . StreamTable.pdf . Mass Wasting and Flash Floods.pptx . Mass Wasting and Flash Floods.pdf . Stream Table . Sand . Reflection Journal Pages (printable handout) . Vocabulary Notes (printable handout) PROCEDURE: 1. Review Essential Question and introduce Guiding Question. 2. Hand out first Reflection Journal page and have students take a minute to consider and respond to the questions then discuss responses and questions generated. 3. Handout and go over the Vocabulary Notes. Students will define the vocabulary words as they watch the PowerPoint Lesson.
    [Show full text]
  • Geomorphic Classification of Rivers
    9.36 Geomorphic Classification of Rivers JM Buffington, U.S. Forest Service, Boise, ID, USA DR Montgomery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Published by Elsevier Inc. 9.36.1 Introduction 730 9.36.2 Purpose of Classification 730 9.36.3 Types of Channel Classification 731 9.36.3.1 Stream Order 731 9.36.3.2 Process Domains 732 9.36.3.3 Channel Pattern 732 9.36.3.4 Channel–Floodplain Interactions 735 9.36.3.5 Bed Material and Mobility 737 9.36.3.6 Channel Units 739 9.36.3.7 Hierarchical Classifications 739 9.36.3.8 Statistical Classifications 745 9.36.4 Use and Compatibility of Channel Classifications 745 9.36.5 The Rise and Fall of Classifications: Why Are Some Channel Classifications More Used Than Others? 747 9.36.6 Future Needs and Directions 753 9.36.6.1 Standardization and Sample Size 753 9.36.6.2 Remote Sensing 754 9.36.7 Conclusion 755 Acknowledgements 756 References 756 Appendix 762 9.36.1 Introduction 9.36.2 Purpose of Classification Over the last several decades, environmental legislation and a A basic tenet in geomorphology is that ‘form implies process.’As growing awareness of historical human disturbance to rivers such, numerous geomorphic classifications have been de- worldwide (Schumm, 1977; Collins et al., 2003; Surian and veloped for landscapes (Davis, 1899), hillslopes (Varnes, 1958), Rinaldi, 2003; Nilsson et al., 2005; Chin, 2006; Walter and and rivers (Section 9.36.3). The form–process paradigm is a Merritts, 2008) have fostered unprecedented collaboration potentially powerful tool for conducting quantitative geo- among scientists, land managers, and stakeholders to better morphic investigations.
    [Show full text]
  • Stream Restoration, a Natural Channel Design
    Stream Restoration Prep8AICI by the North Carolina Stream Restonltlon Institute and North Carolina Sea Grant INC STATE UNIVERSITY I North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. Contents Introduction to Fluvial Processes 1 Stream Assessment and Survey Procedures 2 Rosgen Stream-Classification Systems/ Channel Assessment and Validation Procedures 3 Bankfull Verification and Gage Station Analyses 4 Priority Options for Restoring Incised Streams 5 Reference Reach Survey 6 Design Procedures 7 Structures 8 Vegetation Stabilization and Riparian-Buffer Re-establishment 9 Erosion and Sediment-Control Plan 10 Flood Studies 11 Restoration Evaluation and Monitoring 12 References and Resources 13 Appendices Preface Streams and rivers serve many purposes, including water supply, The authors would like to thank the following people for reviewing wildlife habitat, energy generation, transportation and recreation. the document: A stream is a dynamic, complex system that includes not only Micky Clemmons the active channel but also the floodplain and the vegetation Rockie English, Ph.D. along its edges. A natural stream system remains stable while Chris Estes transporting a wide range of flows and sediment produced in its Angela Jessup, P.E. watershed, maintaining a state of "dynamic equilibrium." When Joseph Mickey changes to the channel, floodplain, vegetation, flow or sediment David Penrose supply significantly affect this equilibrium, the stream may Todd St. John become unstable and start adjusting toward a new equilibrium state.
    [Show full text]
  • Channel Aggradation by Beaver Dams on a Small Agricultural Stream in Eastern Nebraska
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Publications from USDA-ARS / UNL Faculty Research Service, Lincoln, Nebraska 9-12-2004 Channel Aggradation by Beaver Dams on a Small Agricultural Stream in Eastern Nebraska M. C. McCullough University of Nebraska-Lincoln J. L. Harper University of Nebraska-Lincoln D. E. Eisenhauer University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] M. G. Dosskey USDA National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, Nebraska, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usdaarsfacpub Part of the Agricultural Science Commons McCullough, M. C.; Harper, J. L.; Eisenhauer, D. E.; and Dosskey, M. G., "Channel Aggradation by Beaver Dams on a Small Agricultural Stream in Eastern Nebraska" (2004). Publications from USDA-ARS / UNL Faculty. 147. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usdaarsfacpub/147 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Service, Lincoln, Nebraska at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Publications from USDA-ARS / UNL Faculty by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. This is not a peer-reviewed article. Self-Sustaining Solutions for Streams, Wetlands, and Watersheds, Proceedings of the 12-15 September 2004 Conference (St. Paul, Minnesota USA) Publication Date 12 September 2004 ASAE Publication Number 701P0904. Ed. J. L. D'Ambrosio Channel Aggradation by Beaver Dams on a Small Agricultural Stream in Eastern Nebraska M. C. McCullough1, J. L. Harper2, D.E. Eisenhauer3, M. G. Dosskey4 ABSTRACT We assessed the effect of beaver dams on channel gradation of an incised stream in an agricultural area of eastern Nebraska.
