Defining phases of bedload transport using piecewise regression

Differences in the transport rate and size of bedload exist for varying levels of flow in coarse‐grained channels. For gravel‐bed rivers, at least two phases of bedload transport, with notably differing qualities, have been described in the literature. Phase I consists primarily of sand and small gravel moving at relatively low rates over a stable channel surface. Transport rates during Phase II are considerably greater than Phase I and more coarse grains are moved, including material from both the channel surface and subsurface. Transition from Phase I to Phase II indicates initiation and transport of grains comprising the coarse surface layer common in steep mountain channels. While the existence of different phases of transport is generally acknowledged, the threshold between them is often poorly defined. We present the results of the application of a piecewise regression analysis to data on bedload transport collected at 12 gravel‐bed channels in Colorado and Wyoming, USA. The piecewise regression recognizes the existence of different linear relationships over different ranges of discharge. The inflection, where the fitted functions intersect, is interpreted as the point of transition from Phase I to Phase II transport; this is termed breakpoint. A comparison of grain sizes moved during the two phases shows that coarse gravel is rarely trapped in the samplers during Phase I transport, indicating negligible movement of grains in this size range. Gravel larger than about D₁₆ of the channel surface is more consistently trapped during Phase II transport. The persistence of coarse gravel in bedload samples provides good evidence that conditions suitable for coarse grain transport have been reached, even though the size of the sediment approaches the size limits of the sampler (76 mm in all cases). A relative breakpoint (R_br) was defined by the ratio between the discharge at the breakpoint and the 1·5‐year flow (a surrogate for bankfull discharge) expressed as a percentage. The median value of R_br was about 80 percent, suggesting that Phase II begins at about 80 percent of the bankfull discharge, though the observed values of R_br ranged from about 60 to 100 percent. Variation in this value appears to be independent of drainage area, median grain size, sorting of bed materials, and channel gradient, at least for the range of parameters measured in 12 gravel‐bed channels. Published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dependence of sediment sorting on bedload transport phase in a river meander

It is widely recognized nowadays that there are at least two different phases of bedload sediment transport in gravel‐bed rivers. However, the transition between these phases is still poorly or subjectively defined, especially at bends in rivers, where cross‐stream sediment transport can strongly influence changes in the texture of the transported sediment. In this paper, we use piecewise models to identify objectively, at two points in the cross‐section of a river bend, the discharge at which the transition between bedload transport phases occurs. Piecewise models were applied to a new bedload data set collected during a wide range of discharges while analysing the associated changes in sediment texture. Results allowed the identification of two well‐differentiated phases of sediment transport (phase I and phase II), with a breakpoint located around bankfull discharge. Associated with each phase there was a change in bedload texture. In phase I there was non‐dominance in the transport of fine or coarse fractions at a particular sampling point; but in phase II bedload texture was strongly linked to the position of the sampling point across the channel. In this phase, fine particles tended to be transported to the inner bank, while coarse sizes were transferred throughout the middle parts of the channel. Moreover, bedload texture at the inner sampling point became bimodal while the transport of pebble‐sized particles was increasing in the central parts of the river channel. It is suggested that this general pattern may be related both to secondary currents, which transfer finer particles from the outer to the inner bank, and to the progressive dismantling of the riverbed surface layer. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of bedload transport characteristics of Idaho streams and rivers

