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Twentieth Century Arroyo Changes in Chaco Culture National Historical Park

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Twentieth Century Arroyo Changes in Chaco Culture National Historical Park TWENTIETH CENTURY ARROYO CHANGES IN CHACO CULTURE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 01-4251 Prepared in cooperation with the NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TWENTIETH CENTURY ARROYO CHANGES IN CHACO CULTURE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK By Allen C. Gellis U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 01-4251 Prepared in cooperation with the NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Albuquerque, New Mexico 2002 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GALE A. NORTON, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Charles G. Groat, Director The use of firm, trade, and brand names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey. For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Information Services Water Resources Division Box 25286 5338 Montgomery Blvd. NE, Suite 400 Denver, CO 80225-0286 Albuquerque, NM 87109-1311 Information regarding research and data-collection programs of the U.S. Geological Survey is available on the Internet via the World Wide Web. You may connect to the home page for the New Mexico District Office using the URL http://nm.water.usgs.gov. CONTENTS Page Abstract.................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and scope ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Description of study area............................................................................................................................................. 2 Climate and runoff....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Geomorphic description of arroyos at Chaco Canyon................................................................................................. 2 Previous studies ........................................................................................................................................................... 7 Methods for analysis of arroyo changes ................................................................................................................................ 7 Analysis of photogrammetric cross sections ............................................................................................................... 8 Delineation of arroyo geometry................................................................................................................................... 11 Results ................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Analysis of errors in field surveys and photogrammetric data interpretation.............................................................. 12 Comparison of photogrammetric techniques to field surveys ..................................................................................... 12 Arroyo geometry changes............................................................................................................................................ 17 Arroyo top width ............................................................................................................................................... 25 Arroyo width at 50-percent depth...................................................................................................................... 25 Arroyo top depth................................................................................................................................................ 25 Arroyo cross-sectional area ............................................................................................................................... 28 Volumetric changes in Chaco Wash................................................................................................................... 28 Inner-channel changes ....................................................................................................................................... 28 Longitudinal and planform changes ............................................................................................................................ 32 Changes near Pueblo del Arroyo ................................................................................................................................. 32 Summary................................................................................................................................................................................ 40 References ............................................................................................................................................................................. 41 FIGURES 1. Map showing location of study area and cross sections measured along Chaco Wash and selected tributaries in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.......................................................................................................................... 3 2. Graphs showing precipitation at Chaco Culture National Historical Park Headquarters, 1934-99. (A) Annual precipitation and (B) average monthly precipitation....................................................................... 4 3. Graphs showing (A) mean monthly runoff at streamflow-gaging station Chaco Wash near Chaco Canyon National Monument, May 1976 to April 1990, (B) number of days in a month with discharge, (C) mean monthly runoff, and (D) instantaneous peak flow, 1976-90 ............................................................... 5 4. Model of arroyo evolution depicting changes at a cross section over time following channel incision.................. 6 5. Map showing reaches used to measure volumetric changes over time in Chaco Wash........................................... 10 6. Schematic of channel width and depth features in a typical arroyo channel ........................................................... 11 7-10. Graphs showing: 7. Channel cross-sectional measurements along Chaco Wash and selected tributaries in Chaco Culture National Historical Park, 1934-2000 ............................................................................................................. 13 8. Comparison of surveyed channel cross sections to photogrammetric interpretations at Chaco Wash cross sections CW3, CW8, and CW10.......................................................................................................... 18 9. (A) Chaco Wash top width measurements from 2000 field surveys and photogrammetry and (B) top depth measurements from 2000 data............................................................................................................. 24 10. Changes in arroyo top geometry at selected cross sections along Chaco Wash and selected tributaries. (A) Top width, (B) top width at 50 percent of arroyo depth, (C) arroyo top depth, and (D) top cross- sectional area ................................................................................................................................................. 26 iii Page 11-13. Graphs showing: 11. Average rates of (A) arroyo widening, (B) arroyo top depth, and (C) top cross-sectional area at selected cross sections along Chaco Wash and selected tributaries............................................................................ 27 12. Changes in bankfull along Chaco Wash and selected tributaries. (A) Width, (B) depth, and (C) cross-sectional area................................................................................................................................. 33 13. Rates of change in bankfull width from 1934 to 1973 and from the 1970’s to 2000........................................ 34 14. Maps showing topographic contours in relation to selected cross sections along Chaco Wash in Chaco Culture National Historical Park. (A) 1934 National Park Service 1:480 contour map, (B) 1:6,000 1973 aerial photography, and (C) 2000 aerial photography ........................................................... 35 15. Map and graph showing (A) longitudinal profile of Chaco Wash, 1934, 1973, and 2000 and (B) average elevation changes over 250-meter increments ................................................................................................... 38 16. Map showing top width cross-sectional measurements along Chaco Wash in 1934, 1973, and 2000.................... 39 17. Map showing bankfull width cross-sectional measurements along Chaco Wash in 1934, 1973, and 2000............ 39 TABLES 1. 19th and 20th century Chaco Wash channel dimensions......................................................................................... 8 2. Vertical adjustments made to register cross sections to the same datum................................................................. 12 3. Comparison of channel geometry using 2000 surveys and 2000 photogrammetric analysis for cross sections CW3, CW8, and CW10........................................................................................... 17 4.
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