Geomorphology and River Management
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Geomorphology and River Management Applications of the River Styles Framework Gary J. Brierley and Kirstie A. Fryirs GEOMORPHOLOGY AND RIVER MANAGEMENT To our families “Every tool carries with it the spirit by which it has been created.” Werner Karl Heisenberg Geomorphology and River Management Applications of the River Styles Framework Gary J. Brierley and Kirstie A. Fryirs ©ȱ2005ȱbyȱBlackwellȱPublishingȱ ȱ BLACKWELLȱPUBLISHINGȱ 350ȱMainȱStreet,ȱMalden,ȱMAȱ02148Ȭ5020,ȱUSAȱ 9600ȱGarsingtonȱRoad,ȱOxfordȱOX4ȱ2DQ,ȱUKȱȱ 550ȱSwanstonȱStreet,ȱCarlton,ȱVictoriaȱ3053,ȱAustraliaȱ ȱ TheȱrightȱofȱGaryȱJ.ȱBrierleyȱandȱKirstieȱA.ȱFryirsȱtoȱbeȱidentifiedȱasȱtheȱAuthorsȱofȱthisȱWorkȱhasȱbeenȱassertedȱinȱ accordanceȱwithȱtheȱUKȱCopyright,ȱDesigns,ȱandȱPatentsȱActȱ1988.ȱ ȱ Allȱrightsȱreserved.ȱNoȱpartȱofȱthisȱpublicationȱmayȱbeȱreproduced,ȱstoredȱinȱaȱretrievalȱsystem,ȱorȱtransmitted,ȱinȱanyȱ formȱorȱbyȱanyȱmeans,ȱelectronic,ȱmechanical,ȱphotocopying,ȱrecordingȱorȱotherwise,ȱexceptȱasȱpermittedȱbyȱtheȱUKȱ Copyright,ȱDesigns,ȱandȱPatentsȱActȱ1988,ȱwithoutȱtheȱpriorȱpermissionȱofȱtheȱpublisher.ȱ ȱ Firstȱpublishedȱ2005ȱbyȱBlackwellȱScienceȱLtdȱ ȱ 2ȱȱ 2006ȱ ȱ LibraryȱofȱCongressȱCatalogingȬinȬPublicationȱDataȱ ȱ Brierley,ȱGaryȱJ.ȱ Geomorphologyȱandȱriverȱmanagementȱ:ȱapplicationsȱofȱtheȱriverȱstylesȱframeworkȱ/ȱGaryȱJ.ȱBrierleyȱandȱ KirstieȱA.ȱFryirs.ȱ p.ȱcm.ȱ Includesȱbibliographicalȱreferencesȱandȱindex.ȱ ISBNȱ1Ȭ4051Ȭ1516Ȭ5ȱ(pbk.ȱ:ȱalk.ȱpaper)ȱȱȱ1.ȱRivers.ȱȱȱ2.ȱStreamȱecology.ȱȱȱ3.ȱWatershedȱmanagement.ȱ 4.ȱGeomorphology.ȱȱȱI.ȱFryirs,ȱKirstieȱA.ȱȱȱII.ȱTitle.ȱ ȱ GB1203.2.B755ȱȱ 2005ȱ 551.48’3ȱ–ȱdc22ȱ 2004011686ȱ ȱ ISBNȬ13:ȱ978Ȭ1Ȭ4051Ȭ1516Ȭ2ȱ(pbk.ȱ:ȱalk.ȱpaper)ȱ ȱ AȱcatalogueȱrecordȱforȱthisȱtitleȱisȱavailableȱfromȱtheȱBritishȱLibrary.ȱ ȱ Setȱinȱ9/11ȱTrumpȱMediaevalȱ byȱSNPȱBestȬsetȱTypesetterȱLtd.,ȱHongȱKongȱ PrintedȱandȱboundȱinȱSingaporeȱȱ byȱCOSȱPrintersȱPteȱLtdȱ ȱ Theȱpublisher’sȱpolicyȱisȱtoȱuseȱpermanentȱpaperȱfromȱmillsȱthatȱoperateȱaȱsustainableȱforestryȱpolicy,ȱandȱwhichȱhasȱ beenȱmanufacturedȱfromȱpulpȱprocessedȱusingȱacidȬfreeȱandȱelementaryȱchlorineȬfreeȱpractices.ȱFurthermore,ȱtheȱ publisherȱensuresȱthatȱtheȱtextȱpaperȱandȱcoverȱboardȱusedȱhaveȱmetȱacceptableȱenvironmentalȱaccreditationȱ standards.ȱ ȱ Forȱfurtherȱinformationȱonȱ BlackwellȱPublishing,ȱvisitȱourȱwebsite:ȱ www.blackwellpublishing.comȱ Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xi 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Concern for river health 1 1.2 Geomorphic perspectives on ecosystem approaches to river management 4 1.3 What is river restoration? 5 1.4 Determination of realistic goals in river rehabilitation practice 7 1.5 Managing river recovery processes in river rehabilitation practice 9 1.6 Overview of the River Styles framework 11 1.7 Layout and structure of the book 12 PART A The geoecological basis of river management 15 2 Spatial considerations in aquatic ecosystem management 17 2.1 Introduction and chapter structure 17 2.2 Spatial scales of analysis in aquatic geoecology: A nested hierarchical approach 17 2.3 Use of geomorphology as an integrative physical template for river management activities 30 2.4 Working with linkages of biophysical processes 44 2.5 Respect diversity 49 2.6 Summary 52 3 Temporal considerations in aquatic ecosystem management 53 3.1 Chapter structure 53 3.2 Working with river change 53 3.3 Timescales of river adjustment 56 3.4 Interpreting controls on river character and behavior 58 3.5 Predicting the future in fluvial geomorphology 68 3.6 Summary and implications 75 PART B Geomorphic considerations for river management 77 4 River character 79 4.1 Introduction: Geomorphic approaches to river characterization 79 4.2 Channel bed morphology 80 vi Contents 4.3 Bank morphology 93 4.4 Channel morphology: Putting the bed and banks together 104 4.5 Channel size 107 4.6 Floodplain forms and processes 108 4.7 Channel planform 118 4.8 Valley confinement as a determinant of river morphology 134 4.9 Synthesis 142 5 River behavior 143 5.1 Introduction: An approach to interpreting river behavior 143 5.2 Ways in which rivers can adjust: The natural capacity for adjustment 147 5.3 Construction of the river evolution diagram 152 5.4 Bed mobility and bedform development 161 5.5 Adjustments to channel shape 161 5.6 Interpreting channel behavior through analysis of insteam geomorphic units 167 5.7 Adjustments to channel position on the valley floor 176 5.8 Use of geomorphic units as a unifying attribute to assess river behavior 184 5.9 Synthesis 185 6 River change 186 6.1 Introduction 186 6.2 Framing river evolution in context of Late Quaternary climate change 187 6.3 The nature of river change 188 6.4 Framing river change on the river evolution diagram 191 6.5 The spatial distribution of river change 196 