Characteristics of Sediment Transport at Selected Sites Along the Missouri River During the High-Flow Conditions of 2011
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Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District Characteristics of Sediment Transport at Selected Sites along the Missouri River during the High-Flow Conditions of 2011 Scientific Investigations Report 2013–5006 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Front cover. Missouri River north of Bismarck, North Dakota, looking downstream, June 23, 2011 (photograph by Joel M. Galloway, U.S. Geological Survey). Characteristics of Sediment Transport at Selected Sites along the Missouri River during the High-Flow Conditions of 2011 By Joel M. Galloway, Dave L. Rus, and Jason S. Alexander Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District Scientific Investigations Report 2013–5006 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: 2013 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod To order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: Galloway, J.M., Rus, D.L., and Alexander, J.S., 2013, Characteristics of sediment transport at selected sites along the Missouri River during the high-flow conditions of 2011: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2013–5006, 31 p. iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................2 Description of Study Area ...................................................................................................................2 Hydrologic Characteristics .................................................................................................................2 Geomorphic Characteristics ...............................................................................................................4 Methods...........................................................................................................................................................5 Sediment Data Collection ....................................................................................................................6 Streamflow Data Collection ................................................................................................................8 Total Sediment Load Estimation .........................................................................................................9 Measured Sediment Load ..........................................................................................................9 Estimated Sediment Load ...........................................................................................................9 Sediment Characteristics in the Missouri River .....................................................................................10 Suspended-Sediment Characteristics ............................................................................................10 Bedload Transport Characteristics ..................................................................................................15 Total Sediment Loads .........................................................................................................................20 Comparison of Bedload Estimation Methods .................................................................................25 Summary........................................................................................................................................................29 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................30 Figures 1. Map showing location of sediment-sampling sites in the Missouri River Basin ...............3 2. Graphs showing daily mean streamflow and sediment sample collection times for six sites on the Missouri River during the 2011 high-flow conditions ............................7 3. Graph showing distribution of suspended-sediment concentrations at six sites on the Missouri River during the 2011 high-flow conditions ...............................................10 4. Graphs showing time series of suspended-sediment concentration, grain-size distribution, and daily mean streamflow for six sites on the Missouri River during the 2011 high-flow conditions ...................................................................................................14 5. Graph showing distribution of bedload at six sites on the Missouri River during the 2011 high-flow conditions ...................................................................................................15 6. Graphs showing time series of bedload, grain-size distribution, and daily mean streamflow for six sites on the Missouri River during the 2011 high-flow conditions .....................................................................................................................................18 7. Graph showing measured bedload in relation to streamflow for samples collected at six sites on the Missouri River during the 2011 high-flow conditions .........19 8. Graphs showing time series of total sediment load and daily mean streamflow for six sites on the Missouri River during the 2011 high-flow conditions ..........................21 9. Graphs showing sediment loads estimated by the modified-Einstein procedure compared to measured: A, total-sediment load; and B, bedload .......................................28 iv Tables 1. Streamflow and sediment data-collection sites on the Missouri River during the 2011 high-flow conditions ............................................................................................................4 2. Description of terms used to describe sediment characteristics on the Missouri River during the 2011 high-flow conditions ..............................................................................6 3. Streamflow, suspended-sediment concentrations, and grain size for six sites on the Missouri River during the 2011 high-flow conditions .....................................................11 4. Grain sizes and mass of bedload samples for six sites on the Missouri River during the 2011 high-flow conditions ......................................................................................16 5. Sediment loads for six sites on the Missouri River during the 2011 high-flow conditions .....................................................................................................................................22 6. Grain sizes of bed-material samples for six sites on the Missouri River during the 2011 high-flow conditions ...................................................................................................26 Conversion Factors Inch/Pound to SI Multiply By To obtain Length inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm) inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm) foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m) mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km) Area square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) acre-foot (acre-ft) 1,233 cubic meter (m3) foot per second (ft/s) 0.3048 meter per second (m/s) cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s) Mass pound, avoirdupois (lb) 0.4536 kilogram (kg) ton, short (2,000 lb) 0.9072 megagram (Mg) ton per day (ton/d) 0.9072 metric ton per day ton per day (ton/d) 0.9072 megagram per day (Mg/d) Vertical coordinate information is referenced to North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). Horizontal coordinate information is referenced North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83). Concentrations of suspended sediment in water are given in milligrams per liter (mg/L). Water Year (WY) is defined as beginning October 1 and continuing through September 30 of the following year. Characteristics of Sediment Transport at Selected Sites along the Missouri River during the High-Flow Conditions of 2011 By Joel M. Galloway, David L. Rus, and Jason S. Alexander Abstract in bedload was not as dramatic as observed at the sites in the middle segment of the Missouri River. During 2011, many tributaries in the Missouri River With the exception of site 3, the total-sediment load Basin experienced near record peak streamflow and caused on the Missouri River was highest at the beginning of the flood damage to many communities along much of the Mis- high-flow event and decreased as streamflow decreased. In souri River from Montana to the confluence with the Missis- the middle segment of the Missouri River, measured total- sippi River. The large runoff event in 2011 provided