Effect of morphology and discharge on hyporheic exchange flows in two small streams in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon,USA

Stream‐tracer injections were used to examine the effect of channel morphology and changing stream discharge on hyporheic exchange flows. Direct observations were made from well networks to follow tracer movement through the hyporheic zone. The reach‐integrated influence of hyporheic exchange was evaluated using the transient storage model (TSM) OTIS‐P. Transient storage modelling results were compared with direct observations to evaluate the reliability of the TSM. Results from the tracer injection in the bedrock reach supported the assumption that most transient storage in headwater mountain streams results from hyporheic exchange. Direct observations from the well networks in colluvial reaches showed that subsurface flow paths tended to parallel the valley axis. Cross‐valley gradients were weak except near steps, where vertical and cross‐valley hydraulic gradients indicated a strong potential for stream water to downwell into the hyporheic zone. The TSM parameters showed that both size and residence time of transient storage were greater in reaches with a few large log‐jam‐formed steps than in reaches with more frequent, but smaller steps. Direct observations showed that residence times in the unconstrained stream were longer than in the constrained stream and that little change occurred in the location and extent of the hyporheic zone between low‐ and high‐baseflow discharges in any of the colluvial reaches. The transient storage modelling results did not agree with these observations, suggesting that the TSM was insensitive to long residence‐time exchange flows and was very sensitive to changes in discharge. Disagreements between direct observations and the transient storage modelling results highlight fundamental problems with the TSM that confound comparisons between the transient storage modelling results for tracer injections conducted under differing flow conditions. Overall, the results showed that hyporheic exchange was little affected by stream discharge (at least over the range of baseflow discharges examined in this study). The results did show that channel morphology controlled development of the hyporheic zone in these steep mountain stream channels. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling surface and ground water mixing in the hyporheic zone using MODFLOW and MT3D

We used a three-dimensional MODFLOW model, paired with MT3D, to simulate hyporheic zones around debris dams and meanders along a semi-arid stream. MT3D simulates both advective transport and sink/source mixing of solutes, in contrast to particle tracking (e.g. MODPATH), which only considers advection. We delineated the hydrochemically active hyporheic zone based on a new definition, specifically as near-stream subsurface zones receiving a minimum of 10% surface water within a 10-day travel time. Modeling results indicate that movement of surface water into the hyporheic zone is predominantly an advective process. We show that debris dams are a key driver of surface water into the subsurface along the experimental reach, causing the largest flux rates of water across the streambed and creating hyporheic zones with up to twice the cross-sectional area of other hyporheic zones. Hyporheic exchange was also found in highly sinuous segments of the experimental reach, but flux rates are lower and the cross-sectional areas of these zones are generally smaller. Our modeling approach simulated surface and ground water mixing in the hyporheic zone, and thus provides numerical approximations that are more comparable to field-based observations of surface–groundwater exchange than standard particle-tracking simulations.     

Bedform-induced hyporheic exchange with unsteady flows

The interaction between surface and subsurface water has a crucial influence on the biochemistry of stream environments. Even though the river discharge and the flow conditions can seldom be considered to be steady, the influence of this unsteadiness on the hyporheic exchange has often been neglected. In this work, a model for the study of hyporheic exchange during unsteady conditions has been developed. The model provides a sound analytical framework for the analysis of the effects of a varying stream discharge on the exchange between a stream and the hyporheic zone. The effects of the unsteadiness on the water exchange flux, the residence time of the solutes in the bed, and the stored mass are quantified. A synthetic example shows the substantial influence of a flood on the hyporheic exchange, and that the application of a steady model can lead to an underestimation of the exchanged mass, even after the flood has ended.     

