Geochemical characterisation and erosion stability of fine‐grained groyne field sediments of the Middle Elbe River

Because of the significant reduction of flow velocity relative to the main current there is an accumulation of sediment material in the centre of the groyne fields over time (years to decades) up to a maximum of 1.5 m. Based on the element‐ and compound‐specific depth functions of this fine‐grained material with high organic matter content the sedimentation history of the Elbe River sediments concerning the environmentally relevant nutrients and pollutants can be reconstructed. It could be shown that the fresh sediments are less polluted than the deeper older ones. During the extreme flood of the river Elbe in August 2002 the critical erosion shear stress in the groyne fields was high enough to remobilise a considerable portion of the sediment depot. The hazard to the environment is high due to the fact that a significant part of the remobilised polluted sediments was distributed over the recent floodplain which is normally used as pasture. Thus these groyne field sediments represent a temporary danger for the water quality of the river Elbe. But the hazard of the solids sedimented in the recent floodplain of the river can be viewed as long‐lasting.     

Storage of sediment‐associated heavy metals along the channelized Odra River,Poland

The importance of long‐term storage of heavy metals in groyne fields, functioning over 150 years, is investigated for the River Odra (Oder), western Poland. Construction of groynes along the Odra preceded rapid development of heavy industrialization in the largest coal mine districts in Poland and the Czech Republic that resulted in persistent riverine pollution. The 187 km long Middle Odra reach was repeatedly channelized from the first half of the eighteenth century to the turn of the twentieth century, during which time partially filled groyne fields were dissected by new bank lines and groyne systems, with older groyne fields partially keyed into the floodplain. Consequently, concentrations of zinc, lead, cadmium, and copper within historically deposited groyne field sediments exceed local geochemical background levels by more than 60, 40, 15 and 10 times, respectively. Sediments contaminated with heavy metals occur within three distinctive geomorphic zones: zone I is up to 250 m wide and furthest from the present channel, comprising decimeter‐thick polluted sediments, overlying eighteenth century sand and gravel bars; zone II represents the former nineteenth century groyne fields, with widths between 10 and 100 m, filled with as much as 3 m of polluted sediments; zone III represents the twentieth century groyne fields, which are several to a dozen metres wide and filled with polluted sediments averaging depths of more than 2 m. This investigation indicates that large and extensive sediment quantities of moderately polluted sediments are stored immediately along the banks of the River Odra. These sediments could be a significant secondary pollution source and therefore careful maintenance of contemporary bank protection structures is required. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dust deposition near an eroding source field

Deposition of suspended dust near eroding source fields can have detrimental effects on vegetation, as well as on soil and water quality. This study was undertaken to quantify dust deposition within 200 m of a source field during wind erosion events. Erosion was measured with BSNE samplers on a small field of Amarillo fine sandy loam at field at Big Spring, TX. Suspension‐sized dust discharge averaged 33 ± 5 per cent of the total sediment discharge and ranged from 18·0 to 147·4 kg m^?1 during eight selected storm events. Within 200 m of the source field boundary, dust collected in deposition samplers placed above a vegetated surface averaged 34 per cent of initial dust discharge. Predicted deposition, according to a line source model, was 43 per cent. Actual deposition was likely near that predicted, because of lateral diffusion of the dust and some under‐sampling by the disk samplers. Thus, the line source model seems useful in estimating both the pattern and quantity of deposition. About 30 per cent of the suspended dust was deposited within the initial 50 m of vegetated surface, but only about 12–15 per cent was deposited in the initial 10 m. Published in 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Human‐induced sedimentation patterns of a channelized lowland river

Channelization of the severely polluted Odra and Vistula Rivers in Poland induced intensive accumulation of fine‐grained deposits rich in organic matter and heavy metals. These sediments have been identified in vertical profiles in a narrow zone along river banks both in groyne‐created basins and on the floodplain. Grain size, organic matter, zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), copper (Cu) content and cesium‐137 (¹³⁷Cs) was used for sediment dating and, stratigraphy and chemistry have been diagnostic features for these deposits, named industrial alluvium. In the most polluted river reaches stabilized by bank reinforcements and groynes, 2‐m‐thick slack water groyne deposits are composed of uniform strata of polluted silts with organic matter content over 10%, Zn content over 1000 mg/kg and average Cu and Pb over 100 mg/kg. The average rate of sediment accretion in groynes is higher than on the floodplain and reaches 5 cm/yr. Stratification which appears at higher levels in the groyne fields and on the levees reflects a change from in‐channel to overbank deposition and is typified by dark layers separated by bright, sandy, and less polluted strata. Stratified, 4‐m‐thick, sediment sequences have been found in groyne fields of incised river reaches. The average rate of sediment accretion in these reaches is of the order of 5 cm/yr. In stable and relatively less polluted river reaches, vertical‐accretion organic deposits are finely laminated and the average rate of deposition amounts to a few millimeters per year. Investigations indicate that groyne construction favors conditions for long‐term storage of sediments at channel banks. For this reason, groynes should be considered as structures that efficiently limit sudden release of sediment‐associated heavy metals stored in channels and in floodplains of the historically polluted rivers. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Transport and deposition of fine sediment in open channels with different aspect ratios

