Evaluation of a simple,inexpensive, in situ sampler for measuring time‐weighted average concentrations of suspended sediment in rivers and streams

The accurate measurement of suspended sediment (<200 μm) in aquatic environments is essential to understand and effectively manage changes to sediment, nutrient, and contaminant concentrations on both temporal and spatial scales. Commonly used sampling techniques for suspended sediment either lack the ability to accurately measure sediment concentration (e.g., passive sediment samplers) or are too expensive to deploy in sufficient number to provide landscape‐scale information (e.g., automated discrete samplers). Here, we evaluate a time‐integrated suspended sediment sampling technique, the pumped active suspended sediment (PASS) sampler, which collects a sample that can be used for the accurate measurement of time‐weighted average (TWA) suspended sediment concentration and sediment particle size distribution. The sampler was evaluated against an established passive time‐integrated suspended sediment sampling technique (i.e., Phillips sampler) and the standard discrete sampling method (i.e., manual discrete sampling). The PASS sampler collected a sample representative of TWA suspended sediment concentration and particle size distribution of a control sediment under laboratory conditions. Field application of the PASS sampler showed that it collected a representative TWA suspended sediment concentration and particle size distribution during high flow events in an urban stream. The particle size distribution of sediment collected by the PASS and Phillips samplers were comparable and the TWA suspended sediment concentration of the samples collected using the PASS and discrete sampling techniques agreed well, differing by only 4% and 6% for two different high flow events. We should note that the current configuration of the PASS sampler does not provide a flow‐weighted measurement and, therefore, is not suitable for the determination of sediment loads. The PASS sampler is a simple, inexpensive, and robust in situ sampling technique for the accurate measurement of TWA suspended sediment concentration and particle size distribution.     

An evaluation of visual and measurement-based methods for estimating deposited fine sediment

A wide range of methods are commonly used to measure deposited fine sediment and quantify substrate quality in rivers as part of bioassessment or monitoring programmes. In this laboratory-based experi-ment known amounts of three sediment types (sand, topsoil, peat) were added to mesocosms and four methods of measuring deposited fine sediment;turbidity, estimation of released sediment, Turner–Hillis deposited sediment sampler (DSS) and visual estimation of%surface cover were evaluated. The objective of the study was to evaluate which of these methods for estimating deposited sediment best dis-criminates between levels of deposited fine sediment added and assesses the effects of inter-observer variability between % surface cover estimations. While turbidity measurement and the resuspension method were strongly related to levels of added sediment, it proved difficult using the two methods to resolve differences between adjacent levels of added sediment e.g. 50 g and 100 g. Surface cover esti-mations were also strongly related to added sediment levels and were better able to distinguish between adjacent levels of added sediment. Furthermore, we found no significant differences between the %surface cover estimations between observers. Results from this laboratory experiment strongly endorse the use of visual estimation of surface cover in field studies. Further work evaluating the turbidity and re-suspension methods under field conditions would also be beneficial.     

Estimating suspended sediment concentrations from turbidity measurements and the calibration problem

In situ turbidity meters are being increasingly used to generate continuous records of suspended sediment concentration in rivers. However, the usefulness of the information obtained depends heavily on the existence of a close relationship between fluctuations in suspended sediment concentration and turbidity and the calibration procedure that relates suspended sediment concentration to the turbidity meter's signal. This study assesses the relationship between suspended sediment concentration and turbidity for a small (1·19 km²) rural catchment in southern Brazil and evaluates two calibration methods by comparing the estimates of suspended sediment concentration obtained from the calibrated turbidity readings with direct measurements obtained using a USDH 48 suspended sediment sampler. With the first calibration method, the calibration relationship is derived by relating the turbidity readings to simultaneous measurements of concentration obtained from suspended sediment samples collected from the vicinity of the turbidity probe during flood events. With the second method, the calibration is based on the readings obtained from the turbidity meter when the probe immersed in samples of known concentration prepared using soils collected from the catchment. Overall, there was a close link between fluctuations in suspended sediment concentration and turbidity in the stream at the outlet of the catchment, and the estimates of sediment concentration obtained using the first calibration method corresponded closely with the conventionally measured sediment concentrations. However, use of the second calibration method introduced appreciable errors. When the estimated sediment concentrations were compared with the measured values, the mean errors were ± 122 mg l^?1 and + 601 mg l^?1 for the first and second calibration procedures respectively. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sediment and particulate phosphorus characteristics in grassed waterways from row crop corn and alfalfa fields collected by manual University of Exeter samplers and automatic sampling