    [Show full text]
  • Seasonal Controls on Meteoric 7Be in Coarse‐Grained River Channels
    HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES Hydrol. Process. 28, 2738–2748 (2014) Published online 24 April 2013 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/hyp.9800 Seasonal controls on meteoric 7Be in coarse-grained river channels James M. Kaste,1* Francis J. Magilligan,2 Carl E. Renshaw,2 G. Burch Fisher3 and W. Brian Dade2 1 Geology Department, The College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA 2 Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA 3 Department of Earth Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA Abstract: Cosmogenic 7Be is a natural tracer of short-term hydrological processes, but its distribution in upland fluvial environments over different temporal and spatial scales has not been well described. We measured 7Be in 450 sediment samples collected from perennial channels draining the middle of the Connecticut River Basin, an environment that is predominantly well-sorted sand. By sampling tributaries that have natural and managed fluctuations in discharge, we find that the 7Be activity in thalweg sediments is not necessarily limited by the supply of new or fine-grained sediment, but is controlled seasonally by atmospheric flux variations and the magnitude and frequency of bed mobilizing events. In late winter, 7Be concentrations in transitional bedload are lowest, typically 1 to 3 Bq kgÀ1 as 7Be is lost from watersheds via radioactive decay in the snowpack. In mid- summer, however, 7Be concentrations are at least twice as high because of increased convective storm activity which delivers high 7Be fluxes directly to the fluvial system. A mixed layer of sediment at least 8 cm thick is maintained for months in channels during persistent low rainfall and flow conditions, indicating that stationary sediments can be recharged with 7Be.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Morphodynamics of Sedimentary Patterns
    MORPHODYNAMICS OF SEDIMENTARY PATTERNS Paolo Blondeaux, Marco Colombini, Giovanni Seminara, Giovanna Vittori Introduction to Morphodynamics of Sedimentary Patterns DIDATTICARICERCA RICERCA Genova University Press Monograph Series Morphodynamics of Sedimentary Patterns Editorial Board: Paolo Blondeaux, Marco Colombini Giovanni Seminara, Giovanna Vittori Advisory Board: Sivaramakrishnan Balachandar (University of Florida U.S.A.) Maurizio Brocchini (Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy) François Charru (Université Paul Sabatier, France) Giovanni Coco (University of Auckland, New Zealand) Enrico Foti (Università di Catania, Italy) Marcelo H. Garcia (University of Illinois, U.S.A.) Suzanne J.M.H. Hulscher (University of Twente, NL) Stefano Lanzoni (Università di Padova, Italy) Miguel A. Losada (University of Granada, Spain) Chris Paola (University of Minnesota, U.S.A.) Gary Parker (University of Illinois U.S.A.) Luca Ridolfi(Politecnico di Torino, Italy) Andrea Rinaldo (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland) Yasuyuki Shimizu (Hokkaido University, Japan) Marco Tubino (Università di Trento, Italy) Markus Uhlmann (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany) Introduction to Morphodynamics of Sedimentary Patterns Paolo Blondeaux, Marco Colombini, Giovanni Seminara, Giovanna Vittori Introduction to Morphodynamics of Sedimentary Patterns is the bookmark of the University of Genoa On the cover: The delta of Lena river (Russia). The image was taken on July 27, 2000 by the Landsat 7 satellite operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and NASA (false-color composite image made using shortwave infrared, infrared, and red wavelengths). Image credit: NASA This book has been object of a double peer-review according with UPI rules. Publisher GENOVA UNIVERSITY PRESS Piazza della Nunziata, 6 16124 Genova Tel. 010 20951558 Fax 010 20951552 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] http://gup.unige.it/ The authors are at disposal for any eventual rights about published images.
