A suburban sediment budget: Coarse-grained sediment flux through hillslopes,stormwater systems and streams

Sediment in urban stormwater systems creates a significant maintenance burden, while a lack of coarse-grained bed sediment in streams limits their ecological value and geomorphic resilience. Gravel substrates, for example, provide benthic habitat yet are often scoured from the channel bed only to end up in a detention basin or treatment wetland. This dual problem of both ‘too much’ and ‘too little’ coarse-grained sediment reflects a watershed sediment budget that is profoundly altered. We developed a conceptual urban coarse-grained (>0.5 mm) sediment budget across three domains: hillslopes (urban land surfaces), the built stormwater network and stream channels. We then quantified key sources, sinks and storages for a suburban case study, using a combination of hillslope and in-channel monitoring, and interrogation of local government records. Around 36% of the sediment supplied to the stormwater network reached the catchment outlet, a level of sediment delivery much higher than observed in similar-sized natural catchments. The remainder was deposited in the sediment cascade and either stored, or extracted and removed from the catchment (e.g. material deposited in sediment ponds and gross pollutant traps). Conventional urban drainage networks are characterized by high hillslope sediment supply and low storage, resulting in efficient sediment delivery. Channel erosion, deposition in (and extraction from) pipes and channels, and floodplain deposition are small compared to sediment transport through the cascade. An understanding of the sediment budget of urban headwater catchments can provide stormwater and waterway managers with the information they need to address specific sediment problems such as sedimentation in stormwater assets and geomorphic recovery of urban streams. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Measuring bluff erosion part 2: pairing aerial photographs and terrestrial laser scanning to create a watershed scale sediment budget

Effectively managing and reducing high suspended sediment loads in rivers requires an understanding of the magnitude of major sediment sources as well as erosion and transport processes that deliver excess fine sediments to the channel network. The focus of this research is to determine the magnitude of erosion from tall bluffs, a primary sediment source in the 2880 km² Le Sueur watershed, Minnesota, USA. We coupled analyses of seven decades of aerial photographs with four years of repeat terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to determine erosion rates on bluffs. Together, these datasets provide decadal‐scale retreat rates throughout the entire watershed and high‐resolution geomorphic change detection on a subset of bluffs to both constrain erosion rates and document how environmental conditions affect bluff retreat. Erosion rates from aerial photographs and TLS were extrapolated from 243 and 15 measured bluffs, respectively, to all 480 bluffs in the Le Sueur watershed using multiple techniques to obtain estimates of sediment loading from these features at the watershed‐scale. Despite different spatial and temporal measurement scales, the aerial photograph and TLS estimates yielded similar results for bluff retreat rate and total mass of sediment derived from bluffs, with bluffs in the Le Sueur watershed yielding 135 000 ± 39 000 Mg/yr of fine sediment. Comparing this value to the average annual total suspended solids (TSS) load determined from gauging from 2000 to 2010, we determined that bluffs comprise 57 ± 16% of the total TSS load, making bluffs the single most abundant fine sediment source in the basin. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The sharp decrease in suspended sediment supply from China's rivers to the sea: anthropogenic and natural causes

Abstract

Based on data from river gauging stations, the multi-year variations in suspended sediment flux (SSF) from China's nine major rivers to the sea were examined. The decadal SSF decreased by 70.2%: from 1.81 Gt/year for 1954–1963 to 0.54 Gt/year for 1996–2005. The decrease in SSF was more dramatic in the arid northern region than in the wet southern region; from north to south, the SSF decreased by 84% in the Yellow River, 42% in the Yangtze River, and 22% in the Pearl River. Dam construction was the principal cause for the decrease in SSF. At present, approximately 2 Gt/year of sediment is trapped in the reservoirs within the nine river basins. Reduced precipitation and increased water extraction and sand mining have also played a role in the decrease in SSF. Although water and sediment conservation programmes have not counteracted the influence of deforestation, they have enhanced the decrease in SSF in recent years. It is concluded that human activity has become a governing factor on riverine sediment delivery to the sea in China.     

