Sediment Slug Research Articles

Storm-driven sedimentation and dynamics of a sediment slug in an ephemeral stream: Influence on sediment-routing systems within source areas

Abstract Stream-terrace morphostratigraphy and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) geochronology indicate that storm-driven sedimentation has caused down-system decoupling of the uppermost reaches of McMillan Creek (southern California, USA) from the lower reaches of McMillan Creek since 1960 ± 190 yr B.P. This is significant because source-to-sink studies report high degrees of sediment transport connectivity over millennial time scales during periods of high fluvial discharge in sediment routing systems. The most recent relatively large-magnitude episode of sedimentation emplaced a sediment slug in the ephemeral channel of McMillan Creek. The sediment slug is correlated to the “California Storm of January 1862” via OSL dating. In this paper, a conceptual model of sediment slug dynamics in an ephemeral stream over 16 decades is developed based on fluvial sedimentation events that in most instances included reworking slug-derived sediment. Due to the episodic nature of streamflow in ephemeral streams and the dearth of sediment transport between streamflow events, sediment slug coherency is sustained over longer periods of time in ephemeral streams than in perennial streams having steady or variable flow regimes. The longevity of sediment-slug coherency in ephemeral streams leads to more prolonged down-system decoupling in sediment routing systems than down-system decoupling caused by ordinary fluvial sedimentation. In McMillan Creek, it is possible that up-system decoupling driven by sedimentation has been contemporaneous with down-system decoupling, but factors other than sedimentation may have a more significant role in up-system decoupling. Source-to-sink studies completed in areas having a Mediterranean climate cannot assume that sediment flux out of upland source areas includes the total amount of sediment available for transport.

Historical dredge mining as a significant anthropomorphic agent in river systems: A case study from south-eastern Australia

Bucket dredging to mine and extract gold and tin from rivers is a global industry that has had a range of negative effects on physical environments. These include the destruction of riparian soil profiles and structures, artificial channel straightening and loss of in-stream biodiversity. In this paper we evaluate the immediate effects and long-term consequences of bucket dredging on rivers in Victoria and New South Wales during the period 1900–1950. High quality historical sources on dredge mining are integrated with geospatial datasets, aerial imagery and geomorphological data to analyse the scale of the dredging industry, evidence for disturbance to river channels and floodplains and current land use in dredged areas. The study demonstrates that the environmental impact of dredging was altered but not reduced by anti-pollution regulations intended to control dredging. An assessment of river condition 70–100 years after dredge mining ceased indicates that floodplains and river channels continue to show the effects of dredging, including bank erosion, sediment slugs, compromised habitat and reduced agricultural productivity. These findings have significant implications for river and floodplain management.

Channel response to an extreme flood and sediment pulse in a mixed bedrock and gravel‐bed river

AbstractWe exploit a natural experiment caused by an extreme flood (~500 year recurrence interval) and sediment pulse derived from more than 2500 concurrent landslides to explore the influence of valley‐scale geomorphic controls on sediment slug evolution and the impact of sediment pulse passage and slug deposition and dispersion on channel stability and channel form. Sediment slug movement is a crucial process that shapes gravel‐bed rivers and alluvial valleys and is an important mechanism of downstream bed material transport. Further, increased bed material transport rates during slug deposition can trigger channel responses including increases in lateral mobility, channel width, and alluvial bar dominance.Pre‐ and post‐flood LiDAR and aerial photographs bracketing the 2007 flood on the Chehalis River in south‐western Washington State, USA, document the channel response with high spatial and temporal definition. The sediment slug behaved as a Gilbert Wave, with both channel aggradation and sequestration of large volumes of material in floodplains of headwaters' reaches and reaches where confined valleys enter into broad alluvial valleys. Differences between the valley form of two separate sub‐basins impacted by the pulse highlight the important role channel and channel‐floodplain connectivity play in governing downstream movement of sediment slug material.Finally, channel response to the extreme flood and sediment pulse illustrate the connection between bed material transport and channel form. Specifically, the channel widened, lateral channel mobility increased, and the proportion of the active channel covered by bars increased in all reaches in the study area. The response scaled tightly with the relative amount of bed material sediment transport through individual reaches, indicating that the amount of morphological change caused by the flood was conditioned by the simultaneous introduction of a sediment pulse to the channel network. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of rapid urbanization on streamflow, erosion, and sedimentation in a desert stream in the American Southwest