    [Show full text]
  • Channel Aggradation by Beaver Darns on a Small Agricultural Stream In
    /'/ ,L. 8'-- Channel Aggradation by Beaver Darns on a Small Agricultural Stream in. Eastern Nebraska 41. C. ~e~ullou~h',J. L. 33arperz,D.E. ~isenbauer',41. G.~osske~' MSTUCT We assessed the effect of beaver dams on channel gadation of an incised stream in an agricultural area of eastern Nebraska. A topogaphic survey was conducted of a reach of Little hluddy Creek where beaver are known to have been building dams for twelve years. Results indicate that over this time period the thalweg elevation has aggraded an average of 0.65 m by trapping 1730 t of sediment in the pools behd dams. Beaver may provide a feasible solution to channel depradation problems in this region. =WORDS. Beaver dams, channel aggradation, sediment, agricultural watershed. In eastern Nebraska, most land, which at one time was tallgrass prairie, has been converted to agricultural land use. This conversion has impacted stream channels both directly and indirectly. One major impact of row-crop agriculture is the increase in overland runoff and peak flows in channels. Between 1904 and 19 15 many stream channels in southeastern Hebraska were dredged and straightened (Wahl and Weiss 19881, resulting in shorter and steeper channels. These changes have resulted in severe channel incision and stream bank instability in eastern Nebraska and throughout the deep loess regions of the central Tjniied States (Lohnes 1997). This trend towards continued channel degradation continues to this day (Zellars and Hotc~ss1997), creating environmental and economic concerns. Beaver aEect geomorphology of streams in ways that may counteract channel degrading processes. Beaver dams reduce stream velocities, causing the rate of sediment deposition to increase behind the dam (Naiman et al.
    [Show full text]
  • 6.6.4 Bank Angle and Channel Cross-Section
    Section 6 Physical Habitat Characterization— Non-wadeable Rivers by Philip R. Kaufmann In the broad sense, physical habitat in ecology that are likely applicable in rivers as rivers includes all those physical attributes that well. They include: influence or provide sustenance to river or- • Channel Dimensions ganisms. Physical habitat varies naturally, as do biological characteristics; thus expectations • Channel Gradient differ even in the absence of anthropogenic disturbance. Within a given physiographic- • Channel Substrate Size and Type climatic region, river drainage area and chan- • Habitat Complexity and Cover nel gradient are likely to be strong natural determinants of many aspects of river habitat, • Riparian Vegetation Cover and Struc- because of their influence on discharge, flood ture stage, and stream power (the product of dis- charge times gradient). Summarizing the habi- • Anthropogenic Alterations tat results of a workshop conducted by EMAP • Channel-Riparian Interaction on stream monitoring design, Kaufmann (1993) identified seven general physical habi- All of these attributes may be directly or tat attributes important in influencing stream indirectly altered by anthropogenic activities. Nevertheless, their expected values tend to 1U.S. EPA, National Health and Environmental Effects Re- vary systematically with river size (drainage search Laboratory, Western Ecology Division, 200 SW 35th St., Corvallis, OR 97333. area) and overall gradient (as measured from 6-1 topographic maps). The relationships of spe- scales the sampling reach length and resolu- cific physical habitat measurements described tion in proportion to stream size. It also al- in this EMAP-SW field manual to these seven lows statistical and series analyses of the data attributes are discussed by Kaufmann (1993).
    [Show full text]
  • Channel Morphology of the Shag River, North Otago 2
    Channel morphology of the Shag River, North Otago Channel Morphology of the Shag River, North Otago 2 Otago Regional Council Private Bag 1954, Dunedin 9054 70 Stafford Street, Dunedin 9016 Phone 03 474 0827 Fax 03 479 0015 Freephone 0800 474 082 www.orc.govt.nz © Copyright for this publication is held by the Otago Regional Council. This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part provided the source is fully and clearly acknowledged. ISBN: 978-0-478-37692-0 Report writer: Jacob Williams, Natural Hazards Analyst Reviewed by: Michael Goldsmith, Manager Natural Hazards Published September 2014 3 Channel Morphology of the Shag River, North Otago Technical summary Changes in the channel morphology of the Shag River/Waihemo have been assessed using visual inspections, aerial and ground photography, and cross-section data collected in April 2009 and October 2013. This assessment provides an update on changes in channel morphology that have occurred since the last catchment-wide analysis of long term trends in 2009. This report describes the nature of those changes where they have been significant and is intended to inform decisions relating to the management of the Shag River/Waihemo, including gravel extraction, floodwater conveyance, and asset management. Cross-section analysis of the Shag River/Waihemo indicates that between April 2009 and October 2013 there was an overall increase in mean bed level (MBL) at 16 of the 22 surveyed cross-sections (as shown on Figure 5), and a decrease in MBL at 6 cross-sections. This indicates that (in the short term) the Shag River/Waihemo is showing signs of changing from a state of overall degradation (as described in the previous analysis of channel morphology in 2009) to one of aggradation/stability.