Field data are essential in evaluating the adequacy of predictive equations for sediment transport. Each dataset based on the sediment transport rates and other relevant information gives an increased understanding and improved quantification of different factors influencing the sediment transport regime in the specific environment. Data collected for 33 sites on 31 mountain streams and rivers in Central Idaho have enabled the analysis of sediment transport characteristics in streams and rivers with different geological, topographic, morphological, hydrological, hydraulic, and sedimentological characteristics. All of these streams and rivers have armored, poorly sorted bed material with the median particle size of surface layer coarser than the subsurface layer. The fact that the largest particles in the bedload samples did not exceed the median particle size of the bed surface material indicates that the armor layer is stable for the observed flow discharges (generally bankfull or less, and in some cases two times higher than bankfull discharge). The bedload transport is size‐selective. The transport rates are generally low, since sediment supply is less than the ability of flow to move the sediment for one range of flow discharges, or, the hydraulic ability of the stream is insufficient for entrainment of the coarse bed material. Detailed analyses of bedload transport rates, bedload and bed material characteristics were performed for each site. The obtained results and conclusions are used to identify different influences on bedload transport rates in analyzed gravel‐bed rivers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The causes of bedload pulses in a gravel channel: the implications of bedload grain‐size distributions

Unsteady bedload transport was measured in two c. 5 m wide anabranches of a gravel‐bed braided stream draining the Haut Glacier d'Arolla, Switzerland, during the 1998 and 1999 melt seasons. Bedload was directly sampled using 152 mm square Helley–Smith type samplers deployed from a portable measuring bridge, and independent transport rate estimates for the coarser size fractions were obtained from the dispersion of magnetically tagged tracer pebbles. Bedload transport time series show pulsing behaviour under both marginal (1998) and partial (1999) transport regimes. There are generally weak correlations between transport rates and shear stresses determined from velocity data recorded at the measuring bridge. Characteristic parameters of the bedload grain‐size distributions (D₅₀, D₈₄) are weakly correlated with transport rates. Analysis of full bedload grain‐size distributions reveals greater structure, with a tendency for transport to become less size selective at higher transport rates. The bedload time series show autoregressive behaviour but are dif?cult to distinguish by this method. State–space plots, and associated measures of time‐series separation, reveal the structure of the time series more clearly. The measured pulses have distinctly different time‐series characteristics from those modelled using a one‐dimensional sediment routing model in which bed shear stress and grain size are varied randomly. These results suggest a mechanism of pulse generation based on irregular low‐amplitude bedforms, that may be generated in‐channel or may represent the advection of material supplied by bank erosion events. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Strong seasonality in sand loading and resulting feedbacks on sediment transport,bed texture,and channel planform at Mount Pinatubo,Philippines

Declining sand inputs to a channel with bimodal bed sediment can lead to degradation, armoring, and reduced bedload transport rates. Where sand loading is episodic, channels may alternate between high‐sand and low‐sand conditions, with ensuing responses in bed texture and bedload transport rates. The effects of episodic sand loading are explored through flow, grain size, and bedload transport measurements on the Pasig‐Potrero River, a sediment‐rich channel draining Mount Pinatubo, Philippines. Sand loading on the Pasig‐Potrero River is highly seasonal, and channel adjustments between seasons are dramatic. In the rainy season, inputs from sand‐rich 1991 eruption deposits lead to active, sand‐bedded, braided channels. In the dry season, many precipitation‐driven sand sources are cut off, leading to incision, armoring, and significantly lower bedload transport rates. This seasonal transition offers an excellent opportunity to examine models of degradation, incision, and armoring as well as the effectiveness of sediment transport models that explicitly encapsulate the importance of sand on transport rates. During the fall 2009 seasonal transition, 7·6 km of channel incised and armored, carving a 2–3 m deep channel on the upper alluvial fan. Bedload transport rates measured in the August 2009 rainy season were over four orders of magnitude greater than gravel‐bedded dry‐season channels surveyed in January 2010, despite having similar shear stress and unit discharge conditions. Within dry‐season incised channels, bed armoring is rapid, leading to an abrupt gravel‐sand transition. Bedload transport rates adjust more slowly, creating a lag between armoring and commensurate reductions in transport. Seasonal channel incision occurred in steps, aided by lateral migration into sand‐rich banks. These lateral sand inputs may increase armor layer mobility, renewing incision, and forming terraces within the incised seasonal channel. The seasonal incised channel is currently being reset by precipitation‐driven sand loading during the next rainy season, and the cycle begins again. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Increase in coarse sediment transport associated with disturbance of gravel river beds by signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus)