Meso‐scale catchment sediment budgets: combining field surveys and modeling in the Dragonja catchment,southwest Slovenia

In this paper, we present a methodology to construct a sediment budget for meso‐scale catchments. We combine extensive field surveys and expert knowledge of the catchment with a sediment delivery model. The meso‐scale Mediterranean drainage basin of the Dragonja (91 km²), southwest Slovenia, was chosen as case study area. During the field surveys, sheet wash was observed on sloping agricultural fields during numerous rainfall events, which was found to be the main source of sediment. With the sediment yield model WATEM/SEDEM the estimated net erosion on the hillslopes 4·1 t ha^–1 y^–1 (91% of inputs). The second source, bank erosion (4·2%; 0·25 t ha^–1 y^–1) was monitored during several years with erosion pins and photogrammetric techniques. The last source, channel incision, was derived from geomorphological mapping and lichenomery and provided 3·8% (0·17 t ha^–1 y^–1) of the sediment input. The river transports its suspended sediment mainly during high‐flow events (sampled with automated water samplers). About 27% (1·2 t ha^–1 y^–1) of the sediment delivered to the channel is deposited on floodplains and low terraces downstream (estimated with geomorphological mapping, coring and cesium‐137 measurements). The sediment transported as bedload disintegrates during transport to the outlet due to the softness of the bedrock material. As a result, the river carries no bedload when it reaches the sea. The results imply a build‐up of sediment in the valleys catchment. However, extreme flood events may flush large amounts of sediment stored in the lower parts of the system. Geomorphological evidence exists in the catchment that such high magnitude, low frequency events have happened in the past. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A sediment budget for a cultivated floodplain in tropical North Queensland,Australia

Sugarcane is grown on the floodplains of northern Queensland adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. Sediment and nutrient loss from these sugarcane areas is considered a potential threat to coastal and marine ecosystems. To enable sugarcane cultivation, farmers have structured the landscape into different elements, comprising fields, water furrows, ‘headlands’ and drains. In order to apply appropriate management of the landscape and reduce export of sediment, it is important to identify which of these elements act as sediment sources or sinks. In this study erosion and deposition rates were measured for the different landscape elements in a subcatchment of the Herbert River and used to create a sediment budget. Despite large uncertainties, the budget shows that the floodplain area is a net source of sediment. Estimated sediment export varies between 2 and 5 t ha^?1 y^?1. The relative importance of the landscape elements as sediment sources could also be determined. Plant cane is identified as the most important sediment source. Water furrows generate most sediment, but are a less important source of exported sediment due to their low connectivity. Headlands and minor drains act as sediment traps. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Magnitude and variation in the contribution of bank erosion to the suspended sediment load of the River Severn,UK

The wide range of studies describing the role of bank erosion in fluvial sediment supply have mostly lumped amounts of bank erosion into coarse temporal units, such as years. This paper investigates sediment yields from individual bank erosion events within the upper River Severn, UK (basin area 380 km²). Manual erosion pins and photo-electronic erosion pins were used to estimate bank erosion, and turbidity meters were used to determine suspended sediment transport. At the annual time-scale, the silt-clay fraction of bank-derived sediment accounted for an equivalent of 17 per cent of the suspended load, increasing to an average of 38 per cent at the monthly timescale, and then to an average of 64 per cent at the event timescale. This research highlighted that for an upland catchment, bank erosion was an important supply of suspended sediment, and that for some flood events bank erosion can supply more sediment than is transported. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A revised soil erosion budget for India: role of reservoir sedimentation and land‐use protection measures