6.6 Temporal perspectives of river change 200 6.7 Appraising system vulnerability to change 202 7 Geomorphic responses of rivers to human disturbance 208 7.1 Introduction: Direct and indirect forms of human disturbance to rivers 208 7.2 Direct human-induced changes to river forms and processes 210 7.3 Indirect river responses to human disturbance 220 7.4 Spatial and temporal variability of human impacts on rivers 225 7.5 (Ir)reversibility and the river evolution diagram revisited 232 7.6 Synopsis 238 PART C The River Styles framework 241 8 Overview of the River Styles framework and practical considerations for its application 243 8.1 Moves towards a more integrative river classification scheme 243 8.2 What is the River Styles framework? 244 8.3 Scale and resolution in practical application of the River Styles framework 249 8.4 Reservations in use of the River Styles framework 251 9 Stage One of the River Styles framework: Catchment-wide baseline survey of river character and behavior 254 9.1 Introduction 254 9.2 Stage One, Step One: Regional and catchment setting analyses 254 Contents vii 9.3 Stage One, Step Two: Definition and interpretation of River Styles 261 9.4 Stage One, Step Three: Assess controls on the character, behavior, and downstream patterns of River Styles 287 9.5 Overview of Stage One of the River Styles framework 292 10 Stage Two of the River Styles framework: Catchment-framed assessment of river evolution and geomorphic condition 297 10.1 Introduction 297 10.2 Stage Two, Step One: Determine the capacity for adjustment of the River Style 300 10.3 Stage Two, Step Two: Interpret river evolution to assess whether irreversible geomorphic change has occurred and identify an appropriate reference condition 302 10.4 Stage Two, Step Three: Interpret and explain the geomorphic condition of the reach 316 10.5 Products of Stage Two of the River Styles framework 323 11 Stage Three of the River Styles framework: Prediction of likely future river condition based on analysis of recovery potential 324 11.1 Introduction 324 11.2 Stage Three, Step One: Determine the trajectory of change 327 11.3 Stage Three, Step Two: Assess river recovery potential: Place reaches in their catchment context and assess limiting factors to recovery 330 11.4 Products of Stage Three of the River Styles framework 341 12 Stage Four of the Rivers Styles framework: Implications for river management 342 12.1 Introduction: River rehabilitation in the context of river recovery 342 12.2 Stage Four, Step One: Develop a catchment-framed physical vision 342 12.3 Stage Four, Step Two: Identify target conditions for river rehabilitation and determine the level of intervention required 349 12.4 Stage Four, Step Three: Prioritize efforts based on geomorphic condition and recovery potential 349 12.5 Stage Four, Step Four: Monitor and audit improvement in geomorphic river condition 353 12.6 Products of Stage Four of the River Styles framework 354 13 Putting geomorphic principles into practice 355 13.1 Introduction 355 13.2 Geomorphology and environmental science 355 13.3 Geomorphology and river management: Reading the landscape to deveop practices that work with river diversity and dynamism 357 13.4 The river management arena 358 13.5 Use of the River Styles framework in geomorphology and river management 362 References 364 Index 387 Preface: our personal, Australian, perspectives Every country has its own landscape which deposits itself in layers on the consciousness of its citizens, thereby canceling the exclusive claims made by all other landscapes. Murray Bail, 1998, p. 23 Any book reflects the personal histories and as- Along with its unique environmental setting sociated geographic and cultural values of its and history of human disturbance, a distinctive authors. In a number of ways it is increasingly dif- approach to natural resources management that ficult for us to separate our scientific perspective is characterized by extensive on-the-ground in- on rivers and their management from an emotion- volvement of community groups has developed al and aesthetic bond that has developed in our in Australia. Rehabilitation strategies imple- work. Working within a conservation ethos, we mented through Catchment Management promote a positive sense of what can be achieved Committees (or Authorities/Trusts), Landcare through effective implementation of rehabilita- Groups, Rivercare Groups, etc. have been comple- tion practices. mented by core support through Federal and State Perspectives conveyed in this book undoubtedly Government programs. Adoption of participatory reflect, to some degree, the distinctive nature of rather than regulatory approaches to river manage- the Australian landscape and biota, the recent yet ment has presented significant opportunity to profound nature of disturbance associated with incorporate research