There is growing acknowledgement of the interaction between animals and the river bed on which they live and the implications of biological activity for geomorphic processes. It has been observed that signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) disturb gravel substrates, potentially promoting sediment transport and impacting ecological communities. However, the mechanisms involved and the extent of their impact remain poorly understood, especially in relation to other processes that affect grain mobility in gravel‐bed rivers. A series of flume experiments, using loose and water‐worked gravel beds of narrowly graded grain sizes that were exposed to 6 h of crayfish activity under low‐velocity flows, showed a substantial increase in the number of grains entrained by subsequent higher‐velocity flows when compared with control runs in which crayfish were never introduced. Crayfish alter the topography of their substrate by constructing pits and mounds, which affect grain protrusion. When walking and foraging, they also alter gravel fabric by reorienting and changing the friction angle of surface grains. In water‐worked surfaces, this fabric rearrangement is shown to lead to a statistically significant, partial reversal of the structuring that had been achieved by antecedent flow. For these previously water‐worked surfaces, the increase in entrainment arising from disturbance by crayfish was statistically significant, with grain transport nearly twice as great. This suggests that signal crayfish, an increasingly widespread invasive species in temperate latitudes beyond their native NW North America, have the potential to enhance coarse‐grained bedload flux by altering the surface structure of gravel river beds and reducing the stability of surface grains. This study illustrates further the importance of acknowledging the impact of mobile organisms in conditioning the river bed when assessing sediment entrainment mechanics in the context of predicting bedload flux. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Measurement of the spatial distribution of fluvial bedload transport velocity in both sand and gravel

Maps are presented of the spatial distribution of two‐dimensional bedload transport velocity vectors. Bedload velocity data were collected using the bottom tracking feature of an acoustic Doppler current pro?ler (aDcp) in both a gravel‐bed reach and a sand‐bed reach of Fraser River, British Columbia. Block‐averaged bedload velocity vectors, and bedload velocity vectors interpolated onto a uniform grid, revealed coherent patterns in the bedload velocity distribution. Concurrent Helley‐Smith bedload sampling in the sand‐bed reach corroborated the trends observed in the bedload velocity map. Contemporaneous 2D vector maps of near‐bed water velocity (velocity in bins centered between 25 cm and 50 cm from the bottom) and depth‐averaged water velocity were also generated from the aDcp data. Using a vector correlation coef?cient, which is independent of the choice of coordinate system, the bedload velocity distribution was signi?cantly correlated to the near‐bed and depth‐averaged water velocity distributions. The bedload velocity distribution also compared favorably with variations in depth and estimates of the spatial distribution of shear stress. Published in 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Monitoring gravel augmentation in a large regulated river and implications for process‐based restoration

The artificial gravel augmentation of river channels is increasingly being used to mitigate the adverse effects of river regulation and sediment starvation. A systematic framework for designing and assessing such gravel augmentations is still lacking, notably on large rivers. Monitoring is required to quantify the movement of augmented gravel, measure bedform changes, assess potential habitat enhancement, and reduce the uncertainty in sediment management. Here we present the results of an experiment conducted in the Rhine River (French and German border). In 2010, 23 000 m³ of sediments (approximately the mean annual bedload transport capacity) were supplied in a by‐passed reach downstream of the Kembs dam to test the feasibility of enhancing sediment transport and bedform changes. A 620‐m‐long and 12‐m‐wide gravel deposit was created 8 km downstream from the dam. Monitoring included topo‐bathymetric surveys, radio‐frequency particle tracking using passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags, bed grain size measurement, and airborne imagery. Six surveys performed since 2009 have been described (before and after gravel augmentation, and after Q₂ and Q₁₅ floods). The key findings are that (i) the augmented gravel was partially dispersed by the first flood event of December 2010 (Q₁); (ii) PIT tags were found up to 3200 m downstream of the gravel augmentation site after four years, but the effects of gravel augmentation could not be clearly distinguished from the effects of floods and internal remobilization on more than 3500 m downstream; (iii) linear and log‐linear relationships linking bedload transport, particle mobility, and grain size were established; and (iv) combined bathymetry and PIT tag surveys were useful for evaluating potential environmental risks and the first morpho‐ecological responses. This confirmed the complementary nature of such techniques in the monitoring of gravel augmentation in large rivers. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Patterns of bedload entrainment and transport in forested headwater streams of the Columbia Mountains,Canada