This paper investigates by means of several large eddy simulations how the channel aspect ratio affects the transport and settling of suspended sediments. The numerical method is successfully validated using data of a physical experiment of fine sediment net deposition in an open channel flow. The channel aspect ratio, A, is known to be the determining factor for the development, strength and distribution of the turbulence‐driven secondary flow, and it is demonstrated that A influences the primary flow, turbulence quantities and the transport and fate of fine sediments. The secondary flow locally supports or hinders the falling of fine sediment particles in a turbulent flow, which results in a non‐uniform deposition of fine sediments over the cross‐section. While the channel aspect ratio has a large influence on the distribution of suspended sediments within the cross‐section, its effect on the cross‐sectional averaged deposition is negligibly small. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Controls on slope‐to‐channel fine sediment connectivity in a largely ice‐free valley,Hoophorn Stream,Southern Alps,New Zealand

There has been little work to date into the controls on slope‐to‐channel fine sediment connectivity in alpine environments largely ice‐free for most of the Holocene. Characterization of these controls can be expected to result in better understanding of how landscapes “relax” from such perturbations as climate shock. We monitored fine sediment mobilization on a slope segment hydrologically connected to a stream in the largely ice‐free 8·3 km² Hoophorn Valley, New Zealand. Gerlach traps were installed in ephemeral slope channels to trap surficial material mobilized during rainfall events. Channel sediment flux was measured using turbidimeters above and below the connected slope, and hysteresis patterns in discharge‐suspended sediment concentrations were used to determine sediment sources. Over the 96 day measurement period, sediment mobilization from the slope segment was limited to rainfall events, with increasingly larger particles trapped as event magnitude increased. Less than 1% of the mass of particles collected during these events was fine sediment. During this period, 714 t of suspended sediment was transported through the lower gauging station, 60% of it during rainfall events. Channel sediment transfer patterns during these events were dominated by clockwise hysteresis, interpreted as remobilization of nearby in‐channel sources, further suggesting limited input of fine sediment from slopes in the lower valley. Strong counterclockwise hysteresis, representing input of fine sediment from slope segments, was restricted to the largest storm event (JD2 2009) when surfaces in the upper basin were activated. The results indicate that the slopes of the lower Hoophorn catchment are no longer functioning as sources of fine sediment, but rather as sources of coarse material, with flux rates controlled by the intensity and duration of rainfall events. Although speculative, these findings suggest a shift to a coarse sediment dominated slope‐to‐channel transfer system as the influence of pre‐Holocene glacial erosion declines. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distribution of water quality parameters in two cross‐sections of the river Elbe measured with high local,temporal, and analytic resolution

The river Elbe is a large eutrophic lowland river with high primary production and high phytoplankton biomass in the growing season. The objective of the study was to gain basic knowledge of the role of dead zones for phytoplankton distribution and the oxygen balance of the river Elbe. At two sampling stations water temperature, oxygen concentration, conductivity, pH value, turbidity, and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured with high precision to learn about the distribution of these parameters across the cross‐sections. The structures indicate differences in the intensity of physical and biological processes between the shallow waters near the shores, which are characterized by groyne fields, and the deep bulk flow. The conductivity clearly shows the high transverse mixing intensity in the groyne fields in contrast to the bulk flow. Groyne fields and the first, the groyne head near margin lamella of the bulk flow can be regarded as a unit. Groyne field results indicate higher primary production of phytoplankton, oxygen release, and higher pH. The turbidity of water entering the groyne fields decreases rapidly because of sedimentation within a short time. The groyne head lamella of the bulk flow sometimes shows higher chlorophyll fluorescence than the central lamella of the bulk flow and the water of the groyne field. The processes which contribute to the observed distribution are discussed, but could not yet be quantified. A modification of the dead zone model is proposed.     