Among the different controls of erosion budget at basin level, the relative impact of dams and land management is yet to be investigated. In this paper, the impact of dams on sediment yield has been assessed by using a conceptual modelling framework which considers the gross erosion and the cascade of dams constructed on a river network. The sediment budget has been estimated based on the gross erosion, deposition of sediment in reservoirs, and sediment yields of 23 mainland river basins of India. The gross erosion of the country is estimated as 5.11 ± 0.4 Gt yr^?1 or 1559 t km^?2 yr^?1, out of which 34.1 ± 12% of the total eroded soil is deposited in the reservoirs, 22.9 ± 29% is discharged outside the country (mainly to oceans), and the remaining 43.0 ± 41% is displaced within the river basins. The river basins of northern India contribute about 81% of the total sediment yield from landmass while the share of southern river basins is 19%. The components of revised sediment budget for India are prominently influenced by the sediment trapped in reservoirs and the treatment of catchment areas by soil and water conservation measures. Analysis of sediment deposition in 4937 reservoirs indicated the average annual percentage capacity loss as 1.04% though it varies from 0.8% to >2% per year in smaller dams (1–50 Mm³ capacity) and from <0.5% to 0.8% per year in larger dams (51 to >1000 Mm³ capacity). Siltation of smaller dams poses a serious threat to their ecosystem services as they cater to a wider population for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes. Amongst the environment controls, land use significantly impacts the gross erosion rate and specific sediment yield as compared to climatic and topographic parameters. However, to analyse their integrated effect on the complex processes of sediment fluxes in a basin, further research efforts are needed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamics of soil erosion rates and controlling factors in the Northern Ethiopian Highlands – towards a sediment budget

This paper analyses the factors that control rates and extent of soil erosion processes in the 199 ha May Zegzeg catchment near Hagere Selam in the Tigray Highlands (Northern Ethiopia). This catchment, characterized by high elevations (2100–2650 m a.s.l.) and a subhorizontal structural relief, is typical for the Northern Ethiopian Highlands. Soil loss rates due to various erosion processes, as well as sediment yield rates and rates of sediment deposition within the catchment (essentially induced by recent soil conservation activities), were measured using a range of geomorphological methods. The area‐weighted average rate of soil erosion by water in the catchment, measured over four years (1998–2001), is 14·8 t ha^?1 y^?1, which accounts for 98% of the change in potential energy of the landscape. Considering these soil loss rates by water, 28% is due to gully erosion. Other geomorphic processes, such as tillage erosion and rock fragment displacement by gravity and livestock trampling, are also important, either within certain land units, or for their impact on agricultural productivity. Estimated mean sediment deposition rate within the catchment equals 9·2 t ha^?1 y^?1. Calculated sediment yield (5·6 t ha^?1 y^?1) is similar to sediment yield measured in nearby catchments. Seventy‐four percent of total soil loss by sheet and rill erosion is trapped in exclosures and behind stone bunds. The anthropogenic factor is dominant in controlling present‐day erosion processes in the Northern Ethiopian Highlands. Human activities have led to an overall increase in erosion process intensities, but, through targeted interventions, rural society is now well on the way to control and reverse the degradation processes, as can be demonstrated through the sediment budget. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantifying periglacial erosion: insights on a glacial sediment budget,Matanuska Glacier,Alaska

Glacial erosion rates are estimated to be among the highest in the world. Few studies have attempted, however, to quantify the flux of sediment from the periglacial landscape to a glacier. Here, erosion rates from the nonglacial landscape above the Matanuska Glacier, Alaska are presented and compare with an 8‐yr record of proglacial suspended sediment yield. Non‐glacial lowering rates range from 1·8 ± 0·5 mm yr^?1 to 8·5 ± 3·4 mm yr^?1 from estimates of rock fall and debris‐flow fan volumes. An average erosion rate of 0·08 ± 0·04 mm yr^?1 from eight convex‐up ridge crests was determined using in situ produced cosmogenic ¹⁰Be. Extrapolating these rates, based on landscape morphometry, to the Matanuska basin (58% ice‐cover), it was found that nonglacial processes account for an annual sediment flux of 2·3 ± 1·0 × 10⁶ t. Suspended sediment data for 8 years and an assumed bedload to estimate the annual sediment yield at the Matanuska terminus to be 2·9 ± 1·0 × 10⁶ t, corresponding to an erosion rate of 1·8 ± 0·6 mm yr^?1: nonglacial sources therefore account for 80 ± 45% of the proglacial yield. A similar set of analyses were used for a small tributary sub‐basin (32% ice‐cover) to determine an erosion rate of 12·1 ± 6·9 mm yr^?1, based on proglacial sediment yield, with the nonglacial sediment flux equal to 10 ± 7% of the proglacial yield. It is suggested that erosion rates by nonglacial processes are similar to inferred subglacial rates, such that the ice‐free regions of a glaciated landscape contribute significantly to the glacial sediment budget. The similar magnitude of nonglacial and glacial rates implies that partially glaciated landscapes will respond rapidly to changes in climate and base level through a rapid nonglacial response to glacially driven incision. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Invasive crayfish as drivers of fine sediment dynamics in rivers: field and laboratory evidence

