Channel network extent in the context of historical land use,flow generation processes,and landscape evolution in the North Carolina Piedmont

Intensive agricultural land use in the 18th to early 20th centuries on the southeastern Piedmont resulted in substantial soil erosion and gully development. Today, many historically farmed areas have been abandoned and afforested, and such landscapes are an opportunity to study channel network recovery from disturbance by gullying. Channel initiation mapping, watershed area–slope relationships, and field monitoring of flow generation processes are used to identify channel network extent and place it in hydrologic, historical and landscape evolution context. In six study areas in the North Carolina Piedmont, 100 channel heads were mapped in fully‐forested watersheds, revealing a channel initiation relationship of 380 = AS^1.27, where A is contributing area (m²) and S is local slope (m/m). Flow in these channels is generated by subsurface and overland flow. The measured relative slope exponent is lower than expected based on literature values of ~2 for forested watersheds with subsurface and overland flow, suggesting that the channel network extent may reflect a former hydrological regime. However, geomorphic evidence of recovery in channel heads within fully forested watersheds is greater than those with present day pasture. Present day channel heads lie within hollows or downslope of unchanneled valleys, which may be remnants of historical gullies, and area–slope relationships provide evidence of colluvial aggradation within the valleys. Channel network extent appears to be sensitive to land use change, with recovery beginning within decades of afforestation. Channel initiation mapping and area–slope relationships are shown to be useful tools for interpreting geomorphic effects of land use change. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thresholds for gully initiation and sedimentation in Mediterranean Europe

In Mediterranean areas the dynamics of gully development act as an important indicator of desertification. However, little is known about the influence of climate and land‐use changes, and almost no field data exist to assess the sensitivity of a landscape to gully erosion. Two important components of gully erosion studies are the prediction of where gullies begin and where they end. To address some of these issues, topographical thresholds for gully initiation and sedimentation in six different Mediterranean study areas were established. Field measurements of local soil surface slope (S) and drainage‐basin area (A) at the point of initiation of ephemeral gullies in intensively cultivated fields (five datasets) and permanent gullies in rangelands (three datasets) were carried out. A negative power relationship of the form S = aA^−b was fitted through all datasets, and defined as the mean topographical threshold for gullying in the respective area. Topographically controlled slopes of sedimentation at the gully bottom were also measured. Compared to theoretical relationships for channel initiation by overland flow, relatively low values for b are obtained, suggesting a dominance of overland flow and an influence of subsurface flow. The influence of landsliding at steeper slopes appeared from the flattening of the overall negative trend in the higher slope range (S > 0·30) of the integrated dataset. Comparing the threshold lines of our datasets to the average trend lines through data found in literature revealed that vegetation type and cover could better explain differences in topographical thresholds level than climatic conditions. In cultivated fields, soil structure and moisture conditions, as determined by the rainfall distribution, are critical factors influencing topographical thresholds rather than daily rainfall amounts of the gully‐initiating events. In rangelands, vegetation cover at the time of incision appears to be the most important factor differentiating between topographical thresholds, overruling the effect of average annual rainfall amounts. Soil texture and rock fragment cover contributed little to the explanation of the relative threshold levels. Differences in regression slopes (b) between the S–A relationships found in this study have been attributed to the soil characteristics in the different study areas, determining the relative importance of subsurface flow and Hortonian overland flow. Sedimentation slopes where both ephemeral and permanent gullies end were generally high because of the high rock fragment content of the transported sediment. A positive relationship was found between the rock fragment content at the apex of the sedimentation fan and the slope of the soil surface at this location. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance of grass and eucalyptus riparian buffers in a pasture catchment,Western Australia,part 1: riparian hydrology