Estimation of suspended sediment loads and delivery in an incised upland headwater catchment,south‐eastern Australia

Historically upland headwater catchments in south‐eastern Australia have undergone extensive gully erosion that has removed large amounts of sediment to lowlands. Recent research suggests these upland areas may continue to dominate fine sediment loads in lowland rivers. Improved understanding of sediment transfer through upland headwater catchments may have implications for interpreting downstream sediment supply. In this study a nested catchment design was utilized to examine suspended sediment yields and delivery from a small tributary sub‐catchment (1·64 km²) to the study catchment outlet (53·5 km²). Monitoring of suspended sediment concentration and discharge was undertaken for a period of nearly two years and used to estimate suspended sediment loads. Estimated total suspended sediment exports over the period of monitoring were 24·16 t from the sub‐catchment and 550·3 t from the catchment, which are generally less than previous reported small catchment yields in south‐eastern Australia. The extent of sediment delivery was examined using between‐site ratios of specific sediment yield per unit area and incised channel length. Sediment delivery was high under average rainfall conditions, but seasonally dependent. Both suspended sediment yields and the extent of delivery peaked over spring months, supplemented by remobilization of sediment stored during summer months in the main catchment channel. The findings of this study suggest much of the suspended sediment exported from small incised upland sub‐catchments (1–2 km²) may be delivered to downstream reaches under average rainfall conditions, which, in conjunction with the findings of previous research supports the potential importance of contributions from these areas to suspended sediment loads in lowland rivers during high flow periods. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Overbank sediment deposition patterns for straight and meandering flume channels

Experiments with the 10 m Flood Channel Facility at HR Wallingford, UK, indicate a fundamental dependency of the overbank deposition pattern of channel suspended sediments on channel planform. Two experiments (100 and 140 l s^?1) in a 1·95 m wide straight channel showed deposition concentrated in a berm along the channel bank. Little sediment was transferred further onto the floodplain. For the larger flow, the berm formed further from the channel. A single experiment (103 l s^?1) with a 1·31 m wide meandering channel showed deposition across the entire floodplain tongue between successive meanders. Maximum deposition occurred on the downstream side of the meander, just past the bend apex. These generalized flume results complement the real‐world but site‐specific data of field studies. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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

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

Significance of particle interaction to the modelling of cohesive sediment transport in rivers

Aggregation processes of fine sediments have rarely been integrated in numerical simulations of cohesive sediment transport in riverine systems. These processes, however, can significantly alter the hydrodynamic characteristics of suspended particulate matter (SPM), modifying the particle settling velocity, which is one of the most important parameters in modelling suspended sediment dynamics. The present paper presents data from field measurements and an approach to integrate particle aggregation in a hydrodynamic sediment transport model. The aggregation term used represents the interaction of multiple sediment classes (fractions) with corresponding multiple deposition behaviour. The k–ε–turbulence model was used to calculate the coefficient of vertical turbulent mixing needed for the two‐dimensional vertical‐plane simulations. The model has been applied to transport and deposition of tracer particles and natural SPM in a lake‐outlet lowland river (Spree River, Germany). The results of simulations were evaluated by comparison with field data obtained for two levels of river discharge. Experimental data for both discharge levels showed that under the prevailing uniform hydraulic conditions along the river reach, the settling velocity distribution did not change significantly downstream, whereas the amount of SPM declined. It was also shown that higher flow velocities (higher fluid shear) resulted in higher proportions of fast settling SPM fractions. We conclude that in accordance with the respective prevailing turbulence structures, typical aggregation mechanisms occur that continuously generate similar distribution patterns, including particles that settle toward the river bed and thus mainly contribute to the observed decline in the total SPM concentration. In order to determine time‐scales of aggregation and related mass fluxes between the settling velocity fractions, results of model simulations were fitted to experimental data for total SPM concentration and of settling velocity frequency distributions. The comparison with simulations for the case of non‐interacting fractions clearly demonstrated the practical significance of particle interaction for a more realistic modelling of cohesive sediment and contaminant transport. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

What is suspended sediment?

