Temporal and spatial adjustments of channel migration and planform geometry: responses to ENSO driven climate anomalies on the tropical freely‐meandering Aguapeí River,São Paulo,Brazil

Two reaches of Aguapeí River, a left‐bank tributary of the Paraná River in western São Paulo state, Brazil, were studied with the objective of assessing the role of bend curvature on channel migration in this wet‐tropical system and examining if land‐use changes or ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) driven climate anomalies over nearly half a century have changed migration behaviour and planform geometry. Meander‐bend migration rates and morphometric parameters including meander‐bend curvature, sinuosity, meander wavelength and channel width, were measured and the frequency of bend cutoffs was analysed in order to determine the rate of change of channel adjustment over a 48 year period to 2010. Results show that maximum average channel migration rates occur in bends with curvatures of about 2–3 r_c/w, similar to other previously studied temperate and subarctic freely meandering rivers although not as pronounced and with a tendency to favour tighter curvature. From 1962 to 2010 the Aguapeí River has undergone a significant reduction in sinuosity, a shift from tightly curving to more open bends, an overall decline in channel migration rates, an associated decrease in the frequency of neck‐cutoffs and an overall increase in channel width. As the majority of the drainage basin (96%) was already deforested in 1962, channel form and process changes were, unlike an interpretation for an adjacent river system, not attributed to altered land‐use but rather to a sharp ENSO‐driven increase in the magnitude of peak flow‐discharges of some 32% since 1972. In summary, this research revealed that recent climate and associated flow regime changes are having a pronounced effect on river channel behaviour in the Aguapeí River investigated here. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interaction between meander dynamics and floodplain heterogeneity in a large tropical sand‐bed river: the Rio Beni,Bolivian Amazon

The evolution of meandering river floodplains is predominantly controlled by the interplay between overbank sedimentation and channel migration. The resulting spatial heterogeneity in floodplain deposits leads to variability in bank erodibility, which in turn influences channel migration and planform development. Despite the potential significance of these feedbacks, few studies have quantified their impact upon channel evolution and floodplain construction in dynamic settings (e.g. locations characterized by rapid channel migration and high rates of overbank sedimentation). This study employs a combination of field observations, geographic information system (GIS) analysis of satellite imagery and numerical modelling to investigate these issues along a 375 km reach of the Rio Beni in the Bolivian Amazon. Results demonstrate that the occurrence of clay‐rich floodplain deposits promotes a significant reduction in channel migration rates and distinctive styles of channel evolution, including channel straightening and immobilization of bend apices leading to channel narrowing. Clay bodies act as stable locations limiting the propagation of planform disturbances in both upstream and downstream directions, and operate as ‘hinge’ points, around which the channel migrates. Spatial variations in the erodibility of clay‐rich floodplain material also promote large‐scale (10–50 km) differences in channel sinuosity and migration, although these variables are also likely to be influenced by channel gradient and tectonic effects that are difficult to quantify. Numerical model results suggest that spatial heterogeneity in bank erodibility, driven by variable bank composition, may force a substantial (c. 30%) reduction in average channel sinuosity, compared to situations in which bank strength is spatially homogeneous. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simple model of river meandering and its comparison to natural channels

We develop a new method for analysis of meandering channels based on planform sinuosity. This analysis objectively identifies three channel‐reach lengths based on sinuosity measured at those lengths: the length of typical, simple bends; the length of long, often compound bends; and the length of several bends in sequence that often evolve from compound bends to form multibend loops. These lengths, when normalized by channel width, tend to fall into distinct and clustered ranges for different natural channels. Mean sinuosity at these lengths also falls into distinct ranges. That range is largest for the third and greatest length, indicating that, for some streams, multibend loops are important for planform sinuosity, whereas for other streams, multibend loops are less important. The role of multibend loops is seldom addressed in the literature, and they are not well predicted by previous modelling efforts. Also neglected by previous modelling efforts is bank–flow interaction and its role in meander evolution. We introduce a simple river meandering model based on topographic steering that has more in common with cellular approaches to channel braiding and landscape evolution modelling than to rigorous, physics‐based analyses of river meandering. The model is sufficient to produce reasonable meandering channel evolution and predicts compound bend and multibend loop formation similar to that observed in nature, in both mechanism and importance for planform sinuosity. In the model, the tendency to form compound bends is sensitive to the relative magnitudes of two lengths governing meander evolution: (i) the distance between the bend cross‐over and the zone of maximum bank shear stress, and (ii) the bank shear stress dissipation length related to bank roughness. In our simple model, the two lengths are independent. This sensitivity implies that the tendency for natural channels to form compound bends may be greater when the banks are smoother. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Character of channel planform change and meander development: Luangwa River,Zambia