We monitor bedload transport and water discharge at six stations in two forested headwater streams of the Columbia Mountains, Canada. The nested monitoring network is designed to examine the effects of channel bed texture, and the influence of alluvial (i.e. step pools and riffle pools) and semialluvial morphologies (i.e. boulder cascades and forced step pools) on bedload entrainment and transport. Results indicate that dynamics of bedload entrainment are influenced by differences in flow resistance attributable to morphology. Scaled fractional analysis shows that in reaches with high form resistance most bedload transport occurs in partial mobility fashion relative to the available bed material, while calibers finer than 16 mm attain full mobility during bankfull flows. Equal mobility transport for a wider range of grain sizes is achieved in reaches exhibiting reduced form resistance. Our findings confirm that the Shields value for mobilization of the median surface grain size depends on channel gradient and relative submergence; however, we also find that these relations vary considerably for cobble and gravel bed channels due to proportionality between dimensionless shear stress and grain size. Exponents of bedload rating curves across sites correlate most with the D_90s of the mobile bed, however, where grain effects are controlled (i.e. along individual streams), differences in form resistance across morphologies exert a primary control on bedload transport dynamics. Application of empirical formulae developed for use in steep alpine channels present variable success in predicting transport rates in forested snowmelt streams. Formulae that explicitly account for reductions in mobile bed area and high morphological resistance associated with woody debris provide the best approximation to observed empirical data. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reduced bed material stability and increased bedload transport caused by foraging fish: a flume study with juvenile Barbel (Barbus barbus)

The plants and animals that inhabit river channels may act as zoogeomorphic agents affecting the nature and rates of sediment recruitment, transport and deposition. The impact of benthic‐feeding fish, which disturb bed material sediments during their search for food, has received very little attention, even though benthic feeding species are widespread in rivers and may collectively expend significant amounts of energy foraging across the bed. An ex situ experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of a benthic feeding fish (Barbel Barbus barbus) on particle displacements, bed sediment structures, gravel entrainment and transport fluxes. In a laboratory flume changes in bed surface topography were measured and grain displacements examined when an imbricated, water‐worked bed of 5.6 to 16 mm gravels was exposed to feeding juvenile Barbel (on average, 0.195 m in length). Grain entrainment rates and bedload fluxes were measured under a moderate transport regime for substrates that had been exposed to feeding fish and control substrates which had not. On average, approximately 37% of the substrate, by area, was modified by foraging fish during a four‐hour treatment period, resulting in increased microtopographic roughness and reduced particle imbrication. Structural changes by fish corresponded with an average increase in bedload flux of 60% under entrainment flows, whilst on average the total number of grains transported during the entrainment phase was 82% higher from substrates that had been disturbed by Barbel. Together, these results indicate that by increasing surface microtopography and undoing the naturally stable structures produced by water working, foraging can increase the mobility of gravel‐bed materials. An interesting implication of this result is that by increasing the quantity of available, transportable sediment and lowering entrainment thresholds, benthic feeding might affect bedload fluxes in gravel‐bed rivers. The evidence presented here is sufficient to suggest that further investigation of this possibility is warranted. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evolution of grain size distributions and bed mobility during hydrographs in gravel-bed braided rivers