Phosphorus (P) export from agricultural lands above known threshold levels can result in adverse impacts to receiving water quality. Phosphorus loss occurs in dissolved and sediment‐bound, or particulate phosphorous (PP), forms, with the latter often dominating losses from row‐cropped systems. To target practices, land managers need good computer models and model developers need good monitoring data. Sediment monitoring data (e.g. radiometric finger printing and sediment P sorption capacity) can help identify sediment source areas and improve models, but require more sediment mass than is typically obtained by automatic sampling. This study compares a simple suspended sediment sampler developed at the University of Exeter (UE) with automatic sampling in intermittent channels draining corn and alfalfa fields. The corn field had a greater runoff coefficient (27%) than alfalfa (11%). No differences were found in enrichment ratios (sediment constituent/soil constituent) in PP (PP_ER) or percent loss on ignition (LOI_ER) between paired UE samplers on corn. The median LOI_ER for the UE samplers (1·9%) did not differ significantly (p > 0·13) from the automatic sampler (2·0%). The PP_ER from the UE samplers was on average 20% lower than the automatic samplers. A correlation (r² = 0·75) was found between sediment PP and % LOI from automatic samplers and UE samplers for particles < 50 µm, while for > 50 µm PP concentration did not change with changes in % LOI. Sediment ammonium‐oxalate extractable metals were similarly related to LOI, with the strongest correlation for iron (r² = 0·71) and magnesium (r² = 0·70). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Grazing impacts on gully dynamics indicate approaches for gully erosion control in northeast Australia

Drainage network extension in semi‐arid rangelands has contributed to a large increase in the amount of fine sediment delivered to the coastal lagoon of the Great Barrier Reef, but gully erosion rates and dynamics are poorly understood. This study monitored annual erosion, deposition and vegetation cover in six gullies for 13 years, in granite‐derived soils of the tropical Burdekin River basin. We also monitored a further 11 gullies in three nearby catchments for 4 years to investigate the effects of grazing intensity. Under livestock grazing, the long‐term fine sediment yield from the planform area of gullies was 6.1 t ha^‐1 yr^‐1. This was 7.3 times the catchment sediment yield, indicating that gullies were erosion hotspots within the catchment. It was estimated that gully erosion supplied between 29 and 44% of catchment sediment yield from 4.5% of catchment area, of which 85% was derived from gully wall erosion. Under long‐term livestock exclusion gully sediment yields were 77% lower than those of grazed gullies due to smaller gully extent, and lower erosion rates especially on gully walls. Gully wall erosion will continue to be a major landscape sediment source that is sensitive to grazing pressure, long after gully length and depth have stabilised. Wall erosion was generally lower at higher levels of wall vegetation cover, suggesting that yield could be reduced by increasing cover. Annual variations in gully head erosion and net sediment yield were strongly dependent on annual rainfall and runoff, suggesting that sediment yield would also be reduced if surface runoff could be reduced. Deposition occurred in the downstream valley segments of most gullies. This study concludes that reducing livestock grazing pressure within and around gullies in hillslope drainage lines is a primary method of gully erosion control, which could deliver substantial reductions in sediment yield. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Time‐integrated sampling of fluvial suspended sediment: a simple methodology for small catchments

Fine‐grained (<62·5 µm) suspended sediment transport is a key component of the geochemical flux in most fluvial systems. The highly episodic nature of suspended sediment transport imposes a significant constraint on the design of sampling strategies aimed at characterizing the biogeochemical properties of such sediment. A simple sediment sampler, utilizing ambient flow to induce sedimentation by settling, is described. The sampler can be deployed unattended in small streams to collect time‐integrated suspended sediment samples. In laboratory tests involving chemically dispersed sediment, the sampler collected a maximum of 71% of the input sample mass. However, under natural conditions, the existence of composite particles or flocs can be expected to increase significantly the trapping efficiency. Field trials confirmed that the particle size composition and total carbon content of the sediment collected by the sampler were representative statistically of the ambient suspended sediment. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An integrated suspended sediment transport monitoring and analysis concept