Air photo interpretation and field survey were used to examine rates and patterns of planform change over the last 40 years on an 80 km reach of the Luangwa River, Zambia. The river, a tributary of the Zambezi, is a 100–200 m wide, medium sinuosity sand‐bed river (sinuosity index 1·84). High rates of channel migration (<33 m a⁻¹) and cutoffs on meandering sections are frequent. Some meandering reaches, however, have remained relatively stable. A form of anastomosing with anabranches up to 14 km in length is also a characteristic. Patterns of meander development vary between bends but all can be described in relation to traditional geomorphic models; change occurs by translation, rotation, double‐heading, concave bank bench formation and cutoff causing river realignment. At the local scale spatial variability in bank resistance, induced by floodplain sedimentology, controls rate of bank erosion, and valley‐side channel ‘deflection’ is also apparent. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

Rates,distributions and mechanisms of change in meander morphology over decadal timescales,River Dane,UK

This paper analyses types and rates of change in river meander morphology and the links between mechanisms of change and emergent behaviour of planform morphology. It uses evidence of four dates of aerial photography combined with annual field mapping and ground photography to examine the morphological changes and mechanisms of change in a series of bends on an active meandering river, the River Dane in NW England, over a 25 year period. This unique data set allows insight into the spatial and temporal variability of bank line movement and component processes. Bank lines were mapped photogrametrically from air photos of 1984, 1996, 2001 and 2007 and the digitised courses compared in ArcGIS to produce calculations of erosional and depositional areas and rates. Most bends exhibit morphological change that largely follows the autogenic sequence, identified in qualitative models of meander development, from low sinuosity curves through simple symmetric and asymmetric bends to compound forms with lobe development in the apex region. Rates of erosion and bankline movement increase through this sequence until the compound phase. Relationships of amounts of movement to various curvature measures of bend morphology are complex. Several new loops, distinct from compound bend behaviour, have developed during the study period in formerly straight sections. Mechanisms of morphological change are illustrated for four types of bends: new, rapid growth bend; sharp‐angled bend with mid‐channel bar development; symmetric migrating bend; and simple to compound bend development. The changes take place in phases that are not simply related to discharge but to inherent sequences and feedbacks in development of bars and bend morphology and timescales for these are identified. Overall, emergent behaviour of systematic planform change, moderated by channel confinement and boundary features, is produced from spatially and temporally varied channel processes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Morphological signatures of normal faulting in low‐gradient alluvial rivers in south‐eastern Louisiana,USA

We explore the fluvial response to faulting in three low‐gradient, sand‐bed rivers in south‐eastern Louisiana, USA, that flow across active normal faults from footwall (upstream) to hangingwall (downstream). We calculate sinuosity, migration rate and migration direction in order to identify anomalies spatially associated with fault scarps. In two of the rivers we model one‐dimensional steady water flow to identify anomalies in surface water slope, width‐to‐depth ratio, and shear stress. In each of these rivers there is one location where flow modeling suggests potential channel incision through the footwall, as indicated by relatively high surface water slopes and shear stress values. In one of these footwall locations, the river straightens and width‐to‐depth ratios decrease, likely contributing to higher surface water slopes and shear stress. This is in contrast to previous studies that have proposed increased sinuosity across fault footwalls and decreased sinuosity across hangingwalls. However, in two hangingwall locations we also observe relatively less sinuous channels. Other planform changes on the hangingwall include topographic steering of channels along and towards the fault and one example of an avulsion. The most notable anomaly in migration rate occurs on the hangingwall of a fault where a river has cut off a meander loop. Although fluvial response to faulting varies here, comparatively large and small channels exhibit similar responses. Further, Pleistocene fault slip rates are orders of magnitude lower than the channel migration rates, suggesting that faulting should not be a major influence on the fluvial evolution. Nonetheless, notable channel anomalies exist near faults, suggesting that recent fault slip rates are higher than Pleistocene rates, and/or that low‐gradient alluvial channels are more sensitive to faulting than previous studies have suggested. Rivers appear to be influenced by faulting in this setting, however background rates of meander loop cutoff may be just as influential as faulting. Copyright © 2015 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.     