Evolution of bed material mobility and bedload grain size distributions under a range of discharges is rarely observed in braiding gravel-bed rivers. Yet, the changing of bedload grain size distributions with discharge is expected to be different from laterally-stable, threshold, channels on which most gravel bedload theory and observation are based. Here, simultaneous observations of flow, bedload transport rate, and morphological change were made in a physical model of a gravel-bed braided river to document the evolution of grain size distributions and bed mobility over three experimental event hydrographs. Bedload transport rate and grain size distributions were measured from bedload samples collected in sediment baskets. Morphological change was mapped with high-resolution (~1 mm precision) digital elevation models generated from close-range digital photogrammetry. Bedload transport rates were extremely low below a discharge equivalent to ~50% of the channel-forming discharge (dimensionless stream power ~70). Fractional transport rates and plots of grain size distributions indicate that the bed experienced partial mobility at low discharge when the coarsest grains on the bed were immobile, weak selective mobility at higher discharge, and occasionally near-equal mobility at peak channel-forming discharge. The transition to selective mobility and increased bedload transport rates coincided with the lower threshold for morphological change measured by the morphological active depth and active width. Below this threshold discharge, active depths were of the order of D₉₀ and active widths were narrow (< 3% of wetted width). Above this discharge, both increased so that at channel-forming discharge, the active depth had a local maximum of 9D₉₀ while active width was up to 20% of wetted width. The modelled rivers approached equal mobility when rates of morphological change were greatest. Therefore, changes in the morphological active layer with discharge are directly connected to the conditions of bed mobility, and strongly correlated with bedload transport rate. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bedload transport measurements with impact plate geophones: comparison of sensor calibration in different gravel‐bed streams

Indirect bedload transport measurements have been made with the Swiss plate geophone system in five gravel‐bed mountain streams. These geophone sensors record the motion of bedload particles transported over a steel plate mounted flush with the channel bed. To calibrate the geophone system, direct bedload transport measurements were undertaken simultaneously. At the Erlenbach in Switzerland, a moving‐basket sampler was used. At the Fischbach and Ruetz streams in Austria, a Helley–Smith type bedload sampler provided the calibration measurements. A Bunte‐type bedload trap was used at the Rofenache stream in Austria. At the Nahal Eshtemoa in Israel, Reid‐type slot bedload samplers were used. To characterize the response of the geophone signal to bedload particles impacting on the plate, geophone summary values were calculated from the raw signal and stored at one second intervals. The number of impulses, i.e. the number of peaks above a pre‐defined threshold value of the geophone output signal, correlated well with field measured gravel transport loads and was found to be a robust parameter. The relations of impulses to gravel transport loads were generally near‐linear, but the steepness of the calibration relations differed from site to site. By comparing the calibration measurements from the different field sites and utilizing insights gained during preliminary flume experiments, it has been possible to identify the main factors that are responsible for site specific differences in the calibration coefficient. The analysis of these calibration measurements indicates that the geophone signal also contains some information about the grain size distribution of bedload. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of particle density and inflow concentration of suspended sediment on bedload transport in rill flow

Laboratory flume experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of particle density on bedload transport of sand‐sized particles and the effect of a suspended load of clay particles (kaolinite) on bedload transport of sand‐sized particles in rill flow conditions. Three materials in the range 400–600 µm were selected to simulate bedload transport of primary particles and aggregates: sand (2650 kg/m³), crushed brick (2450 kg/m³) and anthracite (1300–1700 kg/m³). In the two first experiments, two different methods were applied to determine bedload transport capacity of coarse particles for various conditions of flow discharge (from 2 to 15 L/min) and slope (2.2, 3 and 4%). In the third experiment, clear water was replaced with kaolinite–water mixture and bedload transport capacity of crushed brick particles was determined for a 4% slope and different concentrations of kaolinite (0, 7, 41 and 84 g/L). The results showed that bedload transport increased significantly with the decrease in particle density but the effect of particle density on transport rates was much less important than flow discharge. Velocity measurements of clear flow, flow mixed with coarse particles and coarse particles confirmed the existence of a differentiation between suspended load and bedload. In these experimental conditions, suspended load of kaolinite did not affect bedload rates of crushed brick particles. Three transport capacity formulae were tested against observed bedload rates. A calibration of the Foster formula revealed that the shear stress exponent should be greater than 1.5. The Low and the Govers unit stream power (USP) equations were then evaluated. The Low equation was preferred for the prediction of bedload rates of primary particles but it was not recommended in the case of aggregates of low density because of the limited experimental conditions applied to derive this equation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The variability in the morphological active width: Results from physical models of gravel‐bed braided rivers

