Abstract
This manuscript presents a study in predicting bed-sediment transport rates along the Sagavanirktok River in Alaska. Extensive field activities took place to accomplish this goal: four hydro-meteorological stations were installed in a 150 km reach along the river in summer 2015. During the same year, pits were excavated near the stations, and in subsequent summers, the pits were surveyed multiple times in conjunction with taking discharge measurements. Water slope was measured and bed sediment was characterized. Site-specific relationships between water levels and cross-section water depths were developed. Volume change between consecutive surveys was calculated, and main flood events between surveys were identified. Finally, the first bed-sediment transport equations valid for the Sagavanirktok River were developed. Considering the intrinsic error in sediment transport predictions, the agreement between predicted and measured sediment transport values is good. These equations could be used by resource managers when predicting the expected time for an excavated material site in the Sagavanirktok River to refill.
Highlights
Alaska—the northernmost state in the U.S.—is characterized by extreme cold weather, vast uninhabited areas, and sparse hydro-meteorological data
A multiyear hydro-sedimentological study of an area along an approximately 150 km reach on the Sagavanirktok River was performed in response to an unprecedented flood event that occurred during spring 2015, when the river overtopped and severely damaged the Dalton Highway near Deadhorse, an oil-support town located in northern Alaska [1]
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Summary
Alaska—the northernmost state in the U.S.—is characterized by extreme cold weather, vast uninhabited areas, and sparse hydro-meteorological data. The lack of data is especially pronounced in aspects related to sediment transport processes in rivers. Efforts to develop new data sets and to improve our knowledge of arctic rivers are usually carried out in response to natural disasters. A multiyear hydro-sedimentological study of an area along an approximately 150 km reach on the Sagavanirktok River was performed in response to an unprecedented flood event that occurred during spring 2015, when the river overtopped and severely damaged the Dalton Highway near Deadhorse, an oil-support town located in northern Alaska [1]. The Dalton Highway, which provides the only terrestrial access to Deadhorse, parallels the Sagavanirktok River along the study area (Figure 1). After the flood, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF)
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