Suspended sediment is conventionally regarded as that sediment transported by a fluid that it is fine enough for turbulent eddies to outweigh settling of the particles through the fluid. Early work in the fluvial field attributed suspension to turbulence, and led to the notion of a critical threshold for maintaining sediment in suspension. However, research on both turbulence structures and the interactions between suspended sediment and bedforms in rivers has shown a more complex story and, although there appear to have been no studies of the impact of bedforms on aeolian suspended sediment concentrations, turbulent flow structures and transport rates of saltating particles have been shown to be affected. This research indicates that suspended sediment neither travels with the same velocity as the flow in which it is suspended, nor is it likely to remain in suspension in perpetuity, even under conditions of steady flow or in unsteady flow the where dimensionless critical threshold is permanently exceeded. Rather, like bedload, it travels in a series of hops, and is repeatedly deposited on the bed where it remains until it is re‐entrained. Is there, therefore, a qualitative difference between suspended and saltating sediment, or is it just a quantitative difference in the size of the jump length and the frequency of re‐entrainment? It is our contention that the distinction of suspension as a separate class of sediment transport is both arbitrary and an unhelpful anthropocentric artefact. If we recognize that sediment transport is a continuum and applies to any fluid medium rather than split into different “processes” based on arbitrary thresholds and fluids, then recognizing the continuity will enable development of an holistic approach sediment transport, and thus sediment‐transport models that are likely to be viable across a wider range of conditions than hitherto. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The nature and transport of the fine‐grained component of Swift Creek Landslide,Northwest Washington

Extreme sedimentation in Swift Creek, located in the Cascades foothills in NW Washington (48°55′N, 122°16′W), results from erosion of the oversteepened, unvegetated toe of a large (55 hectares) active landslide. Deposition of landslide‐derived sediment has necessitated costly mitigation projects in the channel including annual dredging and temporary sediment traps in an attempt to reduce the risk of flooding and damage to man‐made structures downstream. This study attempts to understand the process of sediment production along with the corresponding erosion rates of the sediment source to help with the development of mitigation plans and construction of optimal sediment reservoirs. The bedload and suspended sediment in the creek are a direct result of the weathering process of the serpentinitic bedrock underlying the landslide. The serpentinite does not weather to smectite clay, as previously thought. Instead, it weathers to asbestiform chrysotile with minor amounts of chlorite, illite and hydrotalcite, all of which occur in clay seeps on the unvegetated surface of the landslide. The chrysotile fibers average 2 µm in length and make up at least 50%, by volume, of the suspended load transported in Swift Creek. This study does not address the environmental or health implications of the asbestiform chrysotile transport or deposition. During the sampled time between February 2005 and February 2006, 127 discrete suspended sediment samples were collected and discharge was measured 66 times. The suspended sediment concentrations ranged from 0·02 g L^?1 to 41·6 g L^?1 and the discharge ranged from 0·0 m³ s^?1 to 0·5 m³ s^?1. A nonlinear functional model estimated the total suspended sediment flux from detailed precipitation records and discrete suspended sediment concentration and discharge measurements to be 910 t km^?2 yr^?1. When the suspended sediment flux is coupled with estimates of downstream deposition of coarse sediment, the estimated erosion rate for the entire Swift Creek landslide is 158 mm yr^?1. The majority of the material entering Swift Creek is presumed to originate on the unvegetated toe of the landslide, for which the erosion rate is thus approximately 1 m yr^?1. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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

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

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.     

Sediment production and yield from an alluvial gully in northern Queensland,Australia

Sediment production, transport and yield were quantified over various timescales in response to rainfall and runoff within an alluvial gully (7 · 8 ha), which erodes into dispersible sodic soils of a small floodplain catchment (33 ha) along the Mitchell River, northern Australia. Historical air photographs and recent global positioning system (GPS) surveys and LiDAR data documented linear increases in gully area and volume, indicating that sediment supply has been relatively consistent over the historic period. Daily time lapse photography of scarp retreat rates and internal erosion processes also demonstrated that erosion from rainfall and runoff consistently supplied fine washload (< 63 µm) sediment in addition to coarse lags of sand bed material. Empirical measurements of suspended sediment concentrations (10 000 to >100 000 mg/L) and sediment yields (89 to 363 t/ha/yr) were high for both Australian and world data. Total sediment yield estimated from empirical washload and theoretical bed material load was dominated by fine washload (< 63 µm). A lack of hysteresis in suspended sediment rating curves, scarp retreat and sediment yield correlated to rainfall input, and an equilibrium channel outlet slope supported the hypothesis that partially or fully transport‐limited conditions predominated along the alluvial gully outlet channel. This is in contrast to sediment supply‐limited conditions on uneroded floodplains above gully head scarps. While empirical data presented here can support future modelling efforts to predict suspended sediment concentration and yield under the transport limiting situations, additional field data will also be needed to better quantify sediment erosion and transport rates and processes in alluvial gullies at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study of deposition of fine sediment within the pores of a coarse sediment bed stream

