(;109 v0R \ he , 19-'7'l> SEDIMENT DISCHARGE IN THE SANTA CLARA RIVER BASIN, VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA lflII lliiil! :llll1llliill Il,~1•·~ } U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations 79-78 Prepared in cooperation with Ventura County Flood Control District, United Water Conservation District, and California Department of Boating and Waterways 50272 I 01 ! 3 . Rec1p1ent's Accession No. REPORT DOCUMENTATION 11. REPORT NO. PAGE I 4. Title and Subtitle I 5. Repor, Date SEDIMENT DISCHARGE IN THE SANTA CLARA RIVER BASIN, VENTURA AND I August 1979 LOS ANGELES COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA 6. 7. Au1horls) 8. Perform1nc Orsan1zation Rept. No. Williams, Rhea P. USGS/WRI 79-78 9. Performinc O,can1zation Name and Addreu 10. Pro1ect/Task/Work Unit No. U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division California District 11. Contract(C) or Grant(C) No. 345 Middlefield Road CC) Menlo Park, Calif. 94025 (Cl 12. Sponsorinc Orsan1zation Name and Address 13. Type of Report & Period Co,,..,ed U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division Final California District 345 Middlefield Road 1 u. Menlo Park, Calif. 94025 I 1S. Supplemenary Notes Prepared in cooperation with Ventura County Flood Control District, United Water Conservation District, and California Department of Boating and Waterways 16. Abstract cum,t 20c woros> Sediment data collected in the Santa Clara River basin during the 1967-75 water years were analyzed to determine the particle size and quantity of sediment transported past three gaging stations. The total sediment discharge of the basin, computed from records of Santa Clara River at Montalvo for water years 1968-75, was 63.5 million tons, of which 59.5 million tons was carried in suspension and an estimated 4 million tons was transported as unsampled sediment discharge. About 17.7 million tons, or 28 percent of the total sediment discharge, was coarse sediment. Most of the sediment was transported during only a few days of floodflow each year. During the 1968-75 water years, approximately 55 percent of the total sediment was transported in 2 days and 92 percent was transported in 53 days. The long-term (1928-75) average annual sediment discharge of the Santa Clara River at Montalvo is estimated at 3.67 million tons. Of that quantity, 2.58 million tons consisted of fine sediment and 1.09 million tons consisted of coarse sediment. A sediment budget for the Santa Clara River basin was estimated for sediment discharges under both natural and actual conditions. The major difference between natural and actual sediment discharges of the Santa Clara River basin is the sediment intercepted upstream from Lake Piru. The combined trap efficiency of Lake Piru and Pyramid Lake approaches 100 percent. Sediment deposited in these reservoirs resulted in about a 6-percent reduction of sediment to the Santa Clara River basin during the historical period (1928-75) and a 12-percent reduction during t~e period most affected by dams (1953-75). Sediment losses to the basin by gravel m·ining, diversion of flows, and interception of sediment in the Castaic Creek basin resvlted in additional reductions of 2 percent during the period 1928-75 and 4 percent during the period 1953-75. 17. Document Analysis •· DeM:npto" *Sediment Discharge, *Sediment Transport, California, Coarse Sediments, Suspension b. ldentlf1el"S/C)pe"•Ended Terms Santa Clara River basin, Ventura County, Los Angeles County c COSATI Field/Group l&. Availability Statement l 19. Security Class (This Reoor: 1 21. No of Pages UNCLASSIFIED 56 No restriction on distribution 20. Security Class (This Pagel UNCLASSIFIED (See ANSI-Z39.l8J OP-:-IO"iA~ ro111o1 :72 (t.-77 ) (rC",,.,f'rh ,-;• ,!-,.-3~, Of't"\.1trtm~nt r' CC'-,mfl'rCt SEDIMENT DISCHARGE IN THE SANTA CLARA RIVER BASIN, VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA By Rhea P. Wi lliams U. S. GEO LOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations 79-78 Prepared in cooperation with Ventura County Flood Control District, United Water Conservation District, and California Department of Boati ng and Waterways August 1979 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR CECIL D. ANDRUS, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY H. William Menard, Director For additional information write to: District Chief Water Resources Division U.S. Geological Survey 345 Middlefield Road Menlo Park, Calif. 