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Sediment Dynamics for

a Changing Future Edited by Kazimierz Banasik, Arthur J. Horowitz, Philip N. Owens, Mike Stone & Des E. Walling IAHS Publ. 337 (2010) ISBN 978-1-907161-10-0, 376 + viii pp. Price £74.00

Abstracts of the papers in this volume

can be seen at:

www.iahs.info

The 48 papers in this volume aim to advance our understanding of the processes of erosion and sedimentation in relation to sediment dynamics and water quality. Keynote papers are followed by papers grouped into three main themes. Those on Human Impact on Sediment Budgets are primarily concerned with the influence of land-use change on catchment sediment yields and/or fluxes. The group on The Structure, Functioning and Management of Fluvial Sediment Systems provide valuable information on topics including the dynamics of flood plain sedimentation, temporal variation of sediment parameters and the important influence of sediment on aquatic ecosystems. The third group dealing with Experiment-based and Modelling Approaches to Sediment Research, highlight the important role of both monitoring and modelling studies in generating an improved understanding of catchment sediment dynamics, sediment fluxes and river water quality.

http://www.iahs.info/

v

Contents

Preface by Kazimierz Banasik, Arthur J. Horowitz, Philip N. Owens, Mike Stone & Des E. Walling

iii

1 Keynote Papers

Using fallout radionuclides to investigate erosion and sediment delivery: some recent advances D. E. Walling

3

Erosion and sedimentation research in agricultural watersheds in the USA: from past to present and beyond M. J .M. Römkens

17

Grain erosion – an intense form of rock erosion Zhaoyin Wang, Dandan Liu & Wenjing Shi

27

2 Human Impact on Sediment Budgets

Impact of land use activities on fine sediment-associated contaminants, Quesnel River Basin, British Columbia, Canada Tyler B. Smith & Philip N. Owens

37

Sediment yield in Europe: regional differences in scale dependence Matthias Vanmaercke, Jean Poesen, Gert Verstraeten, Willem Maetens, Joris De Vente & Faruk Ocakoglu

44

Impacts of sediments yields and water quality on the Nairobi River basin ecosystem, Kenya Shadrack Mulei Kithiia

53

The effects of soil conservation on sediment yield and sediment source dynamics in a catchment in southern Brazil Gustavo H. Merten, Jean P. G. Minella, Michele Moro, Clamarion Maier, Elemar A. Cassol, Desmond E. Walling, Robin T. Clarke & José Miguel Reichert

59

Apportioning sediment sources in a grassland dominated agricultural catchment in the UK using a new tracing framework Adrian L. Collins, Yusheng Zhang, Desmond E. Walling & Kevin Black

68

Analysis of suspended sediment concentration and discharge relations to identify particle origins in small agricultural watersheds A. Vongvixay, C. Grimaldi, C. Gascuel-Odoux, P. Laguionie, M. Faucheux, N. Gilliet & M. Mayet

76

Sediment–nutrient dynamics in selected Indian mangrove ecosystems – land use and climate change implications Al. Ramanathan, Rajesh Kumar Ranjan, M. Bala Krishna Prasad, Rita Chauhan & Gurmeet Singh

84

Sediment delivery and erosion processes in drained peatlands Hannu Marttila, Simo Tammela & Bjørn Kløve

93

Sediment and nutrient transport dynamics in an urban stormwater impoundment Cynthia Yu & Micheal Stone

99

Characteristics of heavy metal pollution in highway runoff Dingqiang Li, Muning Zhuo & Huayang Gan

106

Sediment loads in the lower Jinshajiang of the Yangtze River: current status and potential impacts of the cascade dams Lu Xixi, Zhang Shurong, Jiang Tong & Xiong Ming

113

New methods for estimating annual and long-term suspended sediment loads from small tributaries to San Francisco Bay Mikolaj Lewicki & Lester Mckee

121

3 The Structure, Functioning and Management of Fluvial Sediment Systems

Overbank sedimentation rates on the flood plains of small rivers in Central European Russia V. N. Golosov, V. R. Belyaev, M. V. Markelov & K. S. Kislenko

129

Deposition of overbank sediments within a regulated reach of the upper Odra River, Poland Agnieszka Czajka & Dariusz Ciszewski

137

Sediments of the Yenisei River: monitoring of radionuclide levels and estimation of sedimentation rates Alexander Bolsunovsky & Dmitry Dementyev

143

Preliminary investigation of the potential for using the 137Cs technique to date sediment deposits in karst depressions and to estimate rates of soil loss from karst catchments in southwest China X. B. Zhang, X. Y. Bai & A. B. Wen