Rainfall takes many flowpaths to reach a stream, and the success of riparian buffers in water quality management is significantly influenced by riparian hydrology. This paper presents results from hydrometric monitoring of riparian buffer hydrology in a pasture catchment. Runoff processes and riparian flowpaths were investigated on two planar hillslopes with regenerating grass and E. globulus buffers. Surface runoff and subsurface flows (A‐ and B‐horizons) were measured for 3 years using surface runoff collectors, subsurface troughs and piezometers. Water volumes moving through the riparian buffers via the measured flowpaths were ranked B‐horizon ? surface runoff ≈ A‐horizon. Runoff volumes through the B‐horizon troughs were an order of magnitude greater than those recorded for the most productive surface runoff plots or the A‐horizon troughs. Subsurface runoff and saturation‐excess overland flow (SOF) were limited to the winter months, whereas infiltration‐excess overland flow (IEOF) can occur all year round during intense storms. Surface runoff was recorded on 33 occasions, mostly during winter (late May–early October), and total annual surface runoff volumes collected by the 20 unconfined (2 m wide) runoff plots varied between > 80 and < 20 m³. Subsurface flow only occurred in winter, and the 6 m wide B‐horizon subsurface troughs flowed above 1 l s^?1 continuously, whereas the A‐horizon troughs flowed infrequently (<6 days per year). In summer, surface runoff occurred as IEOF during intense storms in the E. globulus buffer, but not in the grass buffer. Observations suggest that surface crusting reduced the soil's infiltration capacity in the E. globulus buffer. During winter, SOF and seepage were observed in both buffers, but subsurface flow through the B‐horizon was the dominant flowpath. Key hydrologic differences between the grass and tree buffers are the generation of IEOF in the E. globulus buffer during intense summer storms, and the smaller subsurface runoff volumes and fewer flow days in the E. globulus buffer. Low surface runoff volumes are likely to limit the potential of these buffers to filter pollutants from surface runoff. High subsurface flow volumes and saturated conductivities are also likely to limit the residence time of water in the subsurface domain. Based on their hydrologic performance, the key roles of riparian buffers in this landscape are likely to be displacing sediment and nutrient‐generating activities away from streams and stabilizing channel morphology. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Slope‐area thresholds of road‐induced gully erosion and consequent hillslope–channel interactions

Pikes Peak Highway is a partially paved road between Cascade, Colorado and the summit of Pikes Peak. Significant gully erosion is occurring on the hillslopes due to the concentration of surface runoff, the rearrangement of drainage pathways along the road surface and adjacent drainage ditches, and the high erodibility of weathered Pikes Peak granite that underlies the area. As a result, large quantities of sediment are transported to surrounding valley networks causing significant damage to water quality and aquatic, wetland, and riparian ecosystems. This study establishes the slope/drainage area threshold for gullying along Pikes Peak Highway and a cesium‐137 based sediment budget highlighting rates of gully erosion and subsequent valley deposition for a small headwater basin. The threshold for gullying along the road is S_cr = 0 · 21A^–0·45 and the road surface reduces the critical slope requirement for gullying compared to natural drainages in the area. Total gully volume for the 20 gullies along the road is estimated at 5974 m³, with an erosion rate of 64 m³ yr^–1 to 101 m³ yr^–1. Net valley deposition is estimated at 162 m³ yr^–1 with 120 m³ yr^–1 unaccounted for by gullying. The hillslope–channel interface is decoupled with minimal downstream sediment transport which results in significant local gully‐derived sedimentation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamics of stormflow generation—A hillslope‐scale field study in east‐central Pennsylvania,USA