Despite increasing recognition of the potential of aquatic biota to act as ‘geomorphic agents’, key knowledge gaps exist in relation to biotic drivers of fine sediment dynamics at microscales and particularly the role of invasive species. This study explores the impacts of invasive signal crayfish on suspended sediment dynamics at the patch scale through laboratory and field study. Three hypotheses are presented and tested: (1) that signal crayfish generate pulses of fine sediment mobilisation through burrowing and movement that are detectable in the flow field; (2) that such pulses may be more frequent during nocturnal periods when signal crayfish are known to be most active; and (3) that cumulatively the pulses would be sufficient to drive an overall increase in turbidity. Laboratory mesocosm experiments were used to explore crayfish impacts on suspended sediment concentrations for two treatments: clay banks and clay bed substrate. For the field study, high frequency near‐bed and mid‐flow turbidity time series from a lowland river with known high densities of signal crayfish were examined. Laboratory data demonstrate the direct influence of signal crayfish on mobilisation of pulses of fine sediment through burrowing into banks and fine bed material, with evidence of enhanced activity levels around the mid‐point of the nocturnal period. Similar patterns of pulsed fine sediment mobilisation identified under field conditions follow a clear nocturnal trend and appear capable of driving an increase in ambient turbidity levels. The findings indicate that signal crayfish have the potential to influence suspended sediment yields, with implications for morphological change, physical habitat quality and the transfer of nutrients and contaminants. This is particularly important given the spread of signal crayfish across Europe and their presence in extremely high densities in many catchments. Further process‐based studies are required to develop a full understanding of impacts across a range of river styles. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variability in sediment supply,transfer and deposition in an upland torrent system: Iron Crag,northern England

Research into torrent erosion has focused on bedload transport dynamics, debris flow propagation during flood events, and fan sedimentation. Studies have frequently been biased towards specific events and have not considered sediment delivery in the catchment as a whole. The aim of this study is to examine spatial variations and process controls on sediment transfer in an upland torrent system (hillslopes, channel and fan). The study site is Iron Crag, a small torrent system (catchment area 2·4 ha) situated in the northern Lake District, UK. Particle size analysis of hillslope sediments trapped during transport suggests sediment calibre is controlled primarily by sediment source. Freeze–thaw and rainfall processes impart a weak but recognizable size sorting signature on the trapped sediments. However, these variations are less significant in determining sediment supply to the basal fan, than those operating in the channel system. Channel sediment movement is strongly influenced by storm events, the type of flow process (debris flow or fluvial flow), the sediment characteristics, and the local channel topography. The importance of the channel–fan coupling is clearly demonstrated in that more than 90 per cent of fan sedimentation is derived from channel sediment sources. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Specific suspended sediment yields of the Andean rivers of Chile and their relationship to climate,slope and vegetation

Abstract

Using daily suspended sediment and water discharge data, we calculated the current mean annual runoff and Specific Suspended Sediment Yield (SSY) for 66 mountainous and piedmont catchments in Chile. These catchments are located from the extreme north of Chile to Southern Patagonia and cover an exceptionally wide range of climates, slopes, and vegetation. The SSY ranges mainly between 0 and 700 t km^-2 year^-1 with some exceptions as high as 1780 t km^-2 year^-1. The SSY increases between the extreme north and 33°S and then decreases toward the south. Sediment and water discharge north of 33°S occur mainly during summer. Farther south the contribution of winter precipitation increases and predominates. When the SSY database is correlated with topographic, climatic and vegetation indices, it is found to correlate significantly with runoff and mean slope only. In order to concentrate on erosion processes in the mountain range, 32 mountainous catchments were selected along a strong north–south SSY gradient between 27°S and 40°S. From north to south, SSY increases strongly with runoff and then decreases, even while runoff keeps increasing. In catchments where SSY is low, although runoff is high, the mean slope is less than 40% and the vegetation cover is greater than 8%. For the other catchments, runoff variations explain 67% of the variance in sediment yields. Thus, SSY seems to be controlled by vegetation cover and slope thresholds. In addition, SSY also correlates with glacier cover. However, a correlation between SSY and seismicity, although possible, is ambiguous.