Hydraulic and geomorphic processes in an overbank flood along a meandering,gravel‐bed river: implications for chute formation

Hydraulic interactions between rivers and floodplains produce off‐channel chutes, the presence of which influences the routing of water and sediment and thus the planform evolution of meandering rivers. Detailed studies of the hydrologic exchanges between channels and floodplains are usually conducted in laboratory facilities, and studies documenting chute development are generally limited to qualitative observations. In this study, we use a reconstructed, gravel‐bedded, meandering river as a field laboratory for studying these mechanisms at a realistic scale. Using an integrated field and modeling approach, we quantified the flow exchanges between the river channel and its floodplain during an overbank flood, and identified locations where flow had the capacity to erode floodplain chutes. Hydraulic measurements and modeling indicated high rates of flow exchange between the channel and floodplain, with flow rapidly decelerating as water was decanted from the channel onto the floodplain due to the frictional drag provided by substrate and vegetation. Peak shear stresses were greatest downstream of the maxima in bend curvature, along the concave bank, where terrestrial LiDAR scans indicate initial floodplain chute formation. A second chute has developed across the convex bank of a meander bend, in a location where sediment accretion, point bar development and plant colonization have created divergent flow paths between the main channel and floodplain. In both cases, the off‐channel chutes are evolving slowly during infrequent floods due to the coarse nature of the floodplain, though rapid chute formation would be more likely in finer‐grained floodplains. The controls on chute formation at these locations include the flood magnitude, river curvature, floodplain gradient, erodibility of the floodplain sediment, and the flow resistance provided by riparian vegetation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial and temporal intensification of lateral hyporheic flux in narrowing intra‐meander zones

Meander bends in alluvial rivers morphologically evolve towards meander cut‐off with narrowing intra‐meander necks, and this should steepen hydraulic gradients and intensify intra‐meander hyporheic flux. This research used dye tracking and head loss measurements in a 1 : 500 planimetrically scaled laboratory river table to quantify the spatial and temporal intensification of intra‐meander flux rates at two evolution ages. The younger meander bend, M1, had a sinuosity of 2.3, a river neck width of 0.39 cm, and 0.6% river slope, and the older meander bend, M3, had a sinuosity of 5.2, a river neck width of 0.12 cm, and 0.5% river slope. Flux into and out of the meander bend was estimated along the normalized curvilinear distance s*, with the meander neck at s* = 0.1 and s* = 0.9, the meander centroid at s* = 0.37 and s* = 0.63, and the apex at s* = 0.5. Between the meander centroid and neck, we documented a 60% spatial intensification for M1 and a 90% spatial intensification for M3. Between M1 and M3, we documented a 135% temporal intensification at the neck and a 100% intensification at the centroid. Our empirical spatial and temporal intensification rates involving the M1 and the M3 scenario were one to three times lower than theoretical rates derived from a river evolution model with equivalent M1 and M3 planimetry. Overestimation by the theoretical model was attributed to exaggerated head loss caused by the model neglecting groundwater contributions to river stage. Hyporheic exchange provides critical ecosystem services, and its spatial and temporal variation with meander evolution should be considered in river management. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Persistence of the surface texture of a gravel‐bed river during a large flood

We present herein clear field evidence for the persistence of a coarse surface layer in a gravel‐bed river during flows capable of transporting all grain sizes present on the channel bed. Detailed field measurements of channel topography and bed surface grain size were made in a gravel‐bed reach of the Colorado River prior to a flood in 2003. Runoff produced during the 2003 snowmelt was far above average, resulting in a sustained period of high flow with a peak discharge of 27 m³/s (170% of normal peak flow); all available grain sizes within the study reach were mobilized in this period of time. During the 2003 peak flow, the river avulsed immediately upstream of the study reach, thereby abandoning approximately one half kilometer of the former channel. The abandonment was rapid (probably within a few hours), leaving the bed texture essentially frozen in place at the peak of the flood. All locations sampled prior to the flood were resampled following the stream abandonment. In response to the high flow, the surface median grain size (D_50s) coarsened slightly in the outer part of the bend while remaining nearly constant along the inner part of the bend, resulting in an overall increase from 18 to 21 mm for the study reach. Thus, the coarse bed surface texture persisted despite shear stresses throughout the bend that were well above the critical entrainment value. This may be explained because the response of the bed texture to increases in flow strength depends primarily upon the continued availability of the various grain size percentiles in the supply, which in this case was essentially unlimited for all sizes present in the channel. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of groundwater exchange for a large plains river in Colorado (USA)