A new integrated suspended sediment monitoring strategy applying direct and indirect technologies is presented.Optical sensors continuously record the turbidity at one point in the channel cross section close to the river bank and are calibrated by water samples taken close to the sensor.Additionally measurements are performed to establish the distribution of suspended sediment in a cross section（bottle samples combined with acoustic devices）.Using correction factors（probe and cross-sectional factor） these monitoring methods are combined and it is,thus,possible to fully document the temporal and spatial variability of the suspended sediment transport and to estimate the suspended sediment load for certain time periods.This monitoring strategy was implemented at various measurement sites in Austria as well as at the Hainburg Road Bridge site on the Danube River.It has already been successfully applied for three years at this measurement site and suspended sediment loads during high discharges up to a 15 year flood event have been monitored.To evaluate the new monitoring methods the results were compared with load estimation methods found in the literature including averaging and ratio estimators as well as rating curves.The results prove that with the new methodology,the temporal variability of the suspended sediment transport can be detected more accurately compared with the other methods.They also demonstrate that the additional consideration of the spatial distribution of the suspended sediment concentration in the cross section is crucial as the mean concentration in the cross section can significantly exceed the concentration near the banks,especially at large rivers like the Danube River.     

Assessing issues associated with a time‐integrated fluvial fine sediment sampler

Collecting a representative time‐integrated sample of fluvial fine‐grained suspended sediment (<63 μm) is an important requirement for the understanding of environmental, geomorphological, and hydrological processes operating within watersheds. This study (a) characterized the hydrodynamic behaviour of a commonly used time‐integrated fine sediment sampler (TIFSS) using an acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) in controlled laboratory conditions and (b) measured the mass collection efficiency (MCE) of the sampler by an acoustic Doppler current profiler under field conditions. The laboratory results indicated that the hydrodynamic evaluations associated with the original development of the TIFSS involved an underestimation of the inlet flow velocity of the sampler that results in a significant overestimation of the theoretical MCE. The ADV data illustrated that the ratio of the inlet flow velocity of the sampler to the ambient velocity was 87% and consequently, it can be assumed that a representative sample of the ambient fine suspended particles entered into the sampler. The field results showed that the particle size distribution of the sediment collected by the TIFSS was statistically similar to that for the ambient sediment in the Red River, Manitoba, Canada. The MCE of the TIFSS in the field trials appeared to be as low as 10%. Collecting a representative sample in the field was consistent with the previous findings that the TIFSS is a suitable sampler for the collection of a representative sample of sufficient mass (e.g., >1 g) for the investigation of the properties of fluvial fine‐grained suspended sediment. Hydrodynamic evaluation of the TIFSS under a wider range of hydraulic conditions is suggested to assess the performance of the sampler during high run‐off events.     

Determining suspended sediment loads from turbidity records / La détermination des charges en suspension des rapports sur la turbidité

Abstract

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the US Geological Survey are cooperating in several field studies to evaluate sediment control measures used during highway construction. Among the parameters being monitored are suspended sediment concentration and turbidity. Sediment loads are calculated from suspended sediment and water discharge data, but some sediment loads must be determined indirectly because it is virtually impossible to obtain sufficient suspended sediment samples to define all runoff conditions adequately. Sediment discharge-water discharge correlation curves have proved unreliable for streams affected by highway construction, so an alternative method using the turbidity record was developed during these studies.

The field data reveal a good correlation between daily mean discharge-weighted turbidity and daily mean discharge-weighted suspended sediment concentration. Turbidity is monitored and recorded continuously, and the daily mean discharge-weighted turbidity is calculated from the turbidity and water discharge data. During periods when there are insufficient suspended sediment data, the daily mean discharge-weighted suspended sediment concentration is determined from the turbidity-sediment correlation and used with the daily mean water discharge to calculate a daily sediment load.

This method of determining sediment loads from the turbidity record suggests a possiblity for computation of sediment loads by computer. Instrumentation now in use for recording water quality parameters on digital punch tape could be used to record the output from a turbidimeter. Then, for streams having a good correlation between suspended sediment concentration and turbidity, simultaneous water discharge and turbidity data could be used to determine sediment loads by computer.     

