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Abstract Equilibrium geometry of single‐thread rivers with fixed width (engineered rivers) is determined with a flow resistance relation and a sediment transport relation, if characteristic discharge, sediment caliber and supply are specified. In self‐formed channels, however, channel width is not imposed, and one more relation is needed to predict equilibrium geometry. Specifying this relation remains an open problem. Here we present a new model that brings together a coherent train of research progress over 35 years to predict equilibrium geometry of single‐thread rivers from the conservation of channel and floodplain material. Predicted channel geometries are comparable with field observations. In response to increasing floodplain width, sand load and grain size, the equilibrium slope increases, bankfull depth and width decrease. As the volume fraction content of mud in the sediment load increases, bankfull width‐to‐depth ratio and slope decrease suggesting that mud load has a strong control on channel patterns and bankfull geometry.
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How Does Precipitation Variability Control Bedload Response Across a Mountainous Channel Network in a Maritime Climate?
Abstract Modeled stream discharge is often used to drive sediment transport models across channel networks. Because sediment transport varies non‐linearly with flow rates, discharge modeled from daily total precipitation distributed evenly over 24‐hr may significantly underestimate actual bedload transport capacity. In this study, we assume bedload transport capacity determined from a hydrograph resulting from the use of hourly (1‐hr) precipitation is a close approximation of actual transport capacity and quantify the error introduced into a network‐scale bedload transport model driven by daily precipitation at channel network locations varying from lowland pool‐riffle channels to upland colluvial channels in a watershed where snow accumulation and melt can affect runoff processes. Transport capacity is determined using effective stresses and the Wilcock and Crowe (2003) equations and expressed in terms of transport capacity normalized by the bankfull value. We find that, depending on channel network location, cumulative error can range from 10% to more than two orders of magnitude. Surprisingly, variation in flow rates due to differences in hillslope and channel runoff do not seem to dictate the network locations where the largest errors in predicted bedload transport capacity occur. Rather, spatial variability of the magnitude of the effective‐bankfull‐excess shear stress and changes in runoff due to snow accumulation and melt exert the greatest influence. These findings have implications for flood‐hazard and aquatic habitat models that rely on modeled sediment transport driven by coarse‐temporal‐resolution climate data.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1663859
- PAR ID:
- 10373203
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Water Resources Research
- Volume:
- 58
- Issue:
- 8
- ISSN:
- 0043-1397
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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