The morphological active width, defined as the lateral extent of bed material displacement over time, is a fundamental parameter in multi‐threaded gravel‐bed rivers, linking complex channel dynamics to bedload transport. Here, results are presented from five constant discharge experiments, and three event hydrographs, covering a range of flow strengths and channel configurations for which morphological change, bedload transport rates, and stream power were measured in a physical model. Changes in channel morphology were determined via differencing of photogrammetrically‐derived digital elevation models (DEMs) of the model surface generated at regular intervals over the course of ~115 h of experimental runs. Independent measures of total bedload output were made using downstream sediment baskets. Results indicate that the morphological active width increases with total and dimensionless stream power and is strongly and positively correlated with bulk change (total volume of bed material displaced over time) and active braiding intensity (ABI). Although there is considerable scatter due to the inherent variability in braided river morphodynamics, the active width is positively correlated with independent measurements of bedload transport rate. Active width, bulk change, and bedload transport rates were all negligible below a dimensionless stream power threshold value of ~ 0.09, above which all increase with flow strength. Therefore, the active width could be used as a general predictor of bulk change and bedload transport rates, which in turn could be approximated from total and dimensionless stream power or ABI in gravel‐bed braided rivers. Furthermore, results highlight the importance of the active width, rather than the morphological active depth, in predicting volumes of change and bedload transport rates. The results contribute to the larger goals of better understanding braided river morphodynamics, creating large high‐resolution datasets of channel change for model calibration and validation, and developing morphological methods for predicting bedload transport rates in braiding river systems. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamics of bedload transport in Turkey brook,a coarse-grained alluvial channel

Automatic and continuously recording samplers are deployed in a Hertfordshire gravel-bed stream to show that bedload transport is related to stream power. The pattern is similar to that already established for North American channels but, because the record is so detailed, it is possible to identify the cause of the considerable scatter that is normal in such relationships. A major factor is the occurrence of rhythmic pulses in bedload discharge that are not matched by similar fluctuations in hydraulic variables. It is suggested that these pulses reflect downstream differences in the concentration of mobile particles in a slow-moving traction carpet, and that they may be likened to kinematic waves. The record also reveals that the threshold of sediment transport—always presumed hithero to be associated with incipient motion—is related to the cessation of bedload transport in a river flood. Indeed, the mean value of stream power at the finish of bedload transport is only 20 percent of that prevailing at the moment of incipient sediment motion. Because of this, there is an inevitably poor correlation between actual bedload transport rates and those predicted by bedload equations which rely upon a single traction threshold. These new data show that the general inverse relationship between bedload discharge and water-depth : grain-size ratio proposed by Bagnold (1977, 1980) is not universal. Transport efficiency for this gravel-bed stream is typically 0.05 per cent of available stream power, which compares with 1.6 per cent for a river moving both gravel and sand, and 5 per cent for another channel where bedload is composed predominantly of sand-sized particles. It is argued that coarse and fine-grained alluvial channels may need to be considered separately. By allowing for differences in traction threshold at the beginning and end of bedload events, and by averaging bedload discharge flood by flood in order to smooth out the effect of pulses, it is possible to achieve a reasonably good prediction of average bedload transport rate in terms of stream power.     

