Effects of a 2006 High-Flow Release from Tiber Dam on Channel Morphology at Selected Sites on the Marias River, Montana
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In Cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation Effects of a 2006 High-Flow Release from Tiber Dam on Channel Morphology at Selected Sites on the Marias River, Montana By Gregor T. Auble and Zachary H. Bowen Open-File Report 2008–1234 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Mark D. Myers, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 2008 For general product and ordering information: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS Suggested citation: Auble, G.T., and Bowen, Z.H., 2008, Effects of a 2006 High-Flow Release from Tiber Dam on Channel Morphology at Selected Sites on the Marias River, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 2008-1234, 39 p. This product is available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/. 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 material contained within this report. ii Contents Executive Summary...........................................................................................................................................1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................2 Marias River Site Description .........................................................................................................................3 Setting..............................................................................................................................................................3 Hydrology ........................................................................................................................................................3 Cottonwood and Russian-olive ...................................................................................................................8 Limnology and Aquatic Communities.......................................................................................................10 Pallid Sturgeon.............................................................................................................................................11 Effects of a High-Flow Release on Channel Geometry.............................................................................12 Methods ........................................................................................................................................................12 Results ...........................................................................................................................................................13 Discussion.....................................................................................................................................................34 Acknowledgments...........................................................................................................................................36 References Cited .............................................................................................................................................37 iii Figures 1. Marias River ................................................................................................................................................4 2. Mean daily discharge at selected Marias River gages in 2006 and in periods before (1922–1955) and after (1957–2006) Tiber Dam......................................................................................6 3. Annual peak discharge at selected Marias River gages....................................................................7 4. Changes in mean daily discharge by month and year from gage 06101500 to gage 06102050 ....9 5. Aerial imagery of study region on lower Marias River from 2005 ...................................................13 6. Aerial imagery of Sites IS and BC on Marias River from 2005.........................................................14 7. Cross sections 1 and 2 at Site IS ...........................................................................................................16 8. Cross sections 3 and 4 at Site IS ...........................................................................................................17 9. Cross sections 5 and 6 at Site IS ...........................................................................................................18 10. Cross sections 7 and 8 at Site IS ...........................................................................................................19 11. Cross sections 9 and 10 at Site IS .........................................................................................................20 12. Cross sections 11 and 12 at Site BC......................................................................................................21 13. Cross sections 13 and 14 at Site BC......................................................................................................22 14. Cross sections 15 and 16 at Site BC......................................................................................................23 15. Cross sections 17 and 18 at Site BC......................................................................................................24 16. Cross sections 19 and 20 at Site BC......................................................................................................25 17. Cross section 3 at Site IS from right (facing downstream) head pin ..............................................26 18. Cross section 2 at Site IS from left (facing downstream) head pin.................................................27 19. Deposition creating primary levee landform on bank lip of right (facing downstream) bank near cross section 10 at Site IS............................................................................................................28 20. Flowing back channel at Site BC...........................................................................................................29 21. Cross section 14 at Site BC from left (facing downstream) head pin .............................................30 22. Box plots of changes in cross-sectional area ....................................................................................31 23. Box plots of wetted perimeter at cross sections................................................................................32 24. Profiles of bed elevation and water surface at Sites IS and BC. Channel-bed profiles were estimated by thalweg (lowest point in channel) locations and elevations at the cross sections .........................................................................................................................................33 iv Conversion Factors SI to Inch/Pound Multiply By To obtain Length centimeter (cm) 0.3937 inch meter (m) 3.281 foot (ft) kilometer (km) 0.6214 mile (mi) meter (m) 1.094 yard (yd) Area square meter (m2) 0.0002471 acre square kilometer (km2) 247.1 acre square centimeter (cm2) 0.001076 square foot (ft2) square meter (m2) 10.76 square foot (ft2) square centimeter (cm2) 0.1550 square inch (ft2) Volume liter (L) 0.2642 gallon (gal) cubic meter (m3) 264.2 gallon (gal) liter (L) 61.02 cubic inch (in3) cubic meter (m3) 35.31 cubic foot (ft3) cubic meter (m3) 0.0008107 acre-foot (acre-ft) Flow rate cubic meter per second 70.07 acre-foot per day (acre- (m3/s) ft/d) cubic meter per second 35.31 cubic foot per second (m3/s) (ft3/s) Mass gram (g) 0.03527 ounce, avoirdupois (oz) kilogram (kg) 2.205 pound avoirdupois (lb) Hydraulic gradient meter per kilometer 5.27983 foot per mile (ft/mi) (m/km) Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows: °F=(1.8×°C)+32 Vertical coordinate data was determined relative to the North American Vertical Datum of 88 (NAVD88). Horizontal coordinate data was determined relative to the North American Datum of 83(99) (NAD83[99]). v Effects of a 2006 High-Flow Release from Tiber Dam on Channel Morphology at Selected Sites on the Marias River, Montana By Gregor T. Auble and Zachary H. Bowen Executive Summary In June 2006, an opportunistic high-flow release was made from Tiber Dam on the Marias River in Mont., to investigate possible alternatives for partially restoring the river’s natural flow pattern and variability. At two sites along the river, we measured channel geometry before and after the high-flow release to evaluate channel change and alteration of physical habitat. Streamflow downstream from Tiber Dam has been stabilized by reduction of high flows and augmentation of low flows. This has produced flood-control benefits as well as some possible adverse environmental effects downstream from the dam. The 2006 high-flow release resulted in a downstream hydrograph with high flows of above-average magnitude in the post- dam flow regime of the Marias River. Timing of the peak and the declining limb of the release hydrograph were very similar to a historical, unregulated hydrograph of the Marias River. Furthermore, the high flow produced many of the qualitative elements of ecologically