Large wood retention in river channels: the case of the Fiume Tagliamento,Italy

After more than 300 years of widespread and intensive river management, few examples of complex, unmanaged river systems remain within Europe. An exception is the Fiume Tagliamento, Italy, which retains a riparian woodland margin and unconfined river channel system throughout almost the entire 170 km length of its river corridor. A research programme is underway focusing on a range of related aspects of the hydrology, fluvial geomorphology and ecology of the Tagliamento. This paper contributes to that programme by focusing on large wood retention. The paper adopts a simple force:resistance approach at the scale of the entire river corridor in order to identify reaches of the river with a high wood retention potential. Information on the character of the river corridor is derived from 1:10 000 scale topographic maps. A range of indices measured at 330 transects across the river corridor supports a classification of the geomorphological style of the river which reflects the presence and abundance of properties previously identified in the literature as large wood retention sites. This classification provides a qualitative representation of the ‘resistance’ of the corridor to wood movement and thus its overall wood‐retention potential. The map‐derived indices are also used to extrapolate estimates of the ten year return period flood to each of the 330 transects so that the downstream pattern of unit stream power can be quantified as an index representing ‘force’ in the analysis. Although input of wood is an important factor in many river systems, it is assumed not to be a limiting factor along the Tagliamento, where riparian woodland is abundant. Field observations of large wood storage illustrate that wood retention at eight sites along the river reflects the presence and abundance of the features incorporated in the classification of geomorphological style, including the complexity of the channel network, the availability of exposed gravel areas, and the presence of islands. In general at the time of survey in August 1998, open gravel areas were estimated to store approximately 1 t ha⁻¹ of wood in single‐thread reaches and 6 t ha⁻¹ in multiple‐thread reaches. Established islands were estimated to store an average of 80 t ha⁻¹ of wood. Nevertheless, there was considerable variability between sites, and pioneer islands, which are not represented on maps or readily identified from air photographs because of their small size, were estimated to store an order of magnitude more wood than established islands. Furthermore, the wood storage from this sample of eight sites did not reflect variability in estimated unit stream power. A series of areas for further research are identified, which can be explored using field data, and which will throw more light on the processes of wood retention in this extremely dynamic fluvial environment. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large wood clogging during floods in a gravel‐bed river: the Długopole bridge in the Czarny Dunajec River,Poland

During floods, large quantities of wood can be mobilized and transported downstream. At critical sections, such as bridges, the transported wood might be entrapped and a quick succession of backwater effects can occur as a result of the reduction of the cross‐sectional area. The aim of this work is to explore large wood‐related hazards during floods in the gravel‐bed river Czarny Dunajec (Polish Carpathians), where the river flows through the village of D?ugopole. This work is based on the numerical modelling of large wood transport together with flow dynamics in which inlet and boundary conditions were designed based on field observations. The exploratory approach developed in this study uses multiple scenarios (193) to analyse the factors controlling bridge clogging: wood size, wood supply, flow conditions, morphology and obstacles in the riverbed. Results highlighted the strong control of log length (stronger than that of log diameter) on potential blockage probability; however, according to our results the main factor controlling bridge clogging was the flood discharge. River morphology and wood supply play an important role as well. The river morphology may reduce bridge blockage, as it influences flow velocity and depth, and creates natural retention zones for wood. In addition, the impacts of bridge blockage were analysed in terms of afflux depth and length, and flooded area. Results showed that bridge blockage may result in a significant increase in water depth (up to 0.7 m) and flooded area (up to 33% more), therefore increasing flood risk in the village. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Logjams as a driver of transient storage in a mountain stream

We use four stream segments along a wood-rich, pool–riffle mountain stream in the Southern Rockies of Colorado, USA to examine how spatial variations in wood load and variations in discharge during and after the snowmelt peak flow influence the magnitude of surface and subsurface transient storage. Segments range in complexity from a single channel with no large wood to an anabranching channel with closely spaced, channel-spanning logjams. Discharges at which transient storage was assessed range from base flow to snowmelt peak flow. To explore these relations, we used 10 geomorphic variables representing channel morphology and bed substrate, four wood-related variables representing wood load and associated backwater storage, and two measures of skewness from instream and bulk electrical conductivity breakthrough curves during tracer tests. Instream curves reflect surface and subsurface transient storage, whereas bulk curves primarily represent subsurface transient storage. Higher values of skewness indicate greater retention, and we used the values here as a metric of increased transient storage. Although limited sample size restricts the power of our results, our findings suggest that stream segments with greater instream large wood loads have more and larger pools, greater storage of fine sediment and particulate organic matter, and higher values of skew from instream conductivity. The results also suggest that the presence of instream wood, rather than changes in channel morphology associated with wood, is the most important driver of transient storage. This implies that river management designed to foster transient storage should focus on retaining instream large wood. We did not find significant correlations between geomorphic or wood-related variables and the skew estimated from bulk conductivity, which may reflect the relatively thin alluvium present in the field area and the prevalence of surface transient storage in this system.     

