Hyporheic and total transient storage in small,sand‐bed streams

Key processes in stream ecosystems are linked to hydraulic retention, which is the departure of stream flow from ideal ‘plug flow’, and reflects fluid movement through surface and hyporheic storage zones. Most existing information about hyporheic exchange is based on flume studies or field measurements in relatively steep streams with beds coarser than sand. Stream tracer studies may be used to quantify overall hydraulic retention, but disaggregation of surface and hyporheic retention remains difficult. A stream tracer approach was used to compute the rates at which stream water is exchanged with water in storage zones (total storage) in short reaches of two small, sand‐bed streams under free and obstructed flow conditions. Tracer curves were fit to the one‐dimensional transport with inflow storage model OTIS‐P. Networks of piezometers were used to measure specific discharge between the stream and the groundwater. In the sand‐bed streams studied, parameters describing total retention were in the upper 50% of data compiled from the literature, most of which represented streams with beds coarser than sand. However, hyporheic storage was an insignificant component of total hydraulic retention, representing only 0·01–0·49% of total exchange, and this fraction did not increase after installation of flow obstructions. Total retention did not vary systematically with bed material size, but increased 50–100% following flow obstruction. Removal of roughness elements, such as large wood and debris dams, is detrimental to processes dependent upon transient storage in small, sand‐bed streams. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Streambed restoration to remove fine sediment alters reach‐scale transient storage in a low‐gradient fifth‐order river,Indiana, USA

Hyporheic restoration is of increasing interest given the role of hyporheic zones in supporting ecosystem services and functions. Given the prevalence of sediment pollution to waterways, an emerging restoration technique involves the removal of sediment from the interstices of gravel‐bed streams. Here, we document streambed sediment removal following a large, accidental release of fine sediment into a gravel‐bed river. We use this as a natural experiment to assess the impact of fine sediment removal on reach‐scale measures of transient storage and to document the responses of reaches with contrasting morphology (restored vs. unrestored) to changing discharge one‐field season. We conducted a series of conservative solute tracer experiments in each reach, interpreting both summary statistics for the recovered in‐stream solute tracer time series. Additionally, we applied the transient storage model to interpret the results via model parameters, including a Monte Carlo analysis to measure parameter identifiability and sensitivity in each experiment. Despite the restoration effort resulting in an open matrix gravel bed in the restored reach, we did not find the significant differences in most time series metrics describing reach‐scale transport and transient storage. We hypothesize that this is due to enhanced vertical exchange with the gravel bed in the restored reach replacing lateral exchange with macrophyte beds in the unrestored reach, developing a conceptual model to explain our findings. Consequently, we found that the impact of reach‐scale removal of fine sediment is not measureable using reach‐scale solute tracer studies. We offer recommendations for future studies seeking to measure the impacts of stream restoration at the reach scale.     

Spatial and temporal variation in particle size and particulate organic matter content in suspended particulate matter from peatland‐dominated catchments in Finland

Properties of suspended particulate matter play a vital role in transport processes, but information from boreal lowland river systems with high organic loads is limited. This study analysed data from 2 years of sampling at 30 locations in Finland (204 samples in total) using suspended particulate matter samplers to determine effective and absolute particle size and organic fractions. Mean d₅₀ value was 22 and 49 µm for absolute and effective particle size, respectively. The organic fraction content ranged from 2.1% to 36% (mean 9.6%), highlighting the importance of particle organic matter for suspended particulate matter flux in the region. The results indicated that the suspended particulate matter particle size distribution and load in the study region is dominated by composite particles. There were considerable spatial and temporal variations in transport of organic fractions, effective particle size and degree of aggregation (range 1.5–93%). Headwaters and, in particular, late summer and spring flood conditions with flow peaks produced the largest composite particles, whereas agriculture‐dominated sites produced smaller but more tightly compacted particles. Organic plant fibres appeared to play a vital role in floc formation in peat‐covered catchments, whereas in agriculture‐dominated catchments, land use‐derived aggregates dominated the composition. This study provides empirical evidence of the importance of effective particle size measurement in understanding the dynamics of suspended particulate matters in boreal lowland river systems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial and temporal variations in bank erosion on sand‐bed streams in the seasonally wet tropics of northern Australia

Bank erosion rates and processes across a range of spatial scales are poorly understood in most environments, especially in the seasonally wet tropics of northern Australia where sediment yields are among global minima. A total of 177 erosion pins was installed at 45 sites on four sand‐bed streams (Tributaries North and Central, East Tributary and Ngarradj) in the Ngarradj catchment in the Alligator Rivers Region. Bank erosion was measured for up to 3·5 years (start of 1998/99 wet season to end of 2001/02 wet season) at three spatial scales, namely a discontinuous gully (0·6 km²) that was initiated by erosion of a grass swale between 1975 and 1981, a small continuous channel (2·5 km²) on an alluvial fan that was formed by incision of a formerly discontinuous channel between 1964 and 1978, and three medium‐sized, continuous channels (8·5–43·6 km²) with riparian vegetation. The bank erosion measurements during a period of average to above‐average rainfall established that substantial bank erosion occurred during the wet season on the two smaller channels by rapid lateral migration (Tributary Central) and by erosion of gully sidewalls due to a combination of within‐gully flows and overland flow plunging over the sidewalls (Tributary North). Minor bank erosion also occurred during the dry season by faunal activity, by desiccation and loss of cohesion of the sandy bank sediments and by dry flow processes. The larger channels with riparian vegetation (East Tributary and Ngarradj) did not generate significant amounts of sediment by bank erosion. Deposition (i.e. negative pin values) was locally significant at all scales. Bank profile form and channel planform exert a strong control on erosion rates during the wet season but not during the dry season. Copyright © 2006 Commonwealth Government of Australia.     