Quantifying the spatial distribution of sediment transport in an experimental gully system using the morphological method

Whilst time-series of sediment transport in gullies in both laboratory experimental and field settings can be determined through instrumentation, quantifying the spatial distribution of transport rates remains challenging. The morphological method, which was proposed for estimating bed-material transport in both one- and two-dimensions in rivers, provides an alternative. Here, we developed this method for gully systems. A laboratory catchment was used to simulate gully erosion. High-resolution topographical data were acquired by close-range digital photogrammetry. Morphological changes were determined using high-resolution topographic data and an associated level of detection. Based on measured morphological changes, one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) sediment transport rates were calculated via cross-section by cross-section routing (1D) and cell by cell routing (2D). The 1D application provided a general trend of longitudinal variation of sediment transport for the whole gully system, increased gradually from zones of headward extension to a zone downstream where erosion and deposition were in balance, and sediment transport rates less variable in space. For the 2D application, hydrological and blended hydrological-hydraulic routing solutions were compared. We found that the level of negative transport was insensitive to whether or not a blended hydrological-hydraulic routing was used and that results from applying the hydrological routing throughout were not significantly degraded. We also found that consideration should be given to spatial and temporal resolution of the topographic data. The 2D application provided spatial patterns of sediment transport that vary with gully evolution. The main gully remained a high transport corridor but branch transport became more important through time. The framework we report provides an additional tool for both experimental and field quantification of the spatial patterns of sediment transport in gullies; and quantification of how these patterns change under different forcing factors.     

Measuring and modeling vertical gradients in suspended sediments in the Solimões/Amazon River

Accurately measuring sediment flux in large rivers remains a challenge due to the spatial and temporal cross‐sectional variability of suspended sediment concentrations in conjunction with sampling procedures that fail to accurately quantify these differences. This study presents a field campaign methodology that can be used to improve the measurement of suspended sediment concentrations in the Amazon River or similarly large rivers. The turbidity signal and Rouse model are together used in this study to define the spatial distribution of suspended sediment concentrations in a river cross‐section, taking into account the different size fractions of the sediment. With this methodology, suspended sediment fluxes corresponding to each sediment class are defined with less uncertainty than with manual samples. This paper presents an application of this methodology during a field campaign at different gauging stations along a 3,000‐km stretch of the Solimões/Amazon River during low water and flood periods. Vertical concentration profiles and Rouse model applications for distinctive sediment sizes are explored to determine concentration gradients throughout a cross‐section of the river. The results show that coupling both turbidity technology and the Rouse model may improve our understanding of the spatial distribution of different sediments fractions sizes in the Solimões/Amazon River. These data are very useful in defining a pertinent monitoring strategy for suspended sediment concentrations in the challenging context of large rivers.     

FINE SEDIMENT OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI AND ILLINOIS RIVERS AND THE DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES

IINTRODUCTIONLanddevelopmentandlandusepatternsinthewatershedcaninduceincreasedsedimentloadsinriversandstreams.AGREATIllstudy(1982)illustratedthatsedimentyieldsfromagriculturallandcouldbeseveralfoldsmorethanothertypeoflandusesanderosionsources.ThesamestudyalsodemonstratedthatfinesedimentsweretheheaviestportionoftotalsoillossesfromeachtypeoflandusesinthetwelvehydrologicareasitinvestigatedintheUMRS.Thesamecouldbetrueforotheruplandareasalso.Howeverfinesediments,formthewashloadofthestream…     

A new sampler for extracting bed material sediment from sand and gravel beds in navigable rivers

Grain‐size distributions of bed material sediment in large alluvial rivers are required in various scientific and management applications, but characterizing gravel beds in navigable rivers is hampered by difficulties in sediment extraction. The newly developed and preliminarily tested sampler reported here can extract sediment from a range of riverbeds. The 36 × 23 × 28 cm stainless steel toothed sampler is deployed from and dragged downstream by the weight of a jet boat, and it improves upon previous samplers that are unable to penetrate gravel bed surfaces, have small apertures, and/or cannot retain fine sediment. The presented sampler was used to extract 167 bed material sediment samples of up to 16 kg (dry weight) with an average sample size of ～6 kg from 67 cross‐sections spanning 160 river kilometres along the Sacramento River. It was also tested at three sites on a subaerial bar to compare surface, subsurface, and sampler distributions. Sampler penetration is ～5 cm. The device collects individual samples that satisfy the criterion for bed material sediment whereby the largest particle comprises no more than 5% of the total sample mass in gravel and sand beds, except where the degree of surface armouring is large (e.g. armor ratios >> 2) and where more than 10% of bed material sediment is composed of grains larger than 64 mm. When aggregated samples exceed 15 kg, all satisfy the criterion whereby the largest particle comprises no more than 1% of the total sample mass. Samples closely resemble surface size distributions, except where armouring is strong. The sampler should be subject to more rigorous field testing, but many of its current limitations are expected to become negligible with the advent a larger, heavier version of the sampling device. Copyright © 2008 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.     