    [Show full text]
  • Three Dimensional Mobile Bed Dynamics for Sediment Transport Modeling
    THREE DIMENSIONAL MOBILE BED DYNAMICS FOR SEDIMENT TRANSPORT MODELING DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Sean O’Neil, B.S., M.S. ***** The Ohio State University 2002 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Keith W. Bedford, Adviser Professor Carolyn J. Merry Adviser Professor Diane L. Foster Civil Engineering Graduate Program c Copyright by Sean O’Neil 2002 ABSTRACT The transport and fate of suspended sediments continues to be critical to the understand- ing of environmental water quality issues within surface waters. Many contaminants of environmental concern within marine and freshwater systems are hydrophobic, thus read- ily adsorbed to bed material or suspended particles. Additionally, management strategies for evaluating and remediating the effects of dredging operations or marine construction, as well as legacy pollution from military and industrial processes requires knowledge of sediment-water interactions. The dynamic properties within the bed, the bed-water column inter-exchange and the transport properties of the flowing water is a multi-scale nonlin- ear problem for which the mobile bed dynamics with consolidation (MBDC) model was formulated. A new continuum-based consolidation model for a saturated sediment bed has been developed and verified on a stand-alone basis. The model solves the one-dimensional, vertical, nonlinear Gibson equation describing finite-strain, primary consolidation for satu- rated fine sediments. The consolidation problem is a moving boundary value problem, and has been coupled with a mobile bed model that solves for bed level variations and grain size fraction(s) in time within a thin layer at the bed surface.
    [Show full text]
  • Hydraulic Drag: a Meander-Initiating Mechanism
    MICHAEL A. GORYCKI Department of Geology and Geography, Herbert H. Lehman College of the City University of New Yor\, Bronx, New Yor\ 10468 Hydraulic Drag: A Meander-Initiating Mechanism ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Previous work has shown that meandering is The natural tendency of streams to meander an intrinsic property of stream flow that is has interested numerous investigators, and as essentially independent of the effects of sedi- a consequence various theories to account for ment. This can be easily demonstrated on a meandering may be found in the literature (see simplified sediment-free stream "table" or Morisawa, 1968, p. 139-141, and Leopold and plate composed of an inclined hydrophobic others, 1964, p. 298-303, for reviews). Attempts plane surface on which a small stream of water have been made to equate stream meandering is allowed to flow. Development of a meander with such factors as energy loss or gain, grade, series from a straight and then sinuous stream erosion and deposition, channel morphology, is induced by increasing water flow. A study grain size of stream sediment, proportion of bed of water motion by injecting ink into the versus suspended load, velocity, channel ob- stream reveals a genetic relationship between structions, condition and composition of the sinuous water motion (meandering thalweg) channel, helical flow, and centrifugal forces. In of straight reaches and the bends of meandering spite of all that has been written on the subject, streams. Dimensional ratios of wave length of however, some workers conclude that there is meandering thalweg to stream width in the no satisfactory or complete explanation for straight stream or stream width to meander meandering (Leopold and others, 1964; King, length and radius of curvature in the meander- 1966; Morisawa, 1968; Schumm and Khan, ing stream closely match those of larger streams 1972).
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 4. Sediment Transport and Deposition
    CHAPTER 4. SEDIMENT TRANSPORT AND DEPOSITION INTRODUCTION Purpose An analysis was performed to characterize sediment conditions of the Lower Puyallup River, quantify sediment inflow to the study reach, assess recent changes in the river cross section due to sediment deposition and aggradation, and develop a numerical sedimentation model for forecasting future deposition along the Lower Puyallup. A HEC-RAS sediment transport model (Hydrologic Engineering Center, Version 4.0, 2006) was developed to predict the location, volume and depth of sediment deposition or erosion through the study reach. The primary objective of the sediment investigation was to provide a 50-year forecast of bed adjustments related to sediment deposits that may affect the river channel’s flood carrying capacity. The sediment model was developed and calibrated using information from surveyed channel cross sections, site specific measurements of sediment transport rates, measurements of existing bed material characteristics, and analysis of hydrologic conditions. It was then used to estimate future channel aggradation in the study area. The results provide estimates of future channel geometry, which when input into the HEC-RAS hydraulic model reveal how flood profiles are likely to be affected by sediment deposition 50 years in the future. The analysis assumes that no significant sediment maintenance activity (i.e. channel dredging) occurs during the 50-year forecast period. Prior Studies Previous sediment and hydraulic studies of the Puyallup River include the following: • Flood-Carrying Capacities and Changes in Channels of the Lower Puyallup, White, and Carbon Rivers in Western Washington (USGS, 1988) • Sediment Transport in the Lower Puyallup, White and Carbon Rivers of Western Washington (USGS, 1989) • Flood Insurance Mapping Study for Puyallup River (FEMA, 2007).
    [Show full text]