Complete daily water budget information was assembled for a 105 km segment of the South Platte River in the plains region below Denver, CO, for the period 1983–1993. The data were used in testing the possibility that dependence of alluvial exchange mechanisms on stage height, as shown by models of alluvial exchange, allows alluvial exchange to be predicted continuously over a given reach through use of statistical information on river discharge. The study segment was divided into an upper and a lower reach; daily alluvial exchanges for each reach were estimated by the method of residuals. The two reaches show small (15%) but statistically significant annual differences in rates of exchange. For each reach, there is a seasonal pattern (2·5‐fold oscillation) in alluvial discharge to the channel, reflecting seasonality in recharge of the alluvium by irrigation. At discharges up to 40 m³/s (82nd percentile), alluvial discharge to the channel occurs at a rate independent of river discharge. Above 40 m³/s, net alluvial discharge into the channel is progressively reduced; at 60 m³/s (92nd percentile) there is no net alluvial exchange. At still higher river discharges, water is lost to the alluvium through bank storage at a rate that is linearly related to the logarithm of discharge. Annually, alluvial discharge accounts for 15–18% of water entering the study segment, and alluvial recharge through bank storage accounts for 2–4% of water leaving the segment. Alluvial recharge through bank storage at the highest discharges can, however, exceed low‐flow alluvial discharge rates by five‐fold over short intervals. Even though daily alluvial exchanges vary widely, they can be estimated at r² values above 80% on the basis of reach, season, and river discharge. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Morphodynamics of a bedrock‐alluvial meander bend that incises as it migrates outward: approximate solution of permanent form

In meandering rivers cut into bedrock, erosion across a channel cross‐section can be strongly asymmetric. At a meander apex, deep undercutting of the outer bank can result in the formation of a hanging cliff (which may drive hillslope failure), whereas the inner bank adjoins a slip‐off slope that connects to the hillslope itself. Here we propose a physically‐based model for predicting channel planform migration and incision, point bar and slip‐off slope formation, bedrock abrasion, the spatial distribution of alluvial cover, and adaptation of channel width in a mixed bedrock‐alluvial channel. We simplify the analysis by considering a numerical model of steady, uniform bend flow satisfying cyclic boundary conditions. Thus in our analysis, ‘sediment supply’, i.e. the total volume of alluvium in the system, is conserved. In our numerical simulations, the migration rate of the outer bank is a specified parameter. Our simulations demonstrate the existence of an approximate state of dynamic equilibrium corresponding to a near‐solution of permanent form in which a bend of constant curvature, width, cross‐sectional shape and alluvial cover distribution migrates diagonally downward at constant speed, leaving a bedrock equivalent of a point bar on the inside of the bend. Channel width is set internally by the processes of migration and incision. We find that equilibrium width increases with increasing sediment supply, but is insensitive to outer bank migration rate. The slope of the bedrock point bar varies inversely with both outer bank migration rate and sediment supply. Although the migration rate of the outer bank is externally imposed here, we discuss a model modification that would allow lateral side‐wall abrasion to be treated in a manner similar to the process of bedrock incision. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of cross‐section interpolated bathymetry on 2D hydrodynamic model results in a large river

Two‐dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic models have been increasingly used to quantify aquatic habitat and stream processes, such as sediment transport, streambed morphological evolution, and inundation extents. Because river topography has a strong influence on predicted hydraulic conditions, 2D models require accurate and detailed bathymetric data of the stream channel and surrounding floodplains. Besides collection of mass points to construct high‐resolution three‐dimensional surfaces, bathymetries may be interpolated from cross‐sections. However, limited information is available on the effects of cross‐section spacing and the derived interpolated bathymetry on 2D model results in large river systems. Here, we investigated the effects of cross‐section spacing on flow properties simulated with 2D modeling at low, medium and high discharges in two morphologically different reaches, a simple (almost featureless with low sinuosity) and a complex (presenting pools, riffles, runs, contractions and expansions) reach of the Snake River (Idaho, USA), the tenth largest river in the United States in terms of drainage area. We compared the results from 2D models developed with complete channel bathymetry acquired with multibeam sonar data and photogrammetry, with 2D model results that were developed using interpolated topography from uniformly distributed transects. Results indicate that cross‐sections spaced equal to or greater than 2 times the average channel width (W*) smooths the bathymetry and suppresses flow structures. Conversely, models generated with cross‐sections spaced at 0.5 and 1 W* have stream flow properties, sediment mobility and spatial habitat distribution similar to those of the complete bathymetry. Furthermore, differences in flow properties between interpolated and complete topography models generally increase with discharge and with channel complexity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three‐dimensional flow structure and patterns of bed shear stress in an evolving compound meander bend