A conceptual model for the longitudinal distribution of wood in mountain streams

Wood load, channel parameters and valley parameters were surveyed in 50 contiguous stream segments each 25 m in length along 12 streams in the Colorado Front Range. Length and diameter of each piece of wood were measured, and the orientation of each piece was tallied as a ramp, buried, bridge or unattached. These data were then used to evaluate longitudinal patterns of wood distribution in forested headwater streams of the Colorado Front Range, and potential channel‐, valley‐ and watershed‐scale controls on these patterns. We hypothesized that (i) wood load decreases downstream, (ii) wood is non‐randomly distributed at channel lengths of tens to hundreds of meters as a result of the presence of wood jams and (iii) the proportion of wood clustered into jams increases with drainage area as a result of downstream increases in relative capacity of a stream to transport wood introduced from the adjacent riparian zone and valley bottom. Results indicate a progressive downstream decrease in wood load within channels, and correlations between wood load and drainage area, elevation, channel width, bed gradient and total stream power. Results support the first and second hypotheses, but are inconclusive with respect to the third hypothesis. Wood is non‐randomly distributed at lengths of tens to hundreds of meters, but the proportion of pieces in jams reaches a maximum at intermediate downstream distances within the study area. We use these results to propose a conceptual model illustrating downstream trends in wood within streams of the Colorado Front Range. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wood storage in three mountain streams of the Southern Andes and its hydro‐morphological effects

This study analyses large wood (LW) storage and the associated effects on channel morphology and flow hydraulics in three third‐order mountain basins (drainage area 9–12 km²) covered in old‐growth Nothofagus forests, ranging from the temperate warm Chilean Andean Cordillera to the sub‐Antarctic Tierra del Fuego (Argentina). Amount, characteristics and dimensions of large wood (>10 cm diameter, >1 m long) were recorded, as well as their effects on stream morphology, hydraulics and sediment storage. Results show that major differences in LW abundance exist even between adjacent basins, as a result of different disturbance histories and basin dissection. Massive LW volumes (i.e. >1000 m³ ha^?1) can be reached in basins disturbed by fires followed by mass movements and debris flows. Potential energy dissipation resulting from wood dams is about a quarter of the total elevation drop in two streams, with a gross sediment volume stored behind wood dams of around 1000 m³ km^?1, which appears to be of the same order as the annual sediment yield. Finally, the presence of wood dams may increase flow resistance by up to one order of magnitude. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Decadal changes in distribution and frequency of wood in a free meandering river,the Ain River,France

This study examined the temporal dynamics and longitudinal distribution of wood over a multi‐decadal timescale at the river reach scale (36 km) and a meander bend scale (300–600 m) in the Ain River, a large gravel‐bed river flowing through a forested corridor, and adjusting to regulation and floodplain land‐use change. At the 36 km scale, more wood was recruited by bank erosion in 1991–2000 than since the 1950s. The longitudinal distribution of accumulations was similar between 1989 and 1999, but in both years individual pieces occurred homogeneously throughout the reach, while jam distribution was localized, associated with large concave banks. A relationship between the mean number of pieces and the volume recruited by bank erosion (r² = 0·97) indicated a spatial relationship between areas of wood production and storage. Wood mass stored and produced and channel sinuosity increased from 1993 to 2004 at three meander bends. Sinuosity was related to wood mass recruited by bank erosion during the previous decade (r² = 0·73) and both of these parameters were correlated to the mean mass of wood/plot (r² = 0·98 and 0·69 respectively), appearing to control wood storage and delivery at the bend scale. This suggests a local origin of wood stored in channel, not input from upstream trapped by preferential sites. The increase in wood since 1950 is a response to floodplain afforestation, to a change from braided to meandering channel pattern in response to regulation, and to recent large floods. We observed temporal stability of supply and depositional sectors over a decade (on a reach scale). Meander bends were major storage sites, trapping wood with concave banks, also delivering wood. These results, and the link between sinuosity and wood frequency, establish geomorphology as a dominant wood storage and recruitment control in large gravel‐bed rivers. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reintroduced large wood modifies fine sediment transport and storage in a lowland river channel

