Channel Patterns and Terraces of the Loup Rivers in Nebraska by JAMES C
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i <tt Channel Patterns and (N I Terraces of the Loup Rivers i, in Nebraska 03 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 422-D Prepared as part of the program of the Department of the Interior PQ 6:3 for development of the Missouri River basin OH P O 00 Cd OQ 523 c CO Channel Patterns and Terraces of the Loup Rivers in Nebraska By JAMES C. BRICE PHYSIOGRAPHIC AND HYDRAULIC STUDIES OF RIVERS GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 422-D Prepared as part of the program of the Department of the Interior for development of the Missouri River basin UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1964 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 CONTENTS Page The Middle Loup River at Dunning Continued. Page Abstract. _ ----------____-_.__________.__..____._... Dl Summary of hydraulic factors in relation to channel Introduction.-.._._..___.__.___...'_.._.._.___...___ 1 pattern..__,,._______--_.___--------------,-- D21 Pleistocene and Recent deposits .......L.............. 2 Observations on the formation of sandbars, islands, and North Loup River valley near Elba._____._..___._ 3 valley flats--,....,..--._--.-,--_----.------------ 23 North Loup River valley near Burwell..__.__._.__ 5 Measurement and description of channel patterns._,.___ 25 North Loup River valley downstream from Brewster. 5 Meandering and sinuosity._____..-,..,-_._,--.,-.. 25 North Loup River valley upstream from Brewster... 6 Braiding....---.--.....-----.I-.------,,----..--- 27 South Loup River valley near Cumro. ____________ 8 Width.. ,____.____,_,_,__..,.-_ T --, T .,._-,.-,- 31 Summary of Pleistocene and Recent geologic history _ 8 Channel patterns of the Loup Rivers.,.,,.,____,_, 31 Geologic influences on the longitudinal river profiles..... 9 Relation of selected hydraulic factors to channel pattern. 32 Influence of rock resistance---_-------..-_.--__-- 10 Bank credibility.......,.._-,,..-.-.---.,.,-.,,,- 32 Influence of regional slope and relief.....__--_--..,, 12 Discharge- ... 1 ^. 7 _..._ T , 7 .,,,,,---,,,,.--.,---, 35 The Middle Loup River at Dunning_.___..__._.__._._ 14 Bed material a.nd suspended-sediment concentration. 37 Hydraulic factors in relation to width.._.__.._.__, 14 Water temperature..__,_,.,._--_,.,-,,-,.,_,_....,- 38 Hydraulic factors in relation to braiding........... 15 Longitudinal river slope i&nd valley slope.,.,,--.,-- 39 Hydraulic factors in relation to a confluence........ 21 References cited_. -_--_--,-,-_,,-._---,-,,,,...--.-. 40 ILLUSTRATIONS Page FIGURE 1. Map of Loup River drainage basin_......,....._,,_..,.._.,.,.,,.,^-...., J7 ,^^-^,,^._.--,.,-,-.,,-.- D2 2. General topographic and stratigraphic relations of valley fills in the North, South, and -Middle Loup River valleys, 3 3. Generalized geologic section along northwest side of Coopers Canyon near Elba.,,_,-_.,_,.__,,.._,-,,,---,--- 4 4. Cross section in Coopers Canyon near Elbar -_-_-, r ,-..,--- T ,,-.,-,,-,--.,-, ,,-,--..',-------,-----.->------- 4 5. Geologic section of north side of North Loup River valley near Burwe.ll__.,---,_,,;.,,_-.-_,_--'l-. T _..._-__-_ 5 6. Stratigraphic diagram of valley fill of the Elba terrace and valley fill of Pe,orian age exposed in cut bank of North Loup River about 5 miles downstream from Brewster.,,____,_,..,,,,.,_-,___._--__--__.---_--__-------- 6 7. Cross section of North Loup River valley 6 miles upstream from Brewster-_._,__ -.......I....-..----.---- 7 8. Longitudinal river profile, valley profile, and Elba terrace profile, North Loup River ..................1..... 10 9. Longitudinal river profile and valley profile, Middle Loup River, __.,.__-,, ................^............... -11 10. Longitudinal river profile and valley profile, South Loup River._._ ;._ ,__, _, _.----.---------'------------- 12 11. Location of sections on a reach of the Middle Loup and Dismal Rivers near Dunning..,_,,----.---__.---,---- 14 12. Cross profiles of Middle Loup River at Dunning......_,,,_..,__,,__,,,,_,_.,:.,._- .^...................... 14 13. Mean depth, mean velocity, local slope, and effective area in relation to effective width at sections B, Cz, E, and A, Middle Loup River at Dunning..._______-._________._,.,,. T _,^_...___._-_--____--_-____._-----.- 16 14. Cross profiles of section A, Middle Loup River at Dunning.__,._,__,,__--,_,___--_-_-.__,._-__ ..--._-_. 18 15. Maximum depth, mean velocity, local slope, and effective area in relation to water width at half mean depth, sec tion A, Middle Loup River at Dunning__-__.__,_________,,__,____, T ._ .....^....................... 19 16. Effective area and local slope in relation to effective width for sections upstream and downstream from con fluence of Middle Loup and Dismal Rivers_ .................