A 40 m × 20 m mowed, grass hillslope adjacent to a headwater stream within a 26‐ha watershed in east‐central Pennsylvania, USA, was instrumented to identify and map the extent and dynamics of surface saturation (areas with the water table at the surface) and surface runoff source areas. Rainfall, stream flow and surface runoff from the hillslope were recorded at 5‐min intervals from 11 August to 22 November 1998, and 13 April to 12 November 1999. The dynamics of the water table (0 to 45 cm depth from the soil surface) and the occurrence of surface runoff source areas across the hillslope were recorded using specially designed subsurface saturation and surface runoff sensors, respectively. Detailed data analyses for two rainfall events that occurred in August (57·7 mm in 150 min) and September (83·6 mm in 1265 min) 1999, illustrated the spatial and temporal dynamics of surface saturation and surface runoff source areas. Temporal data analyses showed the necessity to measure the hillslope dynamics at time intervals comparable to that of rainfall measurements. Both infiltration excess surface runoff (runoff caused when rainfall intensity exceeds soil infiltration capacity) and saturation excess surface runoff (runoff caused when soil moisture storage capacity is exceeded) source areas were recorded during these rainfall events. The August rainfall event was primarily an infiltration excess surface runoff event, whereas the September rainfall event produced both infiltration excess and saturation excess surface runoff. Occurrence and disappearance of infiltration excess surface runoff source areas during the rainfall events appeared scattered across the hillslope. Analysis of surface saturation and surface runoff data showed that not all surface saturation areas produced surface runoff that reached the stream. Emergence of subsurface flow to the surface during the post‐rainfall periods appeared to be a major flow process dominating the hillslope after the August rainfall event. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance of grass and eucalyptus riparian buffers in a pasture catchment,Western Australia,part 2: water quality

Declining water quality on the south coast of Western Australia has been linked to current agricultural practices. Riparian buffers were identified as a tool available to farmers and catchment managers to achieve water quality improvements. This study compares 10 m wide regenerating grass and Eucalyptus globulus buffer performance. Surface and subsurface water quality were monitored over a 3‐year period. Nutrient and sediment transport were both dominated by subsurface flow, in particular through the B‐horizon, and this may seriously limit the surface‐runoff‐related functions of the riparian buffers. Riparian buffer trapping efficiencies were variable on an event basis and annual basis. The grass buffer reduced total phosphorus, filterable reactive phosphorus, total nitrogen and suspended sediment loads from surface runoff by 50 to 60%. The E. globulus buffer was not as effective, and total load reductions in surface runoff ranged between 10 and 40%. A key difference between the grass and E. globulus buffers was the seasonality of sediment and nutrient transport. Surface runoff, and therefore sediment and nutrient transport, occurred throughout the year in the E. globulus buffer, but only during the winter in the grass buffer. As a consequence of high summer nutrient and sediment concentrations, half the annual loads moving via surface runoff pathways through the E. globulus buffer were transported during intense summer storms. This study demonstrates that grass and E. globulus riparian buffers receiving runoff from pasture under natural rainfall can reduce sediment and nutrient loads from surface runoff. However, in this environment the B‐horizon subsurface flow is the dominant flowpath for nutrient transport through the riparian buffers, and this subsurface flow pathway carries contaminant loads at least three times greater than surface runoff. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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

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

Migration of channel heads following wildfire in the Colorado Front Range,USA

The High Park Fire burned ~35 300 ha of the Colorado Front Range during June and July 2012. In the areas of most severe burn, all trees were killed and the litter and duff layers of soil were completely removed. Post‐fire erosion caused channel heads to develop well upslope from pre‐fire locations. The locations of 50 channel heads in two burned catchments were documented and the range of drainage areas contributing to these channel heads to drainage areas of unburned channel heads in the region measured previously were compared. Mean drainage area above channel heads in the burned zone decreased by more than two‐orders of magnitude relative to unburned sites. Drainage area above channel heads between the two burned catchments does not differ significantly with respect to slope, likely as a result of differences in surface roughness between the two sites following the fire. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical simulation of three‐dimensional flow hydraulics in a braided channel

Results are presented from a numerical simulation of three‐dimensional flow hydraulics around a mid‐channel bar carried out using the FLUENT/UNS computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software package. FLUENT/UNS solves the three‐dimensional Reynolds‐averaged form of the Navier–Stokes equations. Turbulence closure is achieved using a RNG k–ϵ model. Simulated flow velocities are compared with measured two‐dimensional velocities (downstream and cross‐stream) obtained using an electromagnetic current meter (ECM). The results of the simulation are qualitatively consistent with the flow structures observed in the field. Quantitative comparison of the simulated and measured velocity magnitudes indicates a strong positive correlation between the two (r=0·88) and a mean difference of 0·09 m s⁻¹. Deviations between simulated and measured velocities may be identified that are both random and systematic. The former may reflect a number of factors including subgrid‐scale natural spatial variability in flow velocities associated with local bed structures and measurement uncertainty resulting from problems of ECM orientation. Model mesh configuration, roughness parameterization and inlet boundary condition uncertainty may each contribute to systematic differences between simulated and measured flow velocities. These results illustrate the potential for using CFD software to simulate flow hydraulics in natural channels with complex configurations. They also highlight the need for detailed spatially distributed datasets of three‐dimensional flow variables to establish the accuracy and applicability of CFD software. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of run-on for overland flow and the characteristics of runoff generation in the Loess Plateau,China