Abstract Rapid urbanization has resulted in a series of sequential effects on a desert stream in the American Southwest. Lower Las Vegas Wash was a dry wash characterized by infrequent flood deposition when Las Vegas, Nevada was established in 1905. Wastewater effluent was discharged into the wash in low volumes for over 3 decades. Wastewater volumes increased commensurably with accelerated population growth during the late 20th century and created a sequence of feedback effects on the floodplain. Initially slow saturation of the valley fill created a desert oasis of dense floodplain vegetation and wetlands. Annual streamflow began in 1958 and erosion began a decade later with shallow incision in discontinuous channel segments. Increasing baseflow gradually enlarged channels; headcutting was active during the 1970s to 1984. The incised channels concentrated storm runoff, which accelerated local channel erosion, and in 1984 the headcuts were integrated during a series of monsoon floods. Wetlands were drained and most floodplain vegetation destroyed. Channel erosion continued unabated until engineering interventions began in the 21st century. No natural channel recovery occurred after initial urbanization effects because streamflow never stabilized in the late 20th century. A 6.6 M m3 sediment slug, eroded from the wash in ∼25 years, was deposited in Las Vegas Bay in Lake Mead. Falling reservoir levels during the 21st century are responsible for sediment redistribution and infilling of the bay. Close monitoring of impacts is recommended when urban wastewater and storm runoff are discharged on a desert wash. Channel interventions, when necessary, are advised in order to prevent costly engineering schemes of channel stabilization, flood control, and floodplain restoration.

The gravel-sand transition: Sediment dynamics in a diffuse extension

As gravel-bedded rivers fine in the downstream direction, they characteristically exhibit an abrupt transition from gravel- to sand-bedded conditions. The prevailing theory for why abrupt gravel-sand transitions emerge is based on bed load sorting of a bimodal sediment. The abruptness is thought to be a consequence of sand overwhelming the gravel-sand mixture once it reaches a critical coverage on the bed. The role suspension plays in the development of gravel-sand transitions has not been fully appreciated. The Fraser River, British Columbia, is an archetypical abrupt gravel-sand transition with a “diffuse extension” composed of a sand bed with some patches of gravel. We examine flow, shear stress, and suspended sediment flux in the diffuse extension to better understand sediment dynamics where the sand bed emerges. Sand is carried in suspension upstream of the primary abrupt gravel-sand transition, but in the diffuse extension, sand is moved as both bed load and suspended load. We do not observe downstream gradients in shear stress or suspended sand flux through the diffuse extension that would suggest a gradual “rain out” of sand moving downstream, which raises the question, how is the sand bed formed? Sediment advection length scales indicate that with the exception of very fine sand that moves as wash load in the diffuse extension, fractions coarser than the median sand size cannot be carried in suspension for more than one channel width. This suggests that sand is deposited en masse at the beginning of the diffuse extension, forming a sediment slug at low flood flows that is smeared downstream at high flood flows to form the sand reach.

Channel adjustments to historical disturbances along the lower Brazos and Sabine Rivers, south-central USA

Historical channel adjustments are documented and discussed in context with anthropogenic disturbances along two meandering, coastal plain rivers — the lower Brazos and Sabine Rivers in the south-central United States. Hard-copy streamflow-measurement notes of the U.S. Geological Survey were utilized to render historical cross sections (1925–2007) at nine gauging stations, which were complemented with repeat photographs and flood-frequency analysis to assess trajectories of channel change and interpret causative mechanisms. Downstream- and upstream-propagating disturbances caused episodes of channel-bed incision and aggradation at different locations for distinct time periods along both rivers. Incision associated with upstream dams is detected, but channels are compensated downstream with sediment inputs from lateral channel migration and tributaries. In one case, temporary aggradation along the Brazos River at Waco was likely caused by a combination of dam construction and regional soil erosion. Channel-bed incision on the lowermost Brazos River is unrelated to dams, but is associated with instream aggregate extraction, possibly in conjunction with downstream channelization. On the Sabine River, extensive aggradation during the 1930s might be associated with logging activities (1880s–1930s), but whether the cause is pervasive regional-scale hillslope erosion or local-scale mill-site activities is indeterminate. Following passage of this sediment, the river generally recovered to pre-disturbance conditions and has exhibited stability despite a mainstem reservoir. Translation of this sediment slug is attenuated by a transition to a flood-prone, distributary-dominated system downstream of the Holocene–Pleistocene terrace onlap position. Additional findings include cross-channel hingepoints separating thalweg incision from simultaneous point-bar or bank accretion at meander bends, which indicates channel adjustment occurs along non-cohesive beds in preference to cohesive or artificially reinforced banks. Also, flood reduction has resulted in bankfull stages that are higher than levels associated with the post-regulation 2-year return period. Finally, vegetation encroachment along banks since the 1970s coupled with reduced flooding along the lower Brazos River has promoted bank accretion deposits that, when fully developed, serve as morphologic indicators of the post-regulation 1- to 2-year return period stage.