149

The assessment of natural and artificial radionuclides in river sediments in the Czech Republic Diana Ivanovová, Eduard Hanslík & Pavel Stierand

157

Exploring the relationship between sediment and fallout radionuclide output for two small Calabrian catchments Paolo Porto, Desmond E. Walling, Giovanni Callegari & Carmelo La Spada

163

Long-term monitoring of the 137Cs activity in suspended sediment transported by the Homerka stream, Polish Flysch Carpathians Wojciech Froehlich & Desmond E. Walling

172

Sediment dynamics of glacier-fed rivers Jim Bogen 181

Variations in suspended sediment grain sizes in flood events of a small lowland river Leszek Hejduk & Kazimierz Banasik

189

The impact of road construction on suspended sediment and solute yields of headwater streams in northern Apennine, Italy Samanta Pelacani, Giuliano Rodolfi & Fiorenzo Cesare Ugolini

197

Historic sediment yields in a small ungauged catchment controlled by a warping dam, using sediment deposition information and 137Cs dating Li Zhan-Bin, Lu Ke-Xin, Hou Jian-Cai & Li Mian

204

The importance of sediment control for recovery of incised channels W. D. Erskine, A. C. Chalmers & M. Townley-Jones

211

The influence of density fronts on sediment dynamics within river-to-sea estuarine transitional waters Robert W. Duck

220

Sedimentation in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China Yuhai Bao, Hongwei Nan, Xiubin He, Yi Long & Xinbao Zhang

224

Application of sediment studies to the management and planning of water resources in the Sydney region Anna K. Sim, Wayne D. Erskine & Russell Drysdale

229

Observations on flow hydraulics in a gauging station of a small stream with high suspended sediment load (Vallcebre, eastern Pyrenees) Guillaume Nord, Montserrat Soler, Jérôme Latron & Francesc Gallart

238

Assessing riverine sediment–pathogen dynamics: implications for the management of aquatic and human health risk Ian G. Droppo, Kristen King, Sandra M. Tirado, Andrew Sousa, Gideon Wolfaardt, Steven N. Liss & Lesley A. Warren

245

Salmon as biogeomorphic agents: temporal and spatial effects on sediment quantity and quality in a northern British Columbia spawning channel Ellen L. Petticrew & Sam J. Albers

251

Sediment impacts on aquatic ecosystems of the Bukit Merah Reservoir, Perak, Malaysia Wan Ruslan Ismail, Zullyadini A. Rahaman, Sumayyah Aimi Mohd Najib & Zainudin Othman

258

Determination of the geochemical baseline for the East River basin, China Lincoln Fok & Mervyn R. Peart

264

4 Experiment-based and Modelling Approaches to Sediment Research

The use of instrumentally collected-composite samples to estim-ate the annual fluxes of suspended sediment and sediment-as-sociated chemical constituents Arthur J. Horowitz

273

Long-term sediment transport and delivery of the largest distrib-utary of the Mississippi River, the Atchafalaya, USA Y. Jun Xu

282

Tracing spatial sources of suspended sediment in the Ohio River basin, USA, using water quality data from the NASQAN pro-gramme Yusheng Zhang, Adrian L. Collins & Arthur J. Horowitz

291

High resolution quantification of slope-channel coupling in an alpine geosystem Martin Bimböse, Karl-Heinz Schmidt & David Morche

300

Integrated runoff-erosion modelling in the Brazilian Water Re-sources Information System (SNIRH) Celso A. G. Santos, Cristi-ano Das N. Almeida, Amílcar Soares Júnior, Francisco A. R. Barbosa, Tiago F. Souza & Paula Karenina De M. M. Freire

308

An ANN-based approach to modelling sediment yield: a case study in a semi-arid area of Brazil Camilo A. S. de Farias, Fran-cismário M. Alves, Celso A. G. Santos & Koichi Suzuki

316

Use of the SWAT model to evaluate the impact of different land use scenarios on discharge and sediment transport in the Apu-caraninha River watershed, southern Brazil Irani Dos Santos, Marcos V. Andriolo, Rosana C. Gibertoni & Masato Kobiyama

322

Comparative analysis of two distributed soil erosion and sedi-ment yield models in Sichuan Basin, China Yuan Zaijian, Chu Yingmin, Shen Yanjun, Liu Chang & Fu Ya’Nan

329

Effect of topographic scale on the estimation of soil erosion rates using an empirical model Yulia S. Kuznetsova, Vladimir R. Bely-aev & Valentin N. Golosov

334

Modelling lowland reservoir sedimentation conditions and the potential environmental consequences of dam removal: Wlo-clawek Reservoir, Vistula River, Poland Artur Magnuszewski, Sharon Moran & Guoliang Yu