Abstract

The Loess Plateau in China is overlain by deep and loose soil. As in other semi-arid regions, convective precipitation produces storms, typically of short duration, relatively high intensity and limited areal extent. Infiltration excess (Hortonian mechanism) of precipitation is conventionally assumed to be more prominent than saturation excess (Dunne mechanism) for storm runoff generation. This assumption is true at a point during the storm. However, the runoff generation mechanism is altered when the runoff is conditioned by a lateral redistribution movement of water, i.e. run-on, as the spatial scale increases. In the Loess Plateau, the effects of run-on may be significant, because of the deep and loose surface soil layer. In this study, the role of run-on for overland flow in the Upper Wei River basin, located in the Loess Plateau, is evaluated by means of a simple numerical model at the hillslope scale. The results show that almost all the Hortonian overland flow infiltrates into the soil along the flat hillslope and dry gully before it reaches the river channel. Most of the runoff is generated from the saturated soil near the river channel and from the subsurface. The run-on process takes much longer than the infiltration, facilitating rainfall–runoff modelling at a daily time step. A hydrological model is employed to investigate the characteristics of runoff generation in the Upper Wei River basin. The analysis shows that the subsurface flow contribution to total streamflow is more than 53% from October to March, while the overland flow contribution exceeds 72% from April to September.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor Dawen Yang

Citation Liu, D.F., Tian, F.Q., Hu, H.C., and Hu, H.P., 2012. The role of run-on for overland flow and the characteristics of runoff generation in the Loess Plateau, China. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (6), 1107–1117.     

Suspended sediment discharge in subsurface flow from the head hollow of a small forested watershed,northern Japan

Surface flow and suspended sediment discharge from the head hollow of the Jozankei Experimental Watershed in Hokkaido, northern Japan, were measured to clarify the implications of subsurface hydrology for soil movement. Subsurface discharges during the extremely large storms of 1993 to 1994 were measured in a V-notch weir installed at a natural spring near the bottom of the head hollow, and shallow groundwater levels were observed in the wells excavated in the hollow. Sediment samples whose particle size range from 0·001 to 0·1 mm were manually and automatically collected at 15 to 60 min intervals, by use of 1 or 21 polyethylene bottles. Maximum concentration and flux of suspended sediment during the storms preceded the peak discharge of subsurface flow by several hours. Neither the changes in concentration (mg l⁻¹) nor flux (mg s⁻¹) of suspended sediment coincided with those in subsurface discharge (l s⁻¹). Furthermore, sediment concentration was poorly correlated with the rate of change in subsurface discharge (l s⁻²) during the rising limb of the hydrograph. Suspended sediment flux during the acceleratory limb, however, was closely correlated with the rate of change in subsurface discharge. The relationship between suspended sediment flux and rate of change in subsurface discharge were in inverse proportion to initial subsurface discharge before the storm runoff and they represented rare seasonal variation. Subsurface hydraulic erosion and transport of suspended sediment resulting from changes in rate of change in subsurface discharge actively occur during the acceleratory rising limb of the hydrograph. Accordingly, subsurface hydraulic erosion during the acceleratory rising limb of the hydrograph can be physically understood by analysing suspended sediment flux associated with rate of change in subsurface discharge and initial subsurface discharge. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thresholds in the storm response of a lake chain system and the occurrence and magnitude of lake overflows: Implications for flood frequency