Stream nitrate uptake and transient storage over a gradient of geomorphic complexity,north‐central Colorado,USA

The understanding of nutrient uptake in streams is impeded by a limited understanding of how geomorphic setting and flow regime interact with biogeochemical processing. This study investigated these interactions as they relate to transient storage and nitrate uptake in small agricultural and urban streams. Sites were selected across a gradient of channel conditions and management modifications and included three 180‐m long geomorphically distinct reaches on each of two streams in north‐central Colorado. The agricultural stream has been subject to historically variable cattle‐grazing practices, and the urban stream exhibits various levels of stabilisation and planform alteration. Reach‐scale geomorphic complexity was characterised using highly detailed surveys of channel morphology, substrate, hydraulics and habitat units. Breakthrough‐curve modelling of conservative bromide (Br^?) and nonconservative nitrate (NO₃^?) tracer injections characterised transient storage and nitrate uptake along each reach. Longitudinal roughness and flow depth were positively associated with transient storage, which was related to nitrate uptake, thus underscoring the importance of geomorphic influences on stream biogeochemical processes. In addition, changes in geomorphic characteristics due to temporal discharge variation led to complex responses in nitrate uptake. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A heat pulse technique for the determination of small‐scale flow directions and flow velocities in the streambed of sand‐bed streams

The hyporheic zone (HZ) has the capability to eliminate and attenuate nutrients and contaminants in riverine systems. Biogeochemical reactions and the potential elimination of contaminants are strongly controlled by the flow paths and dynamics in the HZ. Nevertheless, an easily applicable method for the field determination of flow patterns in the HZ is still lacking. Therefore, a heat pulse technique, which traces the movement of a short heat pulse in the upper part of the HZ and other sand beds, was developed. Five rods are vertically driven into the sediment of the streambed; one rod with a heater as point source located in about 10‐cm sediment depth and four rods with four temperature sensors in 3 cm distance, arranged concentrically with 7 cm diameter around the heating rod. Subsequently, a heat pulse is applied and the resulting breakthrough curves are indicative of flow velocities and flow directions in the streambed. A rough data analysis procedure is also suggested. In addition, laboratory experiments were performed to test the heat pulse technique. These experiments were validated based on coupled numerical modelling of flow and heat transport. First field tests of the method prove that the method is easily applicable under field conditions. These first field tests showed highly complex flow patterns with flow velocities from 1·8 to 4·9 cm min^?1 and flow directions from parallel to surface flow to opposite to surface flow. This suggests the need for a robust method to quantify hyporheic flow patterns in situ. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling the effects of pulsed versus chronic sand inputs on salmonid spawning habitat in a low‐gradient gravel‐bed river

It is widely recognized that high supplies of fine sediment, largely sand, can negatively impact the aquatic habitat quality of gravel‐bed rivers, but effects of the style of input (chronic vs. pulsed) have not been examined quantitatively. We hypothesize that a continuous (i.e. chronic) supply of sand will be more detrimental to the quality of aquatic habitat than an instantaneous sand pulse equal to the integrated volume of the chronic supply. We investigate this issue by applying a two‐dimensional numerical model to a 1 km long reach of prime salmonid spawning habitat in central Idaho. Results show that in both supply scenarios, sand moves through the study reach as bed load, and that both the movement and depth of sand on the streambed mirrors the hydrograph of this snowmelt‐dominated river. Predictions indicate greater and more persistent mortality of salmonid embryos under chronic supplies than pulse inputs, supporting our hypothesis. However, predicted mortality varies both with salmonid species and location of spawning. We found that the greatest impacts occur closer to the location of the sand input under both supply scenarios. Results also suggest that reach‐scale morphology may modulate the impact of sand loads, and that under conditions of high sand loading climate‐related increases in flow magnitude could increase embryo mortality through sand deposition, rather than streambed scour. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluating fine sediment mobilization and storage in a gravel‐bed river using controlled reservoir releases

Two controlled flow events were generated by releasing water from a reservoir into the Olewiger Bach, located near Trier, Germany. This controlled release of near bank‐full flows allowed an investigation of the fine sediment (<63 µm) mobilized from channel storage. Both a winter (November) and a summer (June) release event were generated, each having very different antecedent flow conditions. The characteristics of the release hydrographs and the associated sediment transport indicated a reverse hysteresis with more mass, but smaller grain sizes, moving on the falling limb. Fine sediment stored to a depth of 10 cm in the gravels decreased following the release events, indicating the dynamic nature and importance of channel‐stored sediments as source materials during high flow events. Sediment traps, filled with clean natural gravel, were buried in riffles before the release of the reservoir water and the total mass of fine sediment collected by the traps was measured following the events. Twice the mass of fine sediment was retained by the gravel traps compared with the natural gravels, which may be due to their altered porosity. Although the amount of fine sediment collected by the traps was not significantly related to measures of gravel structure, it was found to be significantly correlated to measures of local flow velocity and Froude number. A portion of the traps were fitted with lids to restrict surface exchange of water and sediment. These collected the highest amounts of event‐mobilized sediments, indicating that inter‐gravel lateral flows, not just surface infiltration of sediments, are important in replenishing and redistributing the channel‐stored fines. These findings regarding the magnitude and direction of fine sediment movement in gravel beds are significant in both a geomorphic and a biological context. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.