Floodplain persistence and dynamic-equilibrium conditions in a canyon environment

Abstract

Canyon river systems are laterally constrained by steep walls, strath terraces, and bedrock intrusions; however, semialluvial reaches are nested within these environments as discontinuous floodplains along the river margins. These semialluvial floodplains provide an example of dynamic-equilibrium set within high-energy fluvial systems, marking areas where the river is free to alter its boundary conditions. Most research has focused on hydraulic conditions necessary for floodplain formation and persistence in unconfined systems, whereas little is known about canyon streams. This paper focuses on (1) characterizing dynamic-equilibrium, (2) describing the controls on floodplain formation and distribution, and (3) evaluating the performance of extremal hypotheses to identify dynamic-equilibrium and floodplain persistence in high-energy, semiconfined canyon environments.These objectives were addressed with field and numerical data derived from a one-dimensional hydraulic model for bankfull and 100-year return interval flood events, supported by closely spaced cross sections for the lower 38-km canyon reach of the Deadwood River (Idaho). Under bankfull conditions, critical energy thresholds for equilibrium floodplain persistence at this study site present the upper limits of: slope=0.018, shear stress=175N/m2, and specific stream power=400W/m2. Channel and floodplains near equilibrium, quantified with a near-zero sediment transport divergence (Exner equation), were successfully identified by the minimum unit stream power extremal hypothesis and to a lesser degree by the other extremal hypotheses that minimize energy expenditure (minimum specific stream power, minimum total stream power, and minimum Froude number), provided backwater environments and major tributaries could be identified. Extremal results were compared to hydraulic geometry relations to evaluate how closely equilibrium floodplains approached values for unconfined alluvial river systems.