Impact of debris dams on hyporheic interaction along a semi‐arid stream

Hyporheic exchange increases the potential for solute retention in streams by slowing downstream transport and increasing solute contact with the substrate. Hyporheic exchange may be a major mechanism to remove nutrients in semi‐arid watersheds, where livestock have damaged stream riparian zones and contributed nutrients to stream channels. Debris dams, such as beaver dams and anthropogenic log dams, may increase hyporheic interactions by slowing stream water velocity, increasing flow complexity and diverting water to the subsurface. Here, we report the results of chloride tracer injection experiments done to evaluate hyporheic interaction along a 320 m reach of Red Canyon Creek, a second order stream in the semi‐arid Wind River Range of Wyoming. The study site is part of a rangeland watershed managed by The Nature Conservancy of Wyoming, and used as a hydrologic field site by the University of Missouri Branson Geologic Field Station. The creek reach we investigated has debris dams and tight meanders that hypothetically should enhance hyporheic interaction. Breakthrough curves of chloride measured during the field experiment were modelled with OTIS‐P, a one‐dimensional, surface‐water, solute‐transport model from which we extracted the storage exchange rate α and cross‐sectional area of the storage zone A_s for hyporheic exchange. Along gaining reaches of the stream reach, short‐term hyporheic interactions associated with debris dams were comparable to those associated with severe meanders. In contrast, along the non‐gaining reach, stream water was diverted to the subsurface by debris dams and captured by large‐scale near‐stream flow paths. Overall, hyporheic exchange rates along Red Canyon Creek during snowmelt recession equal or exceed exchange rates observed during baseflow at other streams. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Diel stream geochemistry,Taylor Valley,Antarctica

Unlike temperate and polythermal proglacial streams, the proglacial streams in Taylor Valley (TV), Antarctica, are derived primarily from glacier surface melt with no subglacial or groundwater additions. Solute responses to flow reflect only the interaction of glacial meltwater with the valley floor surrounding the stream channel. We have investigated the major, minor and trace element 24‐h variations of two proglacial melt streams, Andersen Creek and Canada Stream, originating from the Canada Glacier in TV, Antarctica. Both streams exhibited diel mid‐austral summer diurnal flow variation, with maximum flow being more than 50 times the minimum flow. Dissolved (< 0.4 µm) major, minor and trace solute behaviors through diel periods were strongly controlled by the availability of readily solubilized material on the valley floor and hyporheic‐biological exchanges. Anderson Creek had generally greater solute concentrations than Canada Stream because of its greater receipt of eolian sediment. Andersen Creek also acquired greater solute concentrations in the rising limb of the hydrograph than the falling limb because of dissolution of eolian material at the surface of the stream channel coupled with minimal hyporheic‐biological exchange. Conversely, Canada Stream had less available eolian sediment, but a greater hyporheic‐biological exchange, which preferentially removed trace and major solutes in the rising limb and released them in the falling limb. Given the dynamic nature of discharge, eolian, and hyporheic‐biological processes, solute loads in TV streams are difficult to predict. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Patterns in stream longitudinal profiles and implications for hyporheic exchange flow at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest,Oregon, USA

There is a need to identify measurable characteristics of stream channel morphology that vary predictably throughout stream networks and that influence patterns of hyporheic exchange flow in mountain streams. In this paper we characterize stream longitudinal profiles according to channel unit spacing and the concavity of the water surface profile. We demonstrate that: (1) the spacing between zones of upwelling and downwelling in the beds of mountain streams is closely related to channel unit spacing; (2) the magnitude of the vertical hydraulic gradients (VHGs) driving hyporheic exchange flow increase with increasing water surface concavity, measured at specific points along the longitudinal profile; (3) channel unit spacing and water surface concavity are useful metrics for predicting how patterns in hyporheic exchange vary amongst headwater and mid‐order streams. We use regression models to describe changes in channel unit spacing and concavity in longitudinal profiles for 12 randomly selected stream reaches spanning 62 km² in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon. Channel unit spacing increased significantly, whereas average water surface concavity (AWSC) decreased significantly with increasing basin area. Piezometer transects installed longitudinally in a subset of stream reaches were used to measure VHG in the hyporheic zone, and to determine the location of upwelling and downwelling zones. Predictions for median pool length and median distance between steps in piezometer reaches bracketed the median distance separating zones of upwelling in the stream bed. VHG in individual piezometers increased with increasing water surface concavity at individual points in the longitudinal profile along piezometer transects. Absolute values of VHG, averaged throughout piezometer transects, increased with increasing AWSC, indicating increased potential for hyporheic exchange flow. These findings suggest that average hyporheic flow path lengths increase—and the potential for hyporheic exchange flow in stream reaches decreases—along the continuum from headwater to mid‐order mountain streams. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A modelling study of hyporheic exchange pattern and the sequence,size, and spacing of stream bedforms in mountain stream networks,Oregon, USA