Observations of bedload transport in a gravel bed river during high flow using fiber‐optic DTS methods

The question: ‘how does a streambed change over a minor flood?’ does not have a clear answer due to lack of measurement methods during high flows. We investigate bedload transport and disentrainment during a 1.5‐year flood by linking field measurements using fiber optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) cable with sediment transport theory and an existing explicit analytical solution to predict depth of sediment deposition from amplitude and phase changes of the diurnal near‐bed pore‐water temperature. The method facilitates the study of gravel transport by using near‐bed temperature time series to estimate rates of sediment deposition continuously over the duration of a high flow event coinciding with bar formation. The observations indicate that all gravel and cobble particles present were transported along the riffle at a relatively low Shields Number for the median particle size, and were re‐deposited on the lee side of the bar at rates that varied over time during a constant flow. Approximately 1–6% of the bed was predicted to be mobile during the 1.5‐year flood, indicating that large inactive regions of the bed, particularly between riffles, persist between years despite field observations of narrow zones of local transport and bar growth on the order ~3–5 times the median particle size. In contrast, during a seven‐year flood approximately 8–55% of the bed was predicted to become mobile, indicating that the continuous along‐stream mobility required to mobilize coarse gravel through long pools and downstream to the next riffle is infrequent. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Testing bedload transport equations with consideration of time scales

Bedload transport is known to be a highly fluctuating temporal phenomenon, even under constant (mean) flow conditions, as a consequence of stochasticity, bedform migration, grain sorting, hysteresis, or sediment supply limitation. Because bedload transport formulas usually refer to a single mean transport value for a given flow condition, one can expect that prediction accuracy (when compared to measurements) will depend on the amplitude and duration of fluctuations, which in turn depend on the time scale used for observations. This paper aims to identify how the time scale considered can affect bedload prediction. This was done by testing 16 common bedload transport formulas with four data sets corresponding to different measurement period durations: (i) highly fluctuating (quasi‐)instantaneous field measurements; (ii) volumes accumulated at the event scale on two small alpine gravel‐bed rivers, potentially affected by seasonal fluctuations; (iii) volumes accumulated at the interannual scale in a meandering gravel bed river, thought to be weakly subject to fluctuations; (iv) time‐integrated flume measurements with nearly uniform sediments. The tests confirmed that the longer the measurement period, the better the precision of the formula's prediction interval. They also demonstrate several consequential limitations. Most threshold formulas are no longer valid when the flow condition is below two times the threshold condition for the largest elements' motion on the bed surface (considering D₈₄). In such conditions, equations either predict zero transport, or largely overestimate the real transport, especially when D₈₄ is high. There is a need for new sediment data collected with highly reliable techniques such as recording slot bedload samplers to further investigate this topic. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Field evidence for the control of grain size and sediment supply on steady‐state bedrock river channel slopes in a tectonically active setting

We exploit a natural experiment in Boulder Creek, a ~ 30 km² drainage in the Santa Cruz mountains, CA, USA to explore how an abrupt increase in the caliber of bedload sediment along a bedrock channel influences channel morphology in an actively uplifting landscape. Boulder Creek's bedrock channel, which is entirely developed on weak sedimentary rock, has a high flow shear stress that is about 3.5 times greater where it transports coarse (~ 22 cm D₅₀) diorite in the lower reaches in comparison with the upstream section of the creek that transports only relatively finer bedload (~2 cm D₅₀) derived from weak sedimentary rocks. In addition, Boulder Creek's channel abruptly widens and shallows downstream and transitions from partial to nearly continuous alluvial cover where it begins transporting coarse diorite. Boulder Creek's tributary channels are also about three times steeper where they transport diorite bedload, and within the Santa Cruz mountains channels in sedimentary bedrock are systematically steeper when >50% of their catchment area is within crystalline basement rocks. Despite this clear control of coarse sediment size on channel slopes, the threshold of motion stress for bedload, alone, does not appear to control channel profile slopes here. Upper Boulder Creek, which is starved of coarse sediment, maintains high flow shear stresses well in excess of the threshold for motion. In contrast, lower Boulder Creek, with a greater coarse sediment supply, exerts high flow stresses much closer to the threshold for motion. We speculate that upper Boulder Creek has evolved to sustain partial alluvial cover and transfer greater energy to the bed via bedload impacts to compensate for its low coarse sediment supply. Thus bedload supply, bedrock erosion efficiency, and grain size all appear to influence channel slopes here. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The anatomy of effective discharge: the dynamics of coarse sediment transport revealed using continuous bedload monitoring in a gravel‐bed river during a very wet year