94025 CONTENTS Page Conversion factors------------------------------------------------------- V Abstract----------------------------------------------------------------­ 1 Introduction------------------------------------------------------------- 2 Previous investigations-------------------------------------------------- 2 Envirorunent-------------------------------------------------------------­ 3 Streamflow--------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Measured streamflow------------------------------------------------­ 4 Estimated streamflow, 1928-75--------------------------------------- 5 Sediment transport------------------------------------------------------­ 7 Data collection----------------------------------------------------- 10 Sediment-discharge relations---------------------------------------- 19 Streambed changes--------------------------------------------------- 19 Long-term sediment discharge---------------------------------------­ 21 Estimated sediment budget for the Santa Clara River basin---------------­ 25 Selected references------------------------------------------------------ 28 ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. Hap showing location of sediment-sampling stations---------­ 32 2-4. Graphs showing flow-duration curves: 2. Santa Clara River at Los Angeles-Ventura County line (11108500)---------------------------- 33 3. Santa Clara River at Montalvo (11114000)------------ 34 4. Sespe Creek near Fillmore (11113000)---------------­ 35 5-7. Graphs showing particle-size distribution of bed material: 5. Santa Clara River at Los Angeles-Ventura County line (11108500), determined by sieve analysis------------------------------------ 36 6. Santa Clara River at Montalvo (11114000), d termined by sieve analysis---------------------- 37 7. Sesp Creek near Fillmore (11113000), determined by optical, particle-count, and sieve analys s------------------------------------------ 38 8. Graph comparing bedload determined by modified E·nstein method to Meyer-Peter and Muller method, Sespe Creek near Fillmore (11113000), water years 1967-75--------------------------------------------- 39 III IV CONTENTS Page Figures 9-11. Graphs showing relation of suspended-sediment discharge to water discharge: 9. Santa Clara River at Los Angeles-Ventura County line (11108500), water years 1969-75---- 40 10. Santa Clara River at Montalvo (11114000), water years 1968-75---------------------------------- 41 11 . Sespe Creek near Fillmore (11113000), water years 1967-75---------------------------------------- 42 12-14. Graphs showing relation of water discharge to suspended-, unsampled-, and total s ediment discharges: 12 . Santa Clara River at Los Angeles-V ntura County line (11108500), water years 1969-75---- 43 13 . Santa Clara River at Montalvo (11114000), water years 1968- 75 ---------------------------------- 44 14. Sespe Creek near Fillmore (11113000), water years 1967 -75---------------------------------- 45 15 - 17 . Graphs showing relation of water discharge to coarse-sediment discharge : 15. Santa Clara River at Los Angeles-Ventura County line (11108500), water years 1969 -75---- 46 16 . Santa Clara River at Montalvo (11114000) , water years 1968- 75 ---------------------------------- 47 17 . Sespe Creek near Fillmo re (11113000), water years 1967-75---------------------------------------- 48 18 . Graph showing variation in low-water streambed elevation, Sespe Creek near Fillmore (11113000)-------- 49 19. Graph showing particle-size distribution of bed material, Santa Clara River at Montalvo (11114000), and at Saticoy (11113920) ------------------------------ 50 20. Graph showing relation of water discharge to bedload­ sediment discharge, Sa nta Clara River at Montalvo (11114000), and at Saticoy (11113920), water year 1969 ---------------------------------------- 51 TABLES Page Table 1 . Periods of streamflow record for the Santa Clara River basin, 1928-75---------------------------------------------- 6 2. Annual streamflow for 12 components of the Santa Clara River drainage system for 1928-75--------------------------- 8 3 . Particle-size distribution of suspended sediment and hydraulic properties at time of suspended-sedi ment sampling------------------------------ ---------------------- 12 4. Average particle-size distribution of surface bed material used------------------------------------------- 18 CONTENTS V Page Table 5. Relation and frequency of occurrence of water and suspended-sediment discharge--------------------------------- 22 6 . Annual water and sediment discharge in the Santa Clara River basin-------------------------------------------------- 24 7. Estimated long-term coarse-sediment discharge of the Santa Clara River basin, various periods--------------------- 25 8. Annual sediment budget for the Santa Clara River basin, 1928-75----------------------------------------------- 27 CONVERSION FACTORS The inch-pound system is used in this report . For readers who prefer metric units, the conversion factors for the terms used in this report are listed below: Multiply inch-pound unit By To obtain metric unit acre-ft (acre-foot) 0.001233 hm 3 (cubic hectometer) ft (foot) 0 . 3048 m (meter) ft/s (foot per second) 0 . 3048 m/s (meter per second)