Studies of hyporheic exchange flows have identified physical features of channels that control exchange flow at the channel unit scale, namely slope breaks in the longitudinal profile of streams that generate subsurface head distributions. We recently completed a field study that suggested channel unit spacing in stream longitudinal profiles can be used to predict the spacing between zones of upwelling (flux of hyporheic water into the stream) and downwelling (flux of stream water into the hyporheic zone) in the beds of mountain streams. Here, we use two‐dimensional groundwater flow and particle tracking models to simulate vertical and longitudinal hyporheic exchange along the longitudinal axis of stream flow in second‐, third‐, and fourth‐order mountain stream reaches. Modelling allowed us to (1) represent visually the effect that the shape of the longitudinal profile has on the flow net beneath streambeds; (2) isolate channel unit sequence and spacing as individual factors controlling the depth that stream water penetrates the hyporheic zone and the length of upwelling and downwelling zones; (3) evaluate the degree to which the effects of regular patterns in bedform size and sequence are masked by irregularities in real streams. We simulated hyporheic exchange in two sets of idealized stream reaches and one set of observed stream reaches. Idealized profiles were constructed using regression equations relating channel form to basin area. The size and length of channel units (step size, pool length, etc.) increased with increasing stream order. Simulations of hyporheic exchange flows in these reaches suggested that upwelling lengths increased (from 2·7 m to 7·6 m), and downwelling lengths increased (from 2·9 m to 6·0 m) with increase in stream order from second to fourth order. Step spacing in the idealized reaches increased from 5·3 m to 13·7 m as stream size increased from second to fourth order. Simulated downwelling lengths increased from 4·3 m in second‐order streams to 9·7 m in fourth‐order streams with a POOL–RIFFLE–STEP channel unit sequence, and increased from 2·5 m to 6·1 m from second‐ to fourth‐order streams with a POOL–STEP–RIFFLE channel unit sequence. Upwelling lengths also increased with stream order in these idealized channels. Our results suggest that channel unit spacing, size, and sequence are all important in determining hyporheic exchange patterns of upwelling and downwelling. Though irregularities in the size and spacing of bedforms caused flow nets to be much more complex in surveyed stream reaches than in idealized stream reaches, similar trends emerged relating the average geomorphic wavelength to the average hyporheic wavelength in both surveyed and idealized reaches. This article replaces a previously published version (Hydrological Processes, 19 (17), 2915–2929 (2005) [ DOI:10.1002/hyp.5790 ]. See also retraction notice DOI:10.1002/hyp.6350 Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Retracted and replaced: A modelling study of hyporheic exchange pattern and the sequence,size, and spacing of stream bedforms in mountain stream networks,Oregon, USA

This article has been retracted and replaced. See Retraction and Replacement Notice DOI: 10.1002/hyp.6350 Studies of hyporheic exchange flows have identified physical features of channels that control exchange flow at the channel unit scale, namely slope breaks in the longitudinal profile of streams that generate subsurface head distributions. We recently completed a field study that suggested channel unit spacing in stream longitudinal profiles can be used to predict the spacing between zones of upwelling (flux of hyporheic water into the stream) and downwelling (flux of stream water into the hyporheic zone) in the beds of mountain streams. Here, we use two‐dimensional groundwater flow and particle tracking models to simulate vertical and longitudinal hyporheic exchange along the longitudinal axis of stream flow in second‐, third‐, and fourth‐order mountain stream reaches. Modelling allowed us to (1) represent visually the effect that the shape of the longitudinal profile has on the flow net beneath streambeds; (2) isolate channel unit sequence and spacing as individual factors controlling the depth that stream water penetrates the hyporheic zone and the length of upwelling and downwelling zones; (3) evaluate the degree to which the effects of regular patterns in bedform size and sequence are masked by irregularities in real streams. We simulated hyporheic exchange in two sets of idealized stream reaches and one set of observed stream reaches. Idealized profiles were constructed using regression equations relating channel form to basin area. The size and length of channel units (step size, pool length, etc.) increased with increasing stream order. Simulations of hyporheic exchange flows in these reaches suggested that upwelling lengths increased (from 2·7 m to 7·6 m), and downwelling lengths increased (from 2·9 m to 6·0 m) with increase in stream order from second to fourth order. Step spacing in the idealized reaches increased from 5·3 m to 13·7 m as stream size increased from second to fourth order. Simulated upwelling lengths increased from 4·3 m in second‐order streams to 9·7 m in fourth‐order streams with a POOL–RIFFLE–STEP channel unit sequence, and increased from 2·5 m to 6·1 m from second‐ to fourth‐order streams with a POOL–STEP–RIFFLE channel unit sequence. Downwelling lengths also increased with stream order in these idealized channels. Our results suggest that channel unit spacing, size, and sequence are all important in determining hyporheic exchange patterns of upwelling and downwelling. Though irregularities in the size and spacing of bedforms caused flow nets to be much more complex in surveyed stream reaches than in idealized stream reaches, similar trends emerged relating the average geomorphic wavelength to the average hyporheic wavelength in both surveyed and idealized reaches. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hyporheic exchange flows induced by constructed riffles and steps in lowland streams in southern Ontario,Canada