Compound meander bends with multiple lobes of maximum curvature are common in actively evolving lowland rivers. Interaction among spatial patterns of mean flow, turbulence, bed morphology, bank failures and channel migration in compound bends is poorly understood. In this paper, acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements of the three‐dimensional (3D) flow velocities in a compound bend are examined to evaluate the influence of channel curvature and hydrologic variability on the structure of flow within the bend. Flow structure at various flow stages is related to changes in bed morphology over the study timeframe. Increases in local curvature within the upstream lobe of the bend reduce outer bank velocities at morphologically significant flows, creating a region that protects the bank from high momentum flow and high bed shear stresses. The dimensionless radius of curvature in the upstream lobe is one‐third less than that of the downstream lobe, with average bank erosion rates less than half of the erosion rates for the downstream lobe. Higher bank erosion rates within the downstream lobe correspond to the shift in a core of high velocity and bed shear stresses toward the outer bank as flow moves through the two lobes. These erosion patterns provide a mechanism for continued migration of the downstream lobe in the near future. Bed material size distributions within the bend correspond to spatial patterns of bed shear stress magnitudes, indicating that bed material sorting within the bend is governed by bed shear stress. Results suggest that patterns of flow, sediment entrainment, and planform evolution in compound meander bends are more complex than in simple meander bends. Moreover, interactions among local influences on the flow, such as woody debris, local topographic steering, and locally high curvature, tend to cause compound bends to evolve toward increasing planform complexity over time rather than stable configurations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Channel bar dynamics on multi‐decadal timescales in an active meandering river

Occurrence and development of channel bars are major components of the morphodynamics of rivers and their relation to river meandering has been much explored through theory and experimentation. However, field and documentary data of characteristics and evolution over timescales from years to several decades are lacking. Four sets of aerial photographs in the period 1984–2007 were used to map and quantify bar numbers and areas in GIS on an active meandering reach. Bar types were classified. Additional temporal resolution was provided by annual ground photography and mapping for 1981–2010. Analysis was extended backward by use of large scale Ordnance Survey maps from 1873 onwards. As expected, point bars are the most common type but ‘free’ bars of several types are major components of bar deposition. Point bars and attached bars are significantly larger in size than mid‐channel and side bars. Spatial distribution of bars varies down the reach and over time but is related to channel sinuosity, gradient and mobility and to bend evolution. Different types of bar occur in distinctive channel locations, with point and concave‐bend bars in zones of high curvature. Bar activity shows a relation with discharge events and phases and possibly with changing riparian conditions, but superimposed on this is a common sequence of bar evolution from incipient gravel mid‐channel bars to full floodplain integration. This life‐cycle is identified as 7–9 years on average. No evidence for mobility of free bars within the course is found. The results are compared with bar and bend theory; the bars are forced and conform in general to bend theory but detailed variation relates to geomorphic factors and to autogenic sequences of bends and bars. Mid‐channel bars are width induced. Variability of bar occurrence needs to be taken into account in river management and ecological evaluation, including for the EU WFD. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reach-scale changes in channel geometry and dynamics due to the coastal backwater effect: the lower Trinity River,Texas

In this paper we use multiple field surveys spanning several decades to systematically evaluate the geomorphic consequences of a change in flow hydraulics from uniform flow to backwater flow for the lower Trinity River in east Texas, USA. Spatial changes in lateral migration rate, channel geometry, and point bar size correspond to two distinct geomorphic zones. Within the upstream uniform flow reach, the river channel is defined by fully developed point bars and a high rate of lateral channel migration. This zone transitions where the median channel bottom elevation drops below sea level. At this point flow is affected by the backwater influence of the Trinity Bay water surface elevation, as opposed to being bed slope control dominated. The change in hydraulics within the backwater zone is reflected in the channel morphology, which is characterized by smaller point bars, narrower and more symmetrical cross-sectional channel geometry, lower channel migration rates, and little to no bend deformation or cutoffs. Studying the connection between channel geometry, river bend kinematics, sediment transport, and fluid mechanics in each zone provides a deeper understanding of the relationship between channel shape and river mechanics. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distribution and characterization of in‐channel large wood in relation to geomorphic patterns on a low‐gradient river