The aim of this paper is to illustrate the effects of spatial organization of lake chains and associated storage thresholds upon lake-overflow behaviour, and specifically their impact upon large scale flow connectivity and the flood frequency of lake overflows. The analysis was carried out with the use of a multiple bucket model of the lake chain system, consisting of a network of both lakes and associated catchment areas, which explicitly incorporated within it three storage thresholds: a catchment field capacity threshold that governs catchment subsurface stormflow, a total storage capacity threshold that governs catchment surface runoff, and a lake storage capacity threshold that determines lake overflow. The model is driven by rainfall inputs generated by a stochastic rainfall model that is able to capture rainfall variability at a wide range of time scales. The study is used to gain insights into the process controls of lake-overflow generation, and in particular, to explore the crucial role of factors relating to lake organization, such as the average catchment area to lake area (A_C/A_L) ratio and the distribution of A_C/A_L with distance in the downstream direction (increasing or decreasing). The study showed that the average A_C/A_L value was the most important factor determining the frequency of occurrence and magnitude of floods from a landscape consisting of lake chains. The larger the average A_C/A_L value the more runoff is generated from catchments thus increasing both the occurrence and magnitude of lake overflows. In this case the flood frequency curve reflects that of the catchment area, and lake organization does not play an important role. When A_C/A_L is small the landscape is lake dominated, the spatial organization of lakes has a significant impact on lake connectivity, and consequently on flood frequency. One of the aspects of lake organization that may have a significant influence on lake connectivity is the spatial distribution of A_C/A_L from upstream to downstream (increasing or decreasing). In a landscape in which A_C/A_L increases downstream, lake overflow will occur more frequently relative to a similar landscape (i.e. identical A_C/A_L) with a constant value of A_C/A_L. When A_C/A_L decreases downstream, however, runoff inputs from the upstream parts will trigger lake overflow in the downstream parts, and consequently, full connectivity may be achieved leading to increased flood frequencies.     

An evaluation of the hysteresis in chemical concentration–discharge (C–Q) relationships from drained,intensively managed grasslands in southwest England

This study examined the hysteresis exhibited in concentration–discharge (C–Q) relationships in the runoff from four hydrologically separated fields (catchments) at an intensively managed grassland. The objectives were to examine C–Q relationships constructed from high-resolution time series of flow, temperature, pH, conductivity, nitrate and turbidity, and their implications for hydrological processes. High-resolution datasets from the quality assured records of the Rothamsted Research North Wyke Farm Platform in the UK were examined using a graphical method and cross-correlation statistics. The study found that storm events based C–Q hysteresis reflects the cross-correlation that is generally hidden in time series analysis of large datasets, and that although Q and water quality variables can be effectively influenced by catchment size, the C–Q relationship is less significantly influenced. The dominant C–Q relationships of the water variables in the study area reflect that saturated overland flow was prevalent during the study period in the catchments, while the CCF results indicate coupled transfer of sediments and solute in the area at lag ≥ 0.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis

ASSOCIATE EDITOR M. D. Fidelibus     

Defining phases of bedload transport using piecewise regression

Differences in the transport rate and size of bedload exist for varying levels of flow in coarse‐grained channels. For gravel‐bed rivers, at least two phases of bedload transport, with notably differing qualities, have been described in the literature. Phase I consists primarily of sand and small gravel moving at relatively low rates over a stable channel surface. Transport rates during Phase II are considerably greater than Phase I and more coarse grains are moved, including material from both the channel surface and subsurface. Transition from Phase I to Phase II indicates initiation and transport of grains comprising the coarse surface layer common in steep mountain channels. While the existence of different phases of transport is generally acknowledged, the threshold between them is often poorly defined. We present the results of the application of a piecewise regression analysis to data on bedload transport collected at 12 gravel‐bed channels in Colorado and Wyoming, USA. The piecewise regression recognizes the existence of different linear relationships over different ranges of discharge. The inflection, where the fitted functions intersect, is interpreted as the point of transition from Phase I to Phase II transport; this is termed breakpoint. A comparison of grain sizes moved during the two phases shows that coarse gravel is rarely trapped in the samplers during Phase I transport, indicating negligible movement of grains in this size range. Gravel larger than about D₁₆ of the channel surface is more consistently trapped during Phase II transport. The persistence of coarse gravel in bedload samples provides good evidence that conditions suitable for coarse grain transport have been reached, even though the size of the sediment approaches the size limits of the sampler (76 mm in all cases). A relative breakpoint (R_br) was defined by the ratio between the discharge at the breakpoint and the 1·5‐year flow (a surrogate for bankfull discharge) expressed as a percentage. The median value of R_br was about 80 percent, suggesting that Phase II begins at about 80 percent of the bankfull discharge, though the observed values of R_br ranged from about 60 to 100 percent. Variation in this value appears to be independent of drainage area, median grain size, sorting of bed materials, and channel gradient, at least for the range of parameters measured in 12 gravel‐bed channels. Published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dissolution in a variably confined carbonate platform: effects of allogenic runoff,hydraulic damming of groundwater inputs,and surface–groundwater exchange at the basin scale