Gully erosion in the Siwalik Hills,Nepal: estimation of sediment production from active ephemeral gullies

A simple field‐based monitoring programme was established in a small catchment (area 4·6 km²) to find the rates of gully erosion in the Siwalik Hills, Nepal. The rates are used to estimate the amount of sediment produced by gully erosion in the catchment. Three large and active gullies were selected with areas ranging from 0·44 to 0·78 ha. Aerial photographs taken in 1964, 1978 and 1992 were ortho‐rectified and used to study the dynamics of gully heads. The same gullies were also monitored manually using an orthogonal reference system fixed by erosion pins around the gully heads. Results from the aerial photos indicated that the gullies expanded remarkably over the period from 1964 to 1992, by 34 to 58 per cent. Head‐retreat rates during that period were 0·48, 0·55 and 0·73 m a^?1 and average annual sediment evacuation was estimated as 2534 ± 171, 959 ± 60 and 2783 ± 118 m³ a^?1 for the three gullies respectively. From the field measurement, estimated volumes were found to vary from 731 ± 57 to 2793 ± 201 m³ a^?1 over the monitoring period of two years. It was also found that the gullies produce sediment which accounts for up to 59 per cent of the sediment produced from surface erosion in the headwater catchment. The findings are useful for planning and executing appropriate control measures and constructing a sediment hazard map at the catchment scale. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

PREDICTION OF THE GRAIN SIZE OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENT： IMPLICATIONS FOR CALCULATING SUSPENDED SEDIMENT CONCENTRATIONS USING SINGLE FREQUENCY ACOUSTIC BACKSCATTER

Collection of samples of suspended sediment transported by streams and rivers is difficult and expensive. Emerging technologies, such as acoustic backscatter, have promise to decrease costs and allow more thorough sampling of transported sediment in streams and rivers. Acoustic backscatter information may be used to calculate the concentration of suspended sand-sized sediment given the vertical distribution of sediment size. Therefore, procedures to accurately compute suspended sediment size distributions from easily obtained river data are badly needed. In this study, techniques to predict the size of suspended sand are examined and their application to measuring concentrations using acoustic backscatter data are explored. Three methods to predict the size of sediment in suspension using bed sediment, flow criteria, and a modified form of the Rouse equation yielded mean suspended sediment sizes that differed from means of measured data by 7 to 50 percent. When one sample near the bed was used as a reference, mean error was reduced to about 5 percent. These errors in size determination translate into errors of 7 to 156 percent in the prediction of sediment concentration using backscatter data from 1 MHz single frequency acoustics.     

Multi-decadal changes in the relationships between rainfall characteristics and debris-flow occurrences in response to gully evolution after the 1990–1995 Mount Unzen eruptions

Explosive volcanic eruptions can cause long-term landscape change, leading to increased sediment discharge that continues after the cessation of the eruptions. During the period 1990–1995, eruptions of Mount Unzen, Japan, generated large amounts of pyroclastic material, resulting in 57 debris-flow events during 1991–2018. To investigate changes in the relationships between rainfall characteristics and debris-flow occurrence, we conducted the following: geometric analysis of two gullies (i.e., debris-flow initiation zones) using LiDAR (light detection and ranging)-generated 1 m DEMs (digital elevation models); rainfall analysis, based on the relationship between rainfall duration and mean intensity (i.e., considering the intensity–duration, or ID, threshold); and debris-flow monitoring during 2016–2018. Since 1991, rainfall runoff has caused erosion of the supplied pyroclastic material, generating a channel network consisting of incised gullies. With sufficient rainfall, debris flows formed, accompanied by further gully erosion; this resulted in both vertical and lateral adjustments of the cross-sectional geometry. In the two decades since the eruptions ceased, readily mobilized pyroclastic material has become scarce as the gullies have adjusted to local hydrographic conditions. At the same time, the infiltration capacity of the volcanic flank has increased, reducing the capacity for overland flow. As a result, since 2000, rainfall events with intensities above the ID threshold have occurred; however, the lack of sediment supplied by the gullies appears to have hindered the occurrence and development of debris flows. This suggests that debris flows in volcanically perturbed landscapes may occur at lower rainfall thresholds as long as the corresponding upland channels are evolving as a result of intense overland flow. However, as such channels evolve towards equilibrium geometries, the frequency of debris flows decreases in response to the reduction in sediment availability.     