This paper explores changes in suspended sediment transport and fine sediment storage at the reach and patch scale associated with the reintroduction of partial large wood (LW) jams in an artificially over‐widened lowland river. The field site incorporates two adjacent reaches: a downstream section where LW jams were reintroduced in 2010 and a reach immediately upstream where no LW was introduced. LW pieces were organized into ‘partial’ jams incorporating several ‘key pieces’ which were later colonized by substantial stands of aquatic and wetland plants. Reach‐scale suspended sediment transport was investigated using arrays of time‐integrated suspended sediment samplers. Patch‐scale suspended sediment transport was explored experimentally using turbidity sensors to track the magnitude and velocity of artificially generated sediment plumes. Fine sediment storage was quantified at both reach and patch scales by repeat surveys of fine sediment depth. The results show that partial LW jams influence fine sediment dynamics at both the patch and reach scale. At the patch‐scale, introduction of LW led to a reduction in the concentration and increase in the time lag of released sediment plumes within the LW, indicating increased diffusion of plumes. This contrasted with higher concentrations and lower time lags in areas adjacent to the LW; indicating more effective advection processes. This led to increased fine sediment storage within the LW compared with areas adjacent to the LW. At the reach‐scale there was a greater increase in fine sediment storage through time within the restored reach relative to the unrestored reach, although the changes in sediment transport responsible for this were not evident from time‐integrated suspended sediment data. The results of the study have been used to develop a conceptual model which may inform restoration design. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamics of Wood Transport in Streams: A Flume Experiment

The influence of woody debris on channel morphology and aquatic habitat has been recognized for many years. Unlike sediment, however, little is known about how wood moves through river systems. We examined some dynamics of wood transport in streams through a series of flume experiments and observed three distinct wood transport regimes: uncongested, congested and semi-congested. During uncongested transport, logs move without piece-to-piece interactions and generally occupy less than 10 per cent of the channel area. In congested transport, the logs move together as a single mass and occupy more than 33 per cent of the channel area. Semi-congested transport is intermediate between these two transport regimes. The type of transport regime was most sensitive to changes in a dimensionless input rate, defined as the ratio of log volume delivered to the channel per second (Q_log) to discharge (Q_W); this ratio varied between 0·015 for uncongested transport and 0·20 for congested transport. Depositional fabrics within stable log jams varied by transport type, with deposits derived from uncongested and semi-congested transport regimes having a higher proportion of pieces orientated normal to flow than those from congested transport. Because wood input rates are higher and channel dimensions decrease relative to piece size in low-order channels, we expect congested transport will be more common in low-order streams while uncongested transport will dominate higher-order streams. Single flotation models can be used to model the stability of individual pieces, especially in higher-order channels, but are insufficient for modelling the more complex intractions that occur in lower-order streams. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Implementation and validation of video monitoring for wood budgeting in a wandering piedmont river,the Ain River (France)

The transport of wood in rivers during floods is an important process that underlies differences in habitat and morphology between water courses and regions. Quantitative data are needed to properly address management objectives and balance wood budgets. In this study we use a streamside video camera to detect wood passage and measure quasi‐instantaneous rates of wood transport in the Ain River, France. The objectives are to verify the procedure, describe the relation between wood transport and discharge, and construct and validate a wood budget for the reach upstream of the camera. Verification of the procedure includes tests of detection frequency, wood velocity, and piece size. A log base two transformation is proposed to classify wood by piece length. It was found that a wood transport threshold occurs at approximately two thirds of the bankfull discharge. Wood transport follows a positive linear relation with discharge up to the bankfull discharge but is both more variable and less sensitive to discharge when the floodplain is inundated. Transport rates are approximately four times higher on the rising limb of the hydrograph than on the falling limb. Wood transport estimates from a three‐stage rating curve are two to 10 times higher than those from a wood budget using local and aerial surveys of upstream dynamics. Future work should address uncertainties related to wood diameter measurements, sampling length and frequency, and antecedent floods. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The distribution of large woody debris accumulations and pools in relation to woodland stream management in a small,low-gradient stream