Elaborate experiments were performed in a 30 m long, 0.5 m deep and 0.2 m wide laboratory flume to study the process of infiltration of fine sediment into the pores of coarse sediment forming the channel bed material. Different concentrations of suspended load of fine sediment of size 0.064 mm were passed over the channel bed made up of three different types of coarse sediments; two uniform and one nonuniform. The proportion of fine sediment infiltrated into the pores of bed material for each equilibrium concentration of suspended load of fine sediment in the flow was studied during several experimental runs. The proportion of fine sediment within the pores of bed material increased with an increase in the equilibrium concentration of suspended load of fine sediment in the flow. This process continued till the pores within the coarse sediment bed were filled up to the capacity with the fine sediment transported by the flow in suspension. The theoretical value was identified for limit for maximum proportion of fine sediment that can be present within the pores of bed material. On further increase in the concentration of suspended load of fine sediment in the flow, deposition of fine sediment occurs on the surface of the flume bed in the form of ripples of the fine sediment. This condition is defined as 'depositional condition'. Experimental observations on these and related aspects are presented herein.     

Spatial variability of floodplain sedimentation at the event scale in the Rhine–Meuse delta,The Netherlands

This article addresses spatial variability of comtemporary floodplain sedimentation at the event scale. Measurements of overbank deposition were carried out using sediment traps on 11 floodplain sections along the rivers Waal and Meuse in The Netherlands during the high-magnitude flood of December 1993. During the flood, sand sheets were locally deposited behind a natural levee. At distances greater than 50 to 100 m from the river channel the deposits consisted mainly of silt- and clay-sized material. Observed patterns of deposition were related to floodplain topography and sediment transporting mechanisms. Though at several sites patterns were observed that suggest transport by turbulent diffusion, convection seems the dominant transporting mechanism, in particular in sections that are bordered by minor embankments. The average deposition of overbank fines ranged between 1·2 and 4·0 kg m⁻² along the river Waal, and between 1·0 and 2·0 kg m⁻² along the river Meuse. The estimated total accumulation of overbank fines (not including sand sheets) on the entire river Waal floodplain was 0·24 Mton, which is 19 per cent of the total suspended sediment load transported through the river Waal during the flood. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling suspended sediment concentration and load in a transport‐limited alluvial gully in northern Queensland,Australia

Alluvial gullies are often formed in dispersible sodic soils along steep banks of incised river channels. Field data collected by Shellberg et al. (Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 38: 1765–1778, 2013) from a gully outlet in northern Australia showed little hysteresis between water discharge and fine (<63 µm) and coarse (>63 µm) suspended sediment, indicating transport‐limited rather than source‐limited conditions. The major source of the fine (silt/clay) component was the sodic soils of upstream gully scarps, and the coarser (sand) component was sourced locally from channel bed material. In this companion paper at the same study site, a new method was developed for combining the settling velocity characteristics of these two sediment source components to estimate the average settling velocity of the total suspended sediment. This was compared to the analysis of limited sediment samples collected during flood conditions. These settling velocity data were used in the steady‐state transport limit theory of Hairsine and Rose (Water Resources Research 28: 237–243, 245–250, 1992) that successfully predicted field data of concentrations and loads at a cross‐section, regardless of the complexity of transport‐limited upstream sources (sheet erosion, scalds, rills, gullies, mass failure, bank and bed erosion, other disturbed areas). The analysis required calibration of a key model parameter, the fraction of total stream power (F ≈ 0.025) that is effective in re‐entraining sediment. Practical recommendations are provided for the prediction of sediment loads from other alluvial gullies in the region with similar hydrogeomorphic conditions, using average stream power efficiency factors for suspended silt/clay (F_w ≈ 0.016) and sand (F_s ≈ 0.038) respectively, but with no requirement for field data on sediment concentrations. Only basic field data on settling velocity characteristics from soil samples, channel geometry measurements, estimates of water velocity and discharge, and associated error margins are needed for transport limit theory predictions of concentration and load. This theory is simpler than that required in source‐limited situations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.