A 177 river km georeferenced aerial survey of in‐channel large wood (LW) on the lower Roanoke River, NC was conducted to determine LW dynamics and distributions on an eastern USA low‐gradient large river. Results indicate a system with approximately 75% of the LW available for transport either as detached individual LW or as LW in log jams. There were approximately 55 individual LW per river km and another 59 pieces in log jams per river km. Individual LW is a product of bank erosion (73% is produced through erosion) and is isolated on the mid and upper banks at low flow. This LW does not appear to be important for either aquatic habitat or as a human risk. Log jams rest near or at water level making them a factor in bank complexity in an otherwise homogenous fine‐grained channel. A segmentation test was performed using LW frequency by river km to detect breaks in longitudinal distribution and to define homogeneous reaches of LW frequency. Homogeneous reaches were then analyzed to determine their relationship to bank height, channel width/depth, sinuosity, and gradient. Results show that log jams are a product of LW transport and occur more frequently in areas with high snag concentrations, low to intermediate bank heights, high sinuosity, high local LW recruitment rates, and narrow channel widths. The largest concentration of log jams (21.5 log jams/km) occurs in an actively eroding reach. Log jam concentrations downstream of this reach are lower due to a loss of river competency as the channel reaches sea level and the concurrent development of unvegetated mudflats separating the active channel from the floodplain forest. Substantial LW transport occurs on this low‐gradient, dam‐regulated large river; this study, paired with future research on transport mechanisms should provide resource managers and policymakers with options to better manage aquatic habitat while mitigating possible negative impacts to human interests. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A coupled sediment routing and lateral migration model for gravel‐bed rivers

We describe additions made to a multi‐size sediment routing model enabling it to simulate width adjustment simultaneously alongside bed aggradation/incision and fining/coarsening. The model is intended for use in single thread gravel‐bed rivers over annual to decadal timescales and for reach lengths of 1–10 km. It uses a split‐channel approach with separate calculations of flow and sediment transport in the left and right sides of the channel. Bank erosion is treated as a function of excess shear stress with bank accretion occurring when shear stress falls below a second, low, threshold. A curvature function redistributes shear stress to either side of the channel. We illustrate the model through applications to a 5·6‐km reach of the upper River Wharfe in northern England. The sediment routing component with default parameter values gives excellent agreement with field data on downstream fining and down‐reach reduction in bedload flux, and the width‐adjustment components with approximate calibration to match maximum observed rates of bank shifting give plausible patterns of local change. The approach may be useful for exploring interactions between sediment delivery, river management and channel change in upland settings. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Morphological responses in a meandering and island-braided reach of the Middle Yangtze River to the Three Gorges Reservoir impoundment

Lateral migration is an important form of morphological changes on the Middle Yangtze River (MYR), particularly for the lower Jingjiang reach. The Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) has substantially reduced sediment supply to the downstream river channels since its impoundment in June 2003. The scientific understanding of how decrease of sediment influences the processes of bank erosion and channel adjustments is complex and limited. In the present paper, the morphological responses in a typical meandering and island-braided river segment of the MYR to the filling of the TGR were investigated by a 3-D morphodynamic model. The potential of the 3-D model has been demonstrated by the observed data. The morphological evolutions in the Shishou bend during the first 12 years of the TGR impound-ment were predicted. The effects of the TGR operation on the planform evolutions in the study reach were analyzed based on the simulated results. Sediment load is decreased by 75%due to the early filling of the TGR. The magnitude of bed degradation with less sediment load due to the TGR operation is increased compared with the pre-dam situation. Qualitatively, the overall planform evolution trends in the Shishou bend after the TGR operation are similar to that without the TGR operation. The magnitude of lateral migration has been increased in some part of the channel bend, where the morphological response of the TGR operation exhibits more lateral migration rather than vertical degradation. Scouring at the bank toe enhances bank failure. Decrease of sediment load and weak bank anti-scour ability as well as the significant helical flow can be responsible for intensified bank erosion in the channel bend.