Indirect, passive approaches for monitoring coarse bedload transport could allow cheaper, safer, higher‐resolution, longer‐term data that revolutionises bedload understanding and informs river management. Here, insights provided by seismic impact plates in a downstream reach of a flashy gravel‐bed river (River Avon, Devon, UK) are explored in the context of plate performance. Monitoring of a centrally‐situated plate (IP1) during an extremely wet 12‐month period demonstrated that impacts were related to discharge as a measure of transport potential (R² = 0.38) but that factors other than transport limitations are important. Analysis of discrete flow events revealed consistent rising‐limb and falling‐limb impact spikes biased toward the latter for larger events. Such patterns may result from disruption of the upstream armour layer (rising limb) and supply enhancements related to both upstream mass bank failures and/or flood routing of non‐local sediment sources (falling limb). Installation of additional impact plates indicated that plate IP1 was indeed dominantly related to instantaneous discharge, that a three‐plate lateral array somewhat better explained impact variability (R² = 0.49), and that the bedload track shifts laterally with discharge. Aggregating event‐total IP1 impacts against volumetric discharge further increases explanation as intra‐event and stochastic bedload factors are subsumed but left 26% unexplained variance related to the unsampled bedload mass, inter‐event supply differences, and attributes of plate performance. Annualising the data created an impact‐based 'effective discharge’ for this extremely wet year that was closer to morphological bar‐full in magnitude than bankfull, but the preceding results imply this outcome is related as much to supply limitations as transport limitations. Overall, passive approaches offer a liberating prospect for bedload monitoring, capable of producing insights only achievable through high resolution, extended time periods. Such results could potentially inform threshold conditions and geomorphological effectiveness of flows for future river management strategies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

In situ quantification of spatial and temporal variability of hyporheic exchange in static and mobile gravel‐bed rivers

Seepage meters modified for use in flowing water were used to directly measure rates of exchange between surface and subsurface water in a gravel‐ and cobble bed river in western Pennsylvania, USA (Allegheny River, Q_mean = 190 m³/s) and a sand‐ and gravel‐bed river in Colorado, USA (South Platte River, Q_mean = 9·7 m³/s). Study reaches at the Allegheny River were located downstream from a dam. The bed was stable with moss, algae, and river grass present in many locations. Median seepage was + 0·28 m/d and seepage was highly variable among measurement locations. Upward and downward seepage greatly exceeded the median seepage rate, ranging from + 2·26 (upward) to ? 3·76 (downward) m/d. At the South Platte River site, substantial local‐scale bed topography as well as mobile bedforms resulted in spatial and temporal variability in seepage greatly in exceedence of the median groundwater discharge rate of 0·24 m/d. Both upward and downward seepage were recorded along every transect across the river with rates ranging from + 2·37 to ? 3·40 m/d. Despite a stable bed, which commonly facilitates clogging by fine‐grained or organic sediments, seepage rates at the Allegheny River were not reduced relative to those at the South Platte River. Seepage rate and direction depended primarily on measurement position relative to local‐ and meso‐scale bed topography at both rivers. Hydraulic gradients were small at nearly all seepage‐measurement locations and commonly were not a good indicator of seepage rate or direction. Therefore, measuring hydraulic gradient and hydraulic conductivity at in‐stream piezometers may be misleading if used to determine seepage flux across the sediment‐water interface. Such a method assumes that flow between the well screen and sediment‐water interface is vertical, which appears to be a poor assumption in coarse‐grained hyporheic settings. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.