Citation Pepin, E., Carretier, S., Guyot, J. L. & Escobar, F. (2010) Specific suspended sediment yields of the Andean rivers of Chile and their relationship to climate, slope and vegetation. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(7), 1190–1205.     

Suspended sediment and discharge relationships to identify bank degradation as a main sediment source on small agricultural catchments

Variability of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) versus discharge relationships in streams is often high and illustrates variable particle origins or availability. Particle availability depends on both new sediment supply and deposited sediment stock. The aim of this study is to improve SSC–discharge relationship interpretation, in order to determine the origins of particles and to understand the temporal dynamics of particles for two small streams in agricultural catchments from northwestern France. SSC and discharge were continuously recorded at the outlets and data were examined at different time‐scales: yearly, monthly, with distinction between flood periods and non‐flooding periods, and individual flood events. Floods are classified in relation to SSC–discharge hysteresis, and this typology is completed by the analysis of SSC–discharge ranges during rising and falling flow. We show that particles are mainly coming from channel, banks, either by hydraulic erosion or by cattle trampling. Particle availability presents a seasonal dynamics with a maximum at the beginning of autumn when discharge is low, decreasing progressively during autumn to become a minimum in winter when discharge is the highest, and increasing again in spring. Bank degradation by cattle is the determining factor in the suspended sediment dynamics. Cattle bank‐trampling produces sediment, mostly from spring to autumn, that supplies the deposited sediment stock even outside floods. This hydrologically independent process hides SSC–discharge correlation classically linked to hydraulic erosion and transport. Differences in SSC–discharge relationships and suspended sediment budgets between streams are related to differences in transport capacity and bank degradation by cattle trampling and channelization. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Gully catchments as a sediment sink,not just a source: Results from a long‐term (~12 500 year) sediment budget

Sediment delivery from hillslopes to trunk streams represents a significant pathway of mass transfer in the landscape, with a large fraction facilitated by gully systems. The internal gully geomorphic dynamics represent a considerable gap in many landscape and empirical erosion models, therefore a better understanding of these processes over longer timescales (10–10⁴ years) is needed. This study analyses the sediment mass balance and storage dynamics within a headwater gully catchment in central Europe over the last ~12 500 years. Human induced erosion resulted in hillslope erosion rates ~2.3 times higher than under naturally de‐vegetated conditions (during the Younger Dryas), however the total sediment inputs to the gully system (and therefore gully aggradation), were similar. Net gully storage has consistently increased to become the second largest term in the sediment budget after hillslope erosion (storage is ~45% and ~73% of inputs during two separate erosion and aggradation cycles). In terms of the depletion of gully sediment storage, the sediment mass balance shows that export beyond the gully fan was not significant until the last ~500 years, due to reduced gully fan accommodation space. The significance of storage effects on the gully sediment mass balance, particularly the export terms, means that it would be difficult to determine the influences of human impact and/or climatic changes from floodplain or lake sedimentary archives alone and that the sediment budgets of the headwater catchments from which they drain are more likely to provide these mechanistic links. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial patterns of sediment delivery to valley floors: sensitivity to sediment transport capacity and hillslope hydrology relations