^......................^-....^......... 22 17. Aerial photograph and tracing of photograph, North Loup River, about 1 mile downstream from gaging station near St. Paul.._...__._....__.__......._.__._.. ...... T .........--......-.-...._.-,---.-..-__.- 23 18. Small lobe-shaped dunes on submersed sandbar in North Loup River 8 mijes downstream from Brewster -------- 24 19. Straight reach of North Loup River, same locality as figure 18. T ...........^..............^..........--.-- 24 20. Delineation of meander belt, axis of meander belt, and channel arcs for measurement of sinuosity and symmetry. _ 25 21. Delineation of a reach of the Buyuk Menderes River, Turkey, for measurement of sinuosity and symmetry._., 26 22. Reaches that illustrate different values of the braiding index. T ,__.,-_.,,-.-_-.,___--_,--,-,---__________- 29 23. Reaches that illustrate different values of the sinuosity index,...,.-._,_-_, ,.......................^...... 30 24. Longitudinal river profile and valley profile, Calamus River.,,_-__-,..__.-,__.,_.-,-_._-_---,___-_-__-_-. 34 25. Diagrammatic relation of sinuosity index to width and bank credibility, Calamus River__. ._._..______.._-.- 34 26. Width in relation to mean annual discharge and average maximum daily discharge for different channel pat terns. ..........................................,^.... r .:.........^....^.^......... T ............. 36 27. Suspended-sediment concentration in relation to temperature and discharge, sections A, JE, and B, .Middle Lpup River at Dunning. ..............................,,^,.,....................,.l..^.................. 38 28. Velocity in relation to temperature and discharge, sections A and E, Middle Loup River at Dunning..._______ 39 29. Reach slope in relation to the average maximum daily discharges for meandering and braided reaches. ...._.-- 40 in IV CONTENTS TABLES TABLES 1-2. Values of hydraulic factors at Page 1. Section A, Middle Loup River at Dunning, Nebr___._______._._______.._.__._.___.__..________-..._ D20 2. Gaging stations in the Loup River basin._______________________________________________________ 28 PHYSIOGRAPHIC AND HYDRAULIC STUDIES OF RIVERS CHANNEL PATTERNS AND TERRACES OF THE LOUP RIVERS IN NEBRASKA By JAMES C. BRICE ABSTRACT Loup, Middle Loup, and their tributaries tend to be sinuous despite a very low concentration of silt and clay in the sus The North, South, and Middle Loup Rivers drain an area pended load; however, swamp vegetation is common along of about 12,000 square miles in central Nebraska. The North the stream courses, and it probably promotes sinuosity by and Middle Loup, which rise in the Sandhills, 'have notably increasing bank resistance. In general, where banks are of constant discharges because much of their flow is derived sand and easily erodible, wide shallow channels tend to de from ground water. Moderate sinuosity is characteristic of velop. Braiding takes place in wide shallow channels by the the South Loup whereas the North and Middle Loup have low growth and stabilization of longitudinal sandbars, which prob sinuosity (except in their upper courses) and tend to be ably originate from breaching of transverse bars and dunes. braided. The rivers are bordered by well-defined terraces Sinuous reaches are generally narrower than braided or which are described and interpreted historically as a back straight reaches of similar discharge. Width, although highly ground for explaining the morphology of the modern rivers. variable locally, increases downstream approximately as the Valley-fill deposits ranging in age from Kansan to Recent 0.5 power of bank-full discharge. The downstream relation are exposed along the rivers, and the fill underlying the of width to discharge is affected by .a downstream increase in youngest major terrace is assigned an age of about 10,000 variability of discharge. years on the basis of three carbon-14 age determinations. The rivers are probably slowly degrading, as the lowest ter INTRODUCTION races are cut on older fill. Along the Middle Loup near Dunning, a decrease in chan The Loup River basin (fig. 1) occupies all of central nel width at constant discharge is accompanied by a decrease Nebraska. The part of the basin considered in this in effective area and local slope and by an increase in mean report has an area of about 12,000 square miles. Of depth and mean velocity. In a braided section, bars sub this area, about 4,500 square miles is mantled with mersed to a depth equal to or less than half mean depth arr loess and contributes directly to surface runoff, and considered equivalent to emersed bars, and the width of the braided section is expressed as the width of flowing water at about