345

Incorporating pedotransfer functions into the MOSEE model to simulate runoff and soil erosion at different scales Eduardo E. de Figueiredo & Anthony J. Parsons

353

How important is sediment graph development in Iran? Seyed Hamidreza Sadeghi

361

Application of an XML-based genetic algorithm to a rainfall–run-off erosion model Amílcar Soares Júnior, Celso A. G. Santos, Gustavo H. M. B. Motta, Francisco A. R. Barbosa & Paula K. M. M. Freire

366

Key word index 375

v

Preface

Since the early 1980s, the International Commission on Continental Erosion (ICCE) of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) has organized a large number of highly successful symposia and workshops dealing with various aspects of erosion and sedimentation. The proceedings of most of these symposia and workshops have been published as IAHS ‘red books’; see over for details, and the IAHS website: www.iahs.info.

The Warsaw symposium on Sediment Dynamics for a Changing Future continues the highly successful ongoing series of ICCE symposia and the papers have been prepublished in this IAHS ‘red book’. The response to the call for papers for the symposium exceeded the organisers’ expectations (more than 100 abstracts), and should be viewed as an indication of the increasing significance of sediment-related issues to both the environmental and scientific communities. The topic is also particularly important for practitioners and policy makers in Poland and other European countries, because of the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive, which establishes a legal framework to protect and restore river systems across Europe and ensure their long-term, sustainable use. The 48 papers published in this volume, which include three keynote papers, aim to advance our understanding of the processes of erosion and sedimentation in relation to sediment dynamics and water quality. The keynote papers have been placed at the beginning of the volume and the remaining papers have been grouped into three main themes. The group of papers dealing with Human Impact on Sediment Budgets are primarily concerned with the influence of land-use change on catchment sediment yields and/or fluxes. A group of papers on The Structure, Functioning and Management of Fluvial Sediment Systems provide valuable information on a range of topics, including the dynamics of flood plain sedimentation, temporal variation of sediment parameters and the important influence of sediment on aquatic ecosystems. The third group of papers dealing with Experiment-based and Modelling Approaches to Sediment Research highlight the important role of both monitoring and modelling studies in generating an improved understanding of catchment sediment dynamics, sediment fluxes and river water quality. We hope that these papers encourage further research on how sediment dynamics will respond to future changes in climate and land use.

Kazimierz BanasikDepartment of Water Engineering and Environmental Restoration

Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, PL-02-787 WarsawPoland

Arthur J. HorowitzUS Geological Survey, Peachtree Business Center

3039 Amwiler Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30360 USA

Philip N. Owens Environmental Science Program & Quesnel River Research Centre

University of Northern British Columbia Prince George, British Columbia V2N 4Z9

Canada

Mike Stone Department of Geography and Environmental Management

University of Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 Canada

Des E. Walling Department of Geography, University of Exeter Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4RJ

UK

Previous ICCE events include:

Symposium on Erosion and Sediment Transport Measurement (Florence, 1981, Publ. 133*)

Symposium on Recent Developments in the Explanation and Prediction of Erosion and Sediment Yield (Exeter, 1982, Publ. 137)

Symposium on Dissolved Loads of Rivers and Water Quantity/Quality Relationship (Hamburg, 1983, Publ. 141)

Symposium on Drainage Basin Sediment Delivery (Albuquerque – New Mexico, 1986, Publ. 159)

Workshop on Erosion, Transport and Deposition Processes (Jerusalem, 1987, Publ. 189)Symposium on Sediment Budgets (Porto Alegre, 1988, Publ. 174)Symposium on Sediment and the Environment (Baltimore, 1989, Publ. 184)Symposium on Erosion, Debris Flows and Environment in Mountain Regions (Chengdu,

1992, Publ. 209)Symposium on Erosion and Sediment Transport Monitoring Programmes in River Basins

(Oslo, 1992, Publ. 210)

Symposium on Sediment Problems: Strategies for Monitoring, Prediction and Control (Yokohama, 1993, Publ. 217)

Symposium on Variability in Stream Erosion and Sediment Transport (Canberra, 1994, Publ. 224)

Symposium on the Effect of Scale on the Interpretation and Management of Sediment and Water Quality (Boulder, 1995, Publ. 226)

Symposium on Erosion and Sediment Yield: Global and Regional Perspectives (Exeter, 1996, Publ. 236)

Symposium on Human Impact on Erosion and Sedimentation (Rabat, 1997, Publ. 245)Symposium on Modelling Soil Erosion, Sediment Transport and Closely Related

Processes (Vienna, 1998, Publ. 249)Symposium on the Role of Erosion and Sediment Transport in Nutrient and

Contaminant