In variably confined carbonate platforms, impermeable confining units collect rainfall over large areas and deliver runoff to rivers or conduits in unconfined portions of platforms. Runoff can increase river stage or conduit heads in unconfined portions of platforms faster than local infiltration of rainfall can increase groundwater heads, causing hydraulic gradients between rivers, conduits and the aquifer to reverse. Gradient reversals cause flood waters to flow from rivers and conduits into the aquifer where they can dissolve limestone. Previous work on impacts of gradient reversals on dissolution has primarily emphasized individual caves and little research has been conducted at basin scales. To address this gap in knowledge, we used legacy data to assess how a gradient of aquifer confinement across the Suwannee River Basin, north‐central Florida affected locations, magnitudes and processes of dissolution during 2005–2007, a period with extreme ranges of discharge. During intense rain events, runoff from the confining unit increased river stage above groundwater heads in unconfined portions of the platform, hydraulically damming inputs of groundwater along a 200 km reach of river. Hydraulic damming allowed allogenic runoff with SI_CAL < ?4 to fill the entire river channel and flow into the aquifer via reversing springs. Storage of runoff in the aquifer decreased peak river discharges downstream and contributed to dissolution within the aquifer. Temporary storage of allogenic runoff in karst aquifers represents hyporheic exchange at a scale that is larger than found in streams flowing over non‐karst aquifers because conduits in karst aquifers extend the area available for exchange beyond river beds deep into aquifers. Post‐depositional porosity in variably confined carbonate platforms should thus be enhanced along rivers that originate on confining units. This distribution should be considered in models of porosity distribution used to manage water and hydrocarbon resources in carbonate rocks. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using a fluctuating tracer to estimate hyporheic exchange in restored and unrestored reaches of the Truckee River,Nevada, USA

The goal of this research was to compare hyporheic activity in recently restored and adjacent un‐restored reaches of the Truckee River downstream from the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area. The installation of rocky riffles and raised channel bed elevations in the restored reaches may have increased the degree of surface–subsurface interaction. A fluctuating chloride concentration signal served as the tracer, induced by the variable influx of higher salinity water several miles upstream from the study reach. The solute transport model, OTIS, was used in conjunction with the hydrodynamic model, DYNHYD5, to estimate transient storage parameters under unsteady flow conditions. The model was calibrated to chloride concentrations measured over a period of three days at six in‐stream locations representing restored and un‐restored reaches. An automated parameter estimation algorithm (SCE‐UA) was used to optimize parameters for multiple reaches simultaneously and generate a distribution of parameter estimates. Results suggest that the transient storage zone cross‐sectional area (A_s) is larger in the restored reaches than in the unrestored reaches, but the exchange coefficient (α) is smaller, leading to increased hyporheic residence time and hydrologic retention in the vicinity of channel reconstructions. Scenarios were used to simulate the potential effects of increased subsurface residence time on denitrification and in‐stream NO₃‐N concentrations. Monte Carlo analysis was performed to assess uncertainty in the simulation results and show the potential for greater nutrient retention in the lower Truckee River as a result of channel restoration. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterizing supraglacial meltwater channel hydraulics on the Greenland Ice Sheet from in situ observations