Stream–subsurface water interaction induced by natural riffles and constructed riffles/steps was examined in lowland streams in southern Ontario, Canada. The penetration of stream water into the subsurface was analysed using hydrometric data, and the zone of > 10% stream water was calculated from a chemical mixing equation using tracer injection of bromide and background chloride concentrations. The constructed riffles studied induced more extensive hyporheic exchange than the natural riffles because of their steeper longitudinal hydraulic head gradients and coarser streambed sediments. The depth of > 10% stream water zone in a small and a large constructed riffle extended to > 0·2 m and > 1·4 m depths respectively. Flux and residence time distribution of hyporheic exchange were simulated in constructed riffles using MODFLOW, a finite‐difference groundwater flow model. Hyporheic flux and residence time distribution varied along the riffles, and the exchange occurring upstream from the riffle crest was small in flux and had a long residence time. In contrast, hyporheic exchange occurring downstream from the riffle crest had a relatively short residence time and accounted for 83% and 70% of total hyporheic exchange flow in a small and large riffle respectively. Although stream restoration projects have not considered the hyporheic zone, our data indicate that constructed riffles and steps can promote vertical hydrologic exchange and increase the groundwater–surface water linkage in degraded lowland streams. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determining long time‐scale hyporheic zone flow paths in Antarctic streams

In the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, glaciers are the source of meltwater during the austral summer, and the streams and adjacent hyporheic zones constitute the entire physical watershed; there are no hillslope processes in these systems. Hyporheic zones can extend several metres from each side of the stream, and are up to 70 cm deep, corresponding to a lateral cross‐section as large as 12 m², and water resides in the subsurface year around. In this study, we differentiate between the near‐stream hyporheic zone, which can be characterized with stream tracer experiments, and the extended hyporheic zone, which has a longer time‐scale of exchange. We sampled stream water from Green Creek and from the adjacent saturated alluvium for stable isotopes of D and ¹⁸O to assess the significance and extent of stream‐water exchange between the streams and extended hyporheic zones over long time‐scales (days to weeks). Our results show that water residing in the extended hyporheic zone is much more isotopically enriched (up to 11‰ D and 2·2‰ ¹⁸O) than stream water. This result suggests a long residence time within the extended hyporheic zone, during which fractionation has occurred owing to summer evaporation and winter sublimation of hyporheic water. We found less enriched water in the extended hyporheic zone later in the flow season, suggesting that stream water may be exchanged into and out of this zone, on the time‐scale of weeks to months. The transient storage model OTIS was used to characterize the exchange of stream water with the extended hyporheic zone. Model results yield exchange rates (α) generally an order magnitude lower (10^?5 s^?1) than those determined using stream‐tracer techniques on the same stream. In light of previous studies in these streams, these results suggest that the hyporheic zones in Antarctic streams have near‐stream zones of rapid stream‐water exchange, where ‘fast’ biogeochemical reactions may influence water chemistry, and extended hyporheic zones, in which slower biogeochemical reaction rates may affect stream‐water chemistry at longer time‐scales. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Transport of nonsorbing solutes in a streambed with periodic bedforms