This paper focuses upon the natural dynamics of large woody debris (LWD), the impact of management on LWD dynamics, and the impact of LWD removal and channelization on the distribution and size of pools in a British, second to third order, headwater catchment. The study stream is rather different from those subject to LWD accumulations which have been studied in North America. The most important contrast is that it is surrounded by predominantly deciduous rather than coniferous woodland. In terms of its width (1·8–4·5 m) and gradient 0·013 m m⁻¹), it falls within the lower range of channels studied in North America. Nevertheless, there are similarities in LWD dam and pool spacing with some North American studies. The information on LWD dynamics during a period without management and on recovery of LWD dams after clearance covers a 16 year period (1982–1997). The paper illustrates that seven to eight years after clearance the total number of LWD dams has recovered but the most hydraulically active dam type has not recovered to pre-clearance levels. An analysis of geomorphological maps of the channel surveyed in 1982 and 1996/97 shows an overall decrease in the number and size of pools along the section that was cleared of LWD dams. The magnitude of the decrease and the associated adjustments in pools through changes in their size and location differ according to location with respect to a section of the study stream which was channelized in c. 1966 and which has subsequently incised its bed. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of ST:REAM: a reach‐based stream power balance approach for predicting alluvial river channel adjustment

River channel sediment dynamics are important in integrated catchment management because changes in channel morphology resulting from sediment transfer have important implications for many river functions. However, application of existing approaches that account for catchment‐scale sediment dynamics has been limited, largely due to the difficulty in obtaining data necessary to support them. It is within this context that this study develops a new, reach‐based, stream power balance approach for predicting river channel adjustment. The new approach, named ST:REAM (sediment transport: reach equilibrium assessment method), is based upon calculations of unit bed area stream power (ω) derived from remotely sensed slope, width and discharge datasets. ST:REAM applies a zonation algorithm to values of ω that are spaced every 50 m along the catchment network in order to divide the branches of the network up into relatively homogenous reaches. ST:REAM then compares each reach's ω value with the ω of its upstream neighbour in order to predict whether or not the reach is likely to be either erosion dominated or deposition dominated. The paper describes the application of ST:REAM to the River Taff in South Wales, UK. This test study demonstrated that ST:REAM can be rapidly applied using remotely sensed data that are available across many river catchments and that ST:REAM correctly predicted the status of 87.5% of sites within the Taff catchment that field observations had defined as being either erosion or deposition dominated. However, there are currently a number of factors that limit the usefulness of ST:REAM, including inconsistent performance and the need for additional, resource intensive, data to be collected to both calibrate the model and aid interpretation of its results. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Historical land use as a driver of alternative states for stream form and function in forested mountain watersheds of the Southern Rocky Mountains

We demonstrate how land use can drive mountain streams in the Southern Rockies across a threshold to induce an alternative state of significantly reduced physical complexity of form and reduced ecological function. We evaluate field data from 28 stream reaches in relatively laterally unconfined valleys and unmanaged forest that is either old‐growth forest or naturally disturbed younger forest, and 19 stream reaches in managed forest with past land use. We evaluate potential differences in stream form, as reflected in channel planform, cross‐sectional geometry, and in‐stream wood loads, and stream function, as reflected in pool volume and storage of organic carbon. Field data indicate a threshold of differences in stream form and function between unmanaged and managed stream reaches, regardless of forest stand age, supporting our hypothesis that the legacy effects of past land use result in an alternative state of streams. Because physical complexity that increases stream retentiveness and habitat can maintain aquatic‐riparian ecosystem functions, the alternative physical state of streams in managed watersheds creates a physical template for an alternative ecological state with reduced pool volume, organic carbon storage, and ecosystem productivity. We recommend maintaining riparian forests that can supply large wood to streams as a stream restoration technique in historically forested stream segments. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of coarse woody debris on morphology and sediment storage of a mountain stream system in western Oregon

Effects of coarse woody debris (CWD) on channel morphology and sediment storage were investigated at five sites, representative of first-order to fifth-order streams. In the steep and bedrock-confined stream (first-second order), interaction between the channel and CWD was limited, except where breakage upon falling produced CWD pieces shorter than channel width. Channel widening, steepening and sediment storage associated with CWD were observed predominantly in third- to fifth-order streams. Variation in channel width and gradient was regulated by CWD. In the fifth-order stream, most of the CWD pieces derived from the riparian forest interacted directly with the channel without being suspended by sideslopes. In this system CWD promoted lateral channel migration, but sediment storage was temporary, with annual release and capture.     