There is considerable interest in large‐scale spatial patterns of sediment transport in catchments, and this topic is often approached using terrain‐based modelling. In such models topography influences the discharge of overland flow and its sediment transport capacity. The sediment transport capacity of overland flow is commonly expressed as a power function of slope and discharge (i.e. q_s=k₁q^βS^γ). The relationship between discharge and contributing area can also be expressed as a power function. Several reviews reveal a limited range of values for the two exponents β and γ. In this paper we examine the sensitivity of catchment‐scale patterns of sediment delivery to valley floors to a range of sediment transport capacity and hillslope hydrology parameterizations, using two catchments on the southern tablelands of New South Wales. The results indicate that, over the limited range of β and γ identified within the literature, sediment deliveries to valley floors across the two catchments are similar for all but one of five sediment transport capacity relationships. The patterns are dominated by the trend in slope through each catchment. The sensitivity to hillslope hydrology of predicted sediment delivery patterns is strong in the catchment with systematic variation in unit hillslope area, and weak in the catchment for which there are no systematic trends in unit hillslope area. We believe there is less experimental evidence to restrict choice of hillslope hydrology parameters than there is for sediment transport capacity. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stereophotogrammetry of archive data and topographic approaches to debris‐flow torrent measurements: calculation of channel‐sediment states and a partial sediment budget for Manival torrent (Isère,France)

This paper focuses on a topographic methodology to characterize the amount of sediment stored in channels and the use of historical photographs for aerial survey by stereophotogrammetry, as part of wider research on debris‐flow magnitude prediction. The topographic methodology uses equidistant four‐point cross‐sections along the long profile of the channel. Each cross‐section is representative of a 50‐m reach of the channel. To calculate the volume of each reach, the difference is calculated between a reference level and the topographic surface. The reference level is the lowest level where the debris flow can erode, and in the current method this level is estimated from fixed points along the long profile of the channel. The accuracy of the method has been estimated by comparing results of a detailed topographic survey, with a standard deviation corresponding to about 6 per cent of the total calculated sediment volume. This topographic methodology has been used on aerial photographs by photogrammetry. This tool was applied to photographs taken on 12 past dates. The scales of the archive photographs used range from 1:3000 to 1:30 000, but results are consistent and permit us to calculate sediment states of the channel for different past dates with an uncertainty of about 6 per cent of the total volume. The application of the technique to the Manival debris‐flow torrent has permitted us to propose some partial sediment budgets and erosion‐rate estimates. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Topsoil delivery to Himalayan rivers: the importance of sampling time

Estimates of the amount of topsoil in river sediments can help constrain sediment budgets on decadal time scales. The tracers ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb(ex) are used to determine the proportion of topsoil in river sediments in two Himalayan catchments, a relatively simple but effective method that could be used in many catchments in this complex mountain range for management purposes. Different results are reached, apparently depending upon antecedent conditions, with a large component of topsoil in river sediments likely to be the result of rainfall that erodes hillslopes by sheet and rill processes, does not mobilize or mix with other sources of sediment such as from landslides, and does not generate high river flows to transport the topsoil downstream. These results show that sampling of tracers in sedimentary archives is essential to provide time series of topsoil input to Himalayan rivers to account for high temporal variability. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nature of sediment dispersal off the Sepik River, Papua New Guinea: preliminary sediment budget and implications for margin processes

A sediment budget is constructed for the slope and narrow continental shelf off the Sepik River in order to estimate the relative importance of turbid plumes versus bottom gravity transport through a near-shore submarine canyon in the dispersal of sediment across this collision margin. ²¹⁰Pb geochronology and inventories of Kasten cores are consistent with the northwestward dispersal of sediment from the river mouth via hypopycnal and possible isopycnal plumes. Sediment accumulation rates are 5 cm yr⁻¹ on the upper slope just off of the Sepik mouth, decreasing gradually to 1 cm yr⁻¹ toward the northwest, and decreasing abruptly offshore (<0.2 cm yr⁻¹ at 1200 m water depth). A sediment budget indicates that only about 7–15% of the Sepik River sediment discharge accumulates on the adjacent open shelf and slope. The remainder presumably escapes offshore via gravity flows through a submarine canyon, the head of which extends into the river mouth. The divergent sediment pathways observed off the Sepik River (i.e., surface and subsurface plumes versus sediment gravity flows through a canyon) may be common along high-yield collision margins of the Indo–Pacific archipelago, and perhaps are analogous to most margins during Late Quaternary low sea-level conditions.