Previous studies of hyporheic zone focused largely on the net mass transfer of solutes between stream and streambed. Solute transport within the bed has attracted less attention. In this study, we combined flume experiments and numerical simulations to examine solute transport processes in a streambed with periodic bedforms. Solute originating from the stream was subjected to advective transport driven by pore water circulation due to current–bedform interactions as well as hydrodynamic dispersion in the porous bed. The experimental and numerical results showed that advection played a dominant role at the early stage of solute transport, which took place in the hyporheic zone. Downward solute transfer to the deep ambient flow zone was controlled by transverse dispersion at the later stage when the elapsed time exceeded the advective transport characteristic time t_c (= L/u_c with L being the bedform length and u_c the characteristic pore water velocity). The advection-based pumping exchange model was found to predict reasonably well solute transfer between the overlying water and streambed at the early stage but its performance deteriorated at the later stage. With dispersion neglected, the pumping exchange model underestimated the long-term rate and total mass of solute transfer from the overlying water to the bed. Therefore both advective and dispersive transport components are essential for quantification of hyporheic exchange processes.     

Experimental investigations into processes controlling stream and hyporheic temperatures,Fryxell Basin,Antarctica

Glacial meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica exhibit daily cycles in temperature with maxima frequently reaching 10–15 °C, often 10 °C above air temperatures. Hydrologic and biogeochemical processes occurring in these streams and their hyporheic zones strongly influence the flux of water, solutes, and sediment to the ice-covered lakes on the valley bottoms. The purpose of this study was to identify the dominant processes controlling water temperature in these polar desert streams and to investigate in particular the role of hyporheic exchange. In order to do this, we analyzed stream temperature patterns on basin-wide, longitudinal, and reach scales. In the basin-wide study, we examined stream temperature monitoring data for seven streams in the Lake Fryxell Basin. For the longitudinal study, we measured temperatures at seven sites along a 5-km length of Von Guerard Stream.     

The effect of density-driven flow on the transport of high-concentration solutes in the hyporheic zone

In this study, both laboratory experiments and numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the effect of density-driven flow on the transport of high-concentration pollutants in the hyporheic zone. The results show that the density gradient can change the flow of pore water and the strong density-driven flow can lead to an unstable flow, which increases the effect of preferential flow and thus causes the appearance of solute fingers in the hyporheic zone. Notably, these solute fingers become more obvious with the increase of depth. The appearance of solute fingers depends on the relative strength of the pumping exchange and density gradient, which are represented by the dimensionless number M* and N* respectively. Finger flows appear near the interface when M^* is less than 0.5 N^*. This study may contribute to better understanding the transport and destination of solutes and thus may provide some insights into the assessment on pollution incidents.     

The role of the hyporheic zone across stream networks

Many hyporheic papers state that the hyporheic zone is a critical component of stream ecosystems, and many of these papers focus on the biogeochemical effects of the hyporheic zone on stream solute loads. However, efforts to show such relationships have proven elusive, prompting several questions: Are the effects of the hyporheic zone on stream ecosystems so highly variable in place and time (or among streams) that a consistent relationship should not be expected? Or, is the hyporheic zone less important in stream ecosystems than is commonly expected? These questions were examined using data from existing groundwater modelling studies of hyporheic exchange flow at five sites in a fifth‐order, mountainous stream network. The size of exchange flows, relative to stream discharge (Q_HEF:Q), was large only in very small streams at low discharge (area ≈ 100 ha; Q < 10 l/s). At higher flows (flow exceedance probability > 0·7) and in all larger streams, Q_HEF:Q was small. These data show that biogeochemical processes in the hyporheic zone of small streams can substantially influence the stream's solute load, but these processes become hydrologically constrained at high discharge or in larger streams and rivers. The hyporheic zone may influence stream ecosystems in many ways, however, not just through biogeochemical processes that alter stream solute loads. For example, the hyporheic zone represents a unique habitat for some organisms, with patterns and amounts of upwelling and downwelling water determining the underlying physiochemical environment of the hyporheic zone. Similarly, hyporheic exchange creates distinct patches of downwelling and upwelling. Upwelling environments are of special interest, because upwelling water has the potential to be thermally or chemically distinct from stream water. Consequently, micro‐environmental patches created by hyporheic exchange flows are likely to be important to biological and ecosystem processes, even if their impact on stream solute loads is small. Published in 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of a low-permeability lens on dune-induced hyporheic exchange