Modeling planform evolution of a mud‐dominated meandering river: Quinn River,Nevada, USA

A depth‐averaged linearized meander evolution model was calibrated and tested using the field data collected at the Quinn River in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada. Two approaches used to test the model were: (1) simulating meander evolution and comparing the results with the observed 38 year migration pattern; and (2) fitting the model parameters to present bank asymmetry (the ratio of the maximum bank gradients on opposite sides of the channel). The data required as input were collected in the field during a high flow in May 2011 and from aerial photographs and LiDAR data. Both approaches yielded similar results for the best fit parameter values. The bank asymmetry analysis showed that the bank asymmetry and the velocity perturbation have high correlation at close to zero spatial lag while the maximum correlation between the bank asymmetry and maximum bend curvature is offset by about 25 m. The model sufficiently replicated 38 years of channel migration, with a few locations significantly under‐ or over‐predicted. Inadequacies of the flow model and/or variation in bank properties unaccounted for are most likely the causes for these discrepancies. Flow through the Quinn River was also simulated by a more general 3D model. The downstream pattern of near‐bank shear stresses simulated by the 3D model is nearly identical to those resulting from the linearized flow model. Topographic profiles across interior bends are essentially invariant over a wide range of migration rates, suggesting that the traditional formulation that cut bank erosion processes govern migration rates is appropriate for the Quinn River. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Contribution to understanding the historical evolution of meandering rivers using dendrochronological methods: example of the Mała Panew River in southern Poland

The Ma?a Panew is a meandering river that flows 20 km through a closed forest. During times of high discharge the riverbed and floodplain are transformed under the influence of riparian trees. The changes provide the opportunity to measure the intensity of erosion and sediment accumulation based on tree ages, the dating of coarse woody debris (CWD) in the riverbed, and the dating of eccentric growth of tilting trees and exposed roots. The bed and floodplain in reaches of the Ma?a Panew River with low banks were greatly altered as a result of long periods of flooding between 1960 and 1975. Banks were undercut during these floods and black alders tilted. Those parts of alder crowns or stems which tilt and sink generate small sand shadows. When erosion is intensive alder clumps are undercut from concave banks and become mid‐channel islands, while on the other side of the channel meandering bar levels are created. The reaches with higher banks were altered by large floods, especially in 1985 and 1997. The concave banks are undercut and sediment with CWD is deposited within the riverbed, forming sand shadows behind the CWD. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Consequences of forest fires on the hydrogeological response of mountain catchments: a case study of the Riale Buffaga,Ticino, Switzerland

The debris flow of 28 August 1997 which occurred in the Riale Buffaga, a torrent channel in the territory of the village of Ronco s./Ascona (Ticino, Switzerland), has been simulated with a good degree of reliability due to the existence of morphologic surveys of the torrent channel preceding the flood event and the presence of a rain gauge that registered the rainfall event at a resolution of 10 minutes. With these data it is possible to conduct a quantitative analysis of the effect of a forest fire on the hydrogeological response of a given catchment. In the case at hand, a 10‐year rainfall event caused a 100‐ to 200‐year flood event. This result clearly quantifies the possible consequences of a forest fire in terms of territorial safety. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Drivers of variability in large wood loads along the fluvial continuum of a Mediterranean intermittent river

Although in-channel and floodplain large wood (LW) has been recognized as an important component of lotic ecosystems, there is still limited knowledge on the recruitment, mobility and retention of LW in rivers with an intermittent hydrological regime. In this study, we analysed the LW characteristics and related reach-scale variables of 22 reaches in a Mediterranean intermittent river (Evrotas, Greece) in order to identify predictors of in-channel and floodplain LW distribution. Our results indicated high downstream variation in LW volumes in the fluvial corridor (0.05–25.51 m³/ha for in-channel LW and 0–30.88 m³/ha for floodplain LW). In-channel and floodplain LW retention was primarily driven by the hydrological regime of the studied reaches (i.e. perennial or non-perennial) with higher volumes of LW observed in perennial sections. The width of the riparian corridor was an important predictor of LW storage at the reach scale. Non-perennial reaches had a disproportionally larger number of relatively small-diameter living trees at the expense of mature trees with larger diameters typical for riparian stands functioning as LW recruitment areas in perennial reaches. The smaller dimensions of in-channel LW in non-perennial reaches, coupled with the dominance of loose LW pieces, implies frequent LW transport during ordinary flood events. Nevertheless, overall low LW retention in the fluvial corridor under non-perennial flow regime predicts low volumes of mobilized LW. In contrast, the recruitment of relatively long and large-diameter LW from mature riparian stands in perennial reaches, together with additional LW stabilization by banks, bed sediments, living trees or other LW pieces decreases the potential for further LW transport. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of a river delta: a case study of Cimanuk river mouth,Indonesia