Rehabilitation effects on gully sediment yields and vegetation in a savanna rangeland

Gully rehabilitation can contribute to catchment management by stabilizing erosion and reducing downstream sediment yields, yet the globally observed responses are variable. Developing the technical basis for gully rehabilitation and establishing guidelines for application requires studies that evaluate individual rehabilitation measures in specific environments. An eight-year field experiment was undertaken to evaluate sediment yield and vegetation responses to several gully rehabilitation measures. The rehabilitation measures aimed to reduce surface runoff into gully head cuts, trap sediment on gully floors and increase vegetation cover on gully walls and floors. The study occurred in a savanna rangeland in northeast Australia. Two gullies were subject to treatments while four gullies were monitored as untreated controls. A runoff diversion structure reduced headcut erosion from 4.3 to 1.2 m² yr⁻¹. Small porous check dams and cattle exclusion reduced gully total sediment yields by more than 80%, equivalent to a reduction of 0.3 to 2.4 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, but only at catchment areas less than 10 ha. Fine sediment yields (silt and clay) were reduced by 7 and 19% from the two treated gullies, respectively. The porous check dam deposits contained a lower percentage of the fine fraction than the parent soil. Significant regeneration of gully floor vegetation occurred, associated with trapping of organic litter and fine sediment. Increases in vegetation cover and biomass were comprised of native perennial grasses, trees and shrubs. In variable climates, long-term gully rehabilitation will progress during wetter periods, and regress during droughts. Understanding linkages between rehabilitation measures, their hydrologic, hydraulic and vegetation effects and gully sediment yields is important to defining the conditions for their success.     

Badass gully morphodynamics and sediment generation in Waipaoa Catchment,New Zealand

Large (>0.1 km²) gully–mass movement complexes (badass gullies) are significant contributors to the sediment cascade in New Zealand's steepland East Coast Region catchments. The scale of change taking place in these gully systems allows significant evolution in morphology and sediment dynamics to be tracked at annual to decadal timescales. Here we document changes in two adjacent badass gullies in Waipaoa catchment (Tarndale and Mangatu) to infer sediment generation processes and connectivity using a morphological budgeting approach. A baseline dataset for this study is provided by a LiDAR-derived digital elevation model (DEM) in 2005. We produced new DEMs and orthophoto mosaics using photogrammetry in 2017, 2018, and 2019 to quantify gully morphodynamics and associated volumes of sediment erosion and deposition in both systems as they co-evolved. Results indicate ongoing rapid development of both gully complexes. Severe erosion took place at the gully heads with lowering and migration (up to 25 m vertically and laterally) of the topographic divide separating the two gullies between 2005 and 2019. Over the same period, net lowering of each gully system was ~250 mm year⁻¹. Key sediment-generating processes included surface erosion, deep-seated landslides, and debris flows. Longer term, the overall contribution of sediment from both badass gullies to the Waipaoa catchment has been declining. In the mid-20th century, both gullies yielded in excess of 300 kt year⁻¹. From 2005 to 2019, 80 kt year⁻¹ was yielded from Tarndale and 110 kt year⁻¹ from Mangatu. Our most recent surveys demonstrated considerable variability in sediment yield, ranging from 76 kt year⁻¹ (2017–2018) to 291 kt year⁻¹ (2018–2019). The annual variability observed reflects the complex morphodynamics of discrete hillslopes and tributary fans in these badass gully systems and underlines the importance of integrating decadal and annual surveys when assessing system trajectory. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.