Hyporheic exchange induced by dunes is a key process controlling water fluxes and biogeochemical processes in river networks. Owing to the limitations of instrumental detection at small spatial scales, previous studies have focused mainly on dune-induced hyporheic exchange in homogeneous systems. A low-permeability lens is a natural, widespread heterogeneity in stream beds, and probably affects the processes of water flow and contaminant transportation significantly. To quantitatively analyse the response mechanism of hyporheic exchange to a low-permeability lens, a two-dimensional dune-generated hyporheic exchange model was developed using the VS2DH model. The results indicate a lens in a stream bed can hinder or enhance hyporheic exchange processes, depending on its relative spatial location to dunes. Both the increase in length and thickness of the lens could strengthen its impacts on hyporheic exchange. Regional groundwater–surface water interactions of higher intensity suppress the flow of hyporheic exchange in a stream bed with a low-permeability lens.     

Form-based river restoration decreases wetland hyporheic exchange: Lessons learned from the Upper Colorado River

Restoration of river–wetland systems to recover lost ecosystem services and restore consistent flood regimes is commonly directed at modifying in-channel storage and hyporheic exchange. Here, we monitored the hydrologic response to channel realignment in a montane river–wetland system by comparing pre- and post-restoration measurements. In 2015, an earthen berm and 190 m segment of the Upper Colorado River were constructed to consolidate flow from multiple channels into the historic thalweg. We injected a sodium chloride tracer during baseflow and used mass-balance calculations and electrical resistivity imaging to assess changes in near-channel hyporheic exchange. Results indicate a decrease in hyporheic exchange within the wetland due to lost complexity along the consolidated flow path. Subsurface complexity appears to control hyporheic exchange more than surface complexity. Flow consolidation increased the area-adjusted wetland water yield by 231 mm, indicating a loss of wetland water storage capacity. One year of post-restoration monitoring suggests that the form-based channel restoration directed at consolidating flow into a single thread adversely affected the hyporheic exchange functioning in the pre-restoration system. Results from this case study are applicable to restoration planners as they consider the effects of form-based projects on water storage capacity in similar systems. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sensitivity of Simulated Hyporheic Exchange to River Bathymetry: The Steinlach River Test Site

This study determines the aspects of river bathymetry that have the greatest influence on the predictive biases when simulating hyporheic exchange. To investigate this, we build a highly parameterized HydroGeoSphere model of the Steinlach River Test Site in southwest Germany as a reference. This model is then modified with simpler bathymetries, evaluating the changes to hyporheic exchange fluxes and transit time distributions. Results indicate that simulating hyporheic exchange with a high-resolution detailed bathymetry using a three-dimensional fully coupled model leads to nested multiscale hyporheic exchange systems. A poorly resolved bathymetry will underestimate the small-scale hyporheic exchange, biasing the simulated hyporheic exchange towards larger scales, thus leading to overestimates of hyporheic exchange residence times. This can lead to gross biases in the estimation of a catchment's capacity to attenuate pollutants when extrapolated to account for all meanders along an entire river within a watershed. The detailed river slope alone is not enough to accurately simulate the locations and magnitudes of losing and gaining river reaches. Thus, local bedforms in terms of bathymetric highs and lows within the river are required. Bathymetry surveying campaigns can be more effective by prioritizing bathymetry measurements along the thalweg and gegenweg of a meandering channel. We define the gegenweg as the line that connects the shallowest points in successive cross-sections along a river opposite to the thalweg under average flow conditions. Incorporating local bedforms will likely capture the nested nature of hyporheic exchange, leading to more physically meaningful simulations of hyporheic exchange fluxes and transit times.     