Supraglacial rivers on the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) transport large volumes of surface meltwater toward the ocean, yet have received relatively little direct research. This study presents field observations of channel width, depth, velocity, and water surface slope for nine supraglacial channels on the south‐western GrIS collected between July 23 and August 20, 2012. Field sites are located up to 74 km inland and span 494–1485 m elevation, and contain measured discharges larger than any previous in situ study: from 0.006 to 23.12 m³/s in channels 0.20 to 20.62 m wide. All channels were deeply incised with near vertical banks, and hydraulic geometry results indicate that supraglacial channels primarily accommodate greater discharges by increasing velocity. Smaller streams had steeper water surface slopes (0.74–8.83%) than typical in terrestrial settings, yielding correspondingly high velocities (0.40–2.60 m/s) and Froude numbers (0.45–3.11) with supercritical flow observed in 54% of measurements. Derived Manning's n values were larger and more variable than anticipated from channels of uniform substrate, ranging from 0.009 to 0.154 with a mean value of 0.035 ± 0.027 despite the absence of sediment, debris, or other roughness elements. Ubiquitous micro‐depressions in shallow sections of the channel bed may explain some of these roughness values. However, we find that other, unobserved sources of flow resistance likely contributed to these elevated Manning's n values: future work should explicitly consider additional sources of flow resistance beyond bed roughness in supraglacial channels. We conclude that hydraulic modeling for these channels must allow for both subcritical and supercritical flow, and most importantly must refrain from assuming that all ice‐substrate channels exhibit similar hydraulic behavior, especially for Froude numbers and Manning's n. Finally, this study highlights that further theoretical and empirical work on supraglacial channel hydraulics is necessary before broad scale understanding of ice sheet hydrology can be achieved. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reservoir rainfall–runoff geomorphological model. I: application and parameter analysis

This article describes and formulates a model designed to simulate runoff in wet weather events, called reservoir rainfall–runoff geomorphological model (R³GeM). In these wetlands, soil saturation is the main mechanism for the generation of surface runoff. To determine the saturated areas, the model applies a relationship based on the topographic index, between watershed storage and saturated surface. Precipitation is separated into surface runoff by saturation, subsurface runoff and losses; then, the flow of surface and subsurface runoff is performed. This hydrological model has five parameters and has been implemented in 37 events in Aixola watershed and 15 in Oiartzun watershed, both located on the Cantabrian coast of Spain. We analysed the influence of these five parameters in their behaviour, and we have proven, noting the efficiency gains, that the proposed model is valid to simulate the rainfall–runoff process. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Controls of streamflow generation in small catchments across the snow–rain transition in the Southern Sierra Nevada,California

Processes controlling streamflow generation were determined using geochemical tracers for water years 2004–2007 at eight headwater catchments at the Kings River Experimental Watersheds in southern Sierra Nevada. Four catchments are snow‐dominated, and four receive a mix of rain and snow. Results of diagnostic tools of mixing models indicate that Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺ and Cl^? behaved conservatively in the streamflow at all catchments, reflecting mixing of three endmembers. Using endmember mixing analysis, the endmembers were determined to be snowmelt runoff (including rain on snow), subsurface flow and fall storm runoff. In seven of the eight catchments, streamflow was dominated by subsurface flow, with an average relative contribution (% of streamflow discharge) greater than 60%. Snowmelt runoff contributed less than 40%, and fall storm runoff less than 7% on average. Streamflow peaked 2–4 weeks earlier at mixed rain–snow than snow‐dominated catchments, but relative endmember contributions were not significantly different between the two groups of catchments. Both soil water in the unsaturated zone and regional groundwater were not significant contributors to streamflow. The contributions of snowmelt runoff and subsurface flow, when expressed as discharge, were linearly correlated with streamflow discharge (R² of 0.85–0.99). These results suggest that subsurface flow is generated from the soil–bedrock interface through preferential pathways and is not very sensitive to snow–rain proportions. Thus, a declining of the snow–rain ratio under a warming climate should not systematically affect the processes controlling the streamflow generation at these catchments. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.