This paper describes delta development processes with particular reference to Cimanuk Delta in Indonesia. Cimanuk river delta, the most rapidly growing river delta in Indonesia, is located on the northern coast of Java Island. The delta is subject to ocean waves of less than 1 m height due to its position in the semi‐enclosed Java Sea in the Indonesian archipelago. The study has been carried out using a hydrodynamic model that accounts for sediment movement through the rivers and estuaries. As an advanced approach to management of river deltas, a numerical model, namely MIKE‐21, is used as a tool in the management of Cimanuk river delta. From calibration and verification of hydrodynamic model, it was found that the best value of bed roughness was 0·1 m. For the sediment‐transport model, the calibration parameters were adjusted to obtain the most satisfactory results of suspended sediment concentration and volume of deposition. By comparing the computed and observed data in the calibration, the best values of critical bed shear stress for deposition, critical bed shear stress for erosion and erosion coefficient were 0·05 N m^?2, 0·15 N m^?2, and 0·00001 kg m^?2 s^?1, respectively. The calibrated model was then used to analyse sensitivity of model parameters and to simulate delta development during the periods 1945–1963 and 1981–1997. It was found that the sensitive model parameters were bed shear stresses for deposition and erosion, while the important model inputs were river suspended sediment concentration, sediment characteristics and hydrodynamic. The model result showed reasonable agreement with the observed data. As evidenced by field data, the mathematical model proves that the Cimanuk river delta is a river‐dominated delta because of its protrusion pattern and very high sediment loads from the Cimanuk river. It was concluded that 86% of sediment load from the Cimanuk river was deposited in the Cimanuk delta. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of intermediate fine sediment storage in a braided river reach (southern French Prealps)

This paper presents a field investigation on river channel storage of fine sediments in an unglaciated braided river, the Bès River, located in a mountainous region in the southern French Prealps. Braided rivers transport a very large quantity of bedload and suspended sediment load because they are generally located in the vicinity of highly erosive hillslopes. Consequently, these rivers play an important role because they supply and control the sediment load of the entire downstream fluvial network. Field measurements and aerial photograph analyses were considered together to evaluate the variability of fine sediment quantity stored in a 2·5‐km‐long river reach. This study found very large quantities of fine sediment stored in this reach: 1100 t per unit depth (1 dm). Given that this reach accounts for 17% of the braided channel surface area of the river basin, the quantities of fine sediment stored in the river network were found to be approximately 80% of the mean annual suspended sediment yields (SSYs) (66 200 t year^?1), comparable to the SSYs at the flood event scale: from 1000 t to 12 000 t depending on the flood event magnitude. These results could explain the clockwise hysteretic relationships between suspended sediment concentrations and discharges for 80% of floods. This pattern is associated with the rapid availability of the fine sediments stored in the river channel. This study shows the need to focus on not only the mechanisms of fine sediment production from hillslope erosion but also the spatiotemporal dynamics of fine sediment transfer in braided rivers. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of sediment storage over 45 years in Carnation Creek,BC, a previously glaciated mountain catchment

The movement of sediment through mountain river networks remains difficult to predict, as processes beyond streamflow and particle size are responsible for the entrainment and transport of bedload sediment. In deglaciated catchments, additional complexity arises from glacial impacts on landscape organization. Research to date indicates that the quantity of sediment stored in the channel is an important component of sediment transport in systems which alternate between supply and transport limited states, but limited long-term field data exist which can capture storage-transfer dynamics over a timescale encompassing episodic supply typical of mountain streams. We use a 45-year dataset with annual and decadal-scale data on sediment storage, channel morphology, and wood loading to investigate the spatial and temporal organization of storage in Carnation Creek, a previously glaciated 11 km² catchment on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Sediment is supplied episodically to the channel, including additions from debris flows in the early 1980s just upstream of the studied channel region. Analyzing the spatial and temporal organization of sediment storage along 3.0 km of channel mainstem reveals a characteristic storage wavelength similar to the annual bedload particle travel distance. Over time, two scales of variation in storage are observed: small-scale fluctuation of 3–10 years corresponding to local erosional and depositional processes, and larger scale response over 25–35 years related to supply of sediment from hillslopes. Complex relationships between storage and sediment transfer (i.e., annual change in storage) are identified, with decadal-scale hysteresis present in storage-transfer relations in sites influenced by hillslope sediment and logjams. We propose a conceptual model linking landscape organization to temporal variability in storage and to storage–export cycles. Collectively, our results reaffirm the importance of storage to sediment transport and channel morphology, and highlight the complexity of storage–transport interactions. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.