Geomorphology,hydrology, and aquatic vegetation drive seasonal hyporheic flow patterns across a gravel‐dominated floodplain

Across 1·7 km² of the Umatilla River floodplain (Oregon, USA), we investigated the influences of an ephemeral tributary and perennial ‘spring channel’ (fed only by upwelling groundwater) on hyporheic hydrology. We derived maps of winter and summer water‐table elevations from data collected at 46 monitoring wells and 19 stage gauges and used resulting maps to infer groundwater flow direction. Groundwater flow direction varied seasonally across the floodplain and was influenced by main channel stage, flooding, the tributary creek, and the location and direction of hyporheic exchange in the spring channel. Hyporheic exchange in the spring channel was evaluated with a geochemical mixing model, which confirmed patterns of floodplain groundwater movement inferred from water‐table maps and showed that the spring channel was fed predominantly by hyporheic water from the floodplain aquifer (87% during winter, 80% during summer), with its remaining flow supplied by upslope groundwater from the adjacent catchment aquifer. Summertime growth of aquatic macrophytes in the spring channel also influenced patterns of hyporheic exchange and groundwater flow direction in the alluvial aquifer by increasing flow resistance in the spring channel, locally raising surface water stage and adjacent water‐table elevation, and thereby altering the slope of the water‐table in the hyporheic zone. The Umatilla River floodplain is larger than most sites where hyporheic hydrology has been investigated in detail. Yet, our results corroborate other research that has identified off‐channel geomorphic features as important drivers of hyporheic hydrology, including previously published modeling efforts from a similar river and field observations from smaller streams. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of oscillating flow on hyporheic zone development

The hyporheic zone is an ecologically important ecotone that describes the extent to which nutrient-rich surface waters penetrate the shallow subsurface adjacent to a flowing surface water body. Although steady-state models satisfactorily explain the incursion of surface water into the subsurface as a function of head gradients developed across streambed riffles, they fail to account for the depth that surface water is observed to penetrate the subsurface or for the extent to which the hyporheic zone develops adjacent to the stream channel. To investigate these issues, transient flow modeling has been conducted at the riffle scale and supported by data for an instrumented site in northern Ontario where stream-stage fluctuations are strictly regulated. Model results show that daily stream-stage fluctuations between 0.6 and 4 m produce oscillating solute flow paths that typically reduce residence times of water and solutes in the hyporheic zone from 60 days or more under steady-state conditions to less than 1 day. Furthermore, similar stream-stage fluctuations increase the depth that solutes pervade the subsurface and banks lateral to the stream from around 1 m under steady-state conditions to as much as 2 and 10 m, respectively. The results demonstrate that the transient flow conditions triggered in the subsurface by variable stream stage can exert a strong influence on hyporheic zone development and have important implications for the hyporheos. The results are especially important for hyporheic communities that may survive gradual changes to their living conditions by migrating to more hospitable aquatic habitats, but are unable to respond to rapid changes provoked by more extreme hydrological events.     

Effects of suspended sediment characteristics and bed sediment transport on streambed clogging

Fine sediment deposition in streambeds can reduce pore water fluxes and the overall rate of hyporheic exchange, producing deleterious effects on benthic and hyporheic ecological communities. To increase understanding of the factors that control the reduction of hyporheic exchange by fine sediment deposition, we conducted experiments in a laboratory flume to observe changes in the rates of solute exchange and kaolinite clay deposition as substantial amounts of kaolinite accumulated in the streambed. Two long‐term experiments were conducted, with durations of 14 days and 29 days. Use of a laboratory flume system allowed steady stream flow conditions to be maintained throughout both experiments, and alternating injections of known quantities of kaolinite and a sodium chloride tracer were used to assess the effect of clay accumulation on hyporheic exchange directly. In the first experiment, there was no bed sediment transport and kaolinite deposition formed a highly clogged near‐surface layer that greatly reduced hyporheic exchange. Application of a fundamental model for advective hyporheic exchange indicated that the effective permeability and porosity of the streambed decreased substantially during the course of the experiment. In the second experiment, the kaolinite was prepared with different surface properties to be more mobile, and the experiment was conducted with a small degree of bed sediment transport. As a result, no distinct clogged layer developed, and the rate of hyporheic exchange was found to remain approximately constant throughout the experiment (29 days). These results indicate that increasing fine sediment loads, e.g. those that occur from changes in land use, can have substantially different impacts on hyporheic exchange and associated ecological processes depending on the stream flow conditions, the rate and frequency of bed sediment transport, and the extent of interaction of the introduced fines with bed sediments. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.