Fluvial development and the sediment regime of the lower Calder, Ribble catchment, northwest England

In the lower reaches of the Calder (Lancashire) tributary of the Ribble catchment (northwest England), five river terraces set into the surrounding glacial terrain have been mapped and their underlying sediments radiocarbon dated. The earliest terrace (T1) reflects sandur-style deposition during deglaciation and it aggraded in a reach cut into glacial diamict and glaciolacustrine muds. Incision below T1 spanned the start of the Holocene, driven by a combination of reduced sediment supply under a stabilising landscape and lower base-levels. T2 had aggraded and was being abandoned by 4000 BC; its formation latterly involving a period of comparative stability in terms of channel migration, perhaps a function of extensive forest cover and sea levels reaching above present day levels. The last 3000 years were marked by substantial changes in the sedimentary regime, with increased and varying sediment supply driving cycles of cut-and-fill and greater lateral channel migration. These changes coincided with the first widespread and substantial reductions in forest cover and a progression towards an agricultural landscape. Between the aggradation of terraces T3 and T4 there was a substantial increase in sediment supply, which is broadly in keeping with the erosion history in the surrounding uplands. This sediment slug appears to have induced a switch from highly sinuous meandering to lower sinuosity channels characterised by lateral scroll-style migration. Late Holocene vegetation changes, particularly woodland removal, driven by anthropogenic land-pressure appear to have rendered the floodplain prone to channel migration and the landscape more susceptible to erosion.

Smoke on the water: Can riverine fish populations recover following a catastrophic fire‐related sediment slug?

Abstract In early 2003 a series of large, wildfire‐related sediment slugs occurred in streams in the south‐eastern Australian alpine region. Back‐pack and boat‐mounted electrofishing were used to measure changes in riverine fish fauna after one particularly large sediment slug which started in an upland stream and then travelled downstream through 200 km of third and fourth order stream. Twelve impact sites and eight control sites were surveyed where there were previous data on fish populations. The sites were surveyed directly after the sediment slug had passed and then 12, 24 and 36 months after. Immediately after the sediment slug, fish abundances fell by between 95–100% at four impact sites in the upper reaches of the study area, primarily due to the effect of low‐dissolved oxygen levels. Twelve months later fish numbers were still decreased in the upper catchment but showed signs of recovery after 24 months. Further downstream, where water quality was not as severely affected by the sediment slug, the effects on native fishes were less apparent. The circumstances of these events represented a unique opportunity to obtain baseline data regarding the effects of post‐fire disturbances on fish, and their time to recovery. If fire were to occur in catchments where endangered species exist, our results suggest that actions such as translocation may be required to ensure the long‐term survival of threatened species.

Channel processes following land use changes in a degrading steep headwater stream in North Island, New Zealand

In headwater streams in steep land settings, narrow and steep valley floors provide closely coupled relationships between geomorphic components including hillslopes, tributary fans, and channel reaches. These relationships together with small catchment sizes result in episodic changes to the amount of stored sediment in channels. Major sediment inputs follow high magnitude events. Subsequent exponential losses via removal of material can be represented by a relaxation curve. The influence of hillslope and tributary processes on relaxation curves, and that of altered coupling relations between components, were investigated along a 1.3 km reach of a degrading channel in the 4.8 km 2 Weraamaia Catchment, New Zealand. Extensive deforestation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, followed by invasion of scrubs and reforestation, induced changes to major erosion types from gully complexes to shallow landslides. Changes in the size and pattern of sediment slugs from 1938 to 2002 were analysed from air photographs tied to detailed field measurement. The rate and calibre of sediment flux changed progressively following substantive hillslope input in a storm in 1938. Subsequently, the channel narrowed and incised, decoupling tributary fans from the main stem, thereby scaling down the size of sediment slugs. As a consequence, the dominant influence on the behaviour of sediment slugs and associated relaxation processes, changed from tributary fans to the type and distribution of bedrock outcrops along the reach.

Measuring the reach-scale geomorphic diversity of streams: application to a stream disturbed by a sediment slug

There is increasing evidence that greater physical diversity in a stream leads to a greater diversity of habitats, and hence species. Human impact has reduced the physical diversity within many stream systems. This paper reviews a range of techniques used to measure the physical diversity of a stream reach and specifically examines variability measures of a stream's thalweg, cross-section and sediment size at the scale of millimetres to metres. Each measure was evaluated against synthetic data with different levels of diversity. From the original thirteen, eight measures were considered appropriate for application to data measured in the field. Creightons Creek (Victoria, Australia) was selected as a test site as it contains areas that are in their original geomorphic condition, as well as sections that have been disturbed by increased bed-load in the form of a sediment slug. All eight measures showed that the area impacted by the sediment slug was less diverse in terms of its geomorphic variability than the unimpacted reaches. This suggests that massive increases in sediment load to streams will reduce the geomorphic complexity of a stream, and in turn, the diversity of habitat for biological communities. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Re-evaluation of the wave model as a tool for quantifying the geomorphic recovery potential of streams disturbed by sediment slugs

A central principle of stream rehabilitation is that managers should accelerate the ‘natural’ recovery of degraded streams. In this paper, we explore the ‘recovery’ of channel morphology behind translating sediment waves using an observed/expected space for time substitution (SFTS) model. Channel ‘recovery’ is defined by the variability of the thalweg, cross-sections and bed sediments. Of the three streams investigated in SE Australia, one followed the general response described by Gilbert's classic wave model with the stream bed returning to its pre-disturbance geomorphic variability as the sediment wave passed. In this case, the recovery did not necessarily decline gradually with the distance away from the peak of the slug, instead the geomorphic variability remained low within the slug, and then increased dramatically once the slug evacuated. By contrast, the other two streams continued on their pre-slug trajectory of channel incision, which has not allowed geomorphic variability to establish once the sediment slug has passed. The three study streams showed different recovery responses to a relatively simple pulse of sediment.

Patterns of sediment slug translation and dispersion following typhoon‐induced disturbance, Oyabu Creek, Kyushu, Japan

AbstractA six‐year monitoring programme characterized the migration/dispersion patterns of sediment slugs generated following typhoon‐induced disturbances in 1993 and 1997 along a single‐thread gravel‐bed stream, Oyabu Creek, on Kyushu Island, Japan. This laterally confined creek comprises riffle–pool sequences with intervening bedrock outcrops. The passage of sediment pulses associated with sediment slug processes reflected, and was controlled by, the riffle–pool structures which provided channel bed roughness, the volume of sediment stored along valley floors, and the distribution of bedrock outcrops. Changes to bed material size following major sediment inputs during the disturbance events also exerted an influence on subsequent sediment slug processes. The sequence of rainfall events, together with changes to channel bed structure, induced different phases in the sediment slug processes. The capacity of a reach to store or trap sediment, as recorded by the longitudinal structure of the channel, varied during these differing phases. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

On simple waves and weak shock theory for the equations of alluvials river hydraulics

This paper considers the hydraulic equations governing alluvial river dynamics. The shock-wave classes for this system were described and fully analysed by Needham & Hey (1991). The complementary expansion wave classes are determined in this paper. In addition, more general simple waves are considered and a weak-shock theory is established. This is used to consider several practical examples, including the dynamics of dredged river sections, the propagation of sediment slugs and the effects of sediment blocking and extraction.

Sediment slugs: large-scale fluctuations in fluvial sediment transport rates and storage volumes

Variations in fluvial sediment transport rates and storage volumes have been described previously as sediment waves or pulses. These features have been identified over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales and have been categorized using existing bedform classifications. Here we describe the factors controlling the generation and propagation of what we term sediment slugs. These can be defined as bodies of clastic material associated with disequilibrium conditions in fluvial systems over time periods above the event scale. Slugs range in magnitude from unit bars (Smith, 1974) up to sedimentary features generated by basin-scale sediment supply disturbances (Trimble, 1981). At lower slug magnitudes, perturbations in sediment transport are generated by local riverbank and/or bed erosion. Larger-scale features result from the occurrence of rare high- magnitude geomorphic events, and the impacts on water and sediment production of tectonics, glaciation, climate change and anthropogenic influences. Simple sediment routing functions are presented which may be used to describe the propagation of sediment slugs in fluvial systems. Attention is drawn to components of the fluvial system where future research is urgently required to improve our quantitative understanding of drainage-basin sediment dynamics.

The feeding mechanism of Yoldia ( ═ Aequiyoldia ) eightsi (Courthouy)

The protobranch bivalve mollusc Yoldia eightsi Courthouy is both a deposit feeder (on mud) and a suspension feeder (on diatoms in the ventilatory streams, which are trapped on the ctenidia). The species has a similar anatomy to other Yoldia species, but is a more shallow burrower which adopts a more horizontal shell orientation than the vertically burrowing Yoldia limatula and Yoldia ensifera . Although capable of feeding on the surface layers of mud by extending its palp proboscides outside the partly buried shell, Yoldia eightsi spends most of its time feeding while totally buried. To do this, sediment is taken into the mantle cavity by opening the shell valves, or by foot movements. The sediment is moved by ciliary action to the posterior part of the mantle cavity where it forms a compact, mucus-coated sediment slug. The slug is repeatedly sorted largely by the palp proboscides, fine material being transferred to the mouth via the palps. Sorting appears to be done on a simple size–density basis, with large, dense particles being rejected. After sorting, the inorganic fraction of the slug is expelled through the inhalant siphon (‘pseudofaecal plume’). Expulsions occur every 6–35 min. True faeces (‘faecal plume’) are expelled much more frequently in the expiratory bursts of water from the exhalant siphon. Pseudofaecal output is about 170 times the faecal output (on a dry mass basis), suggesting that Yoldia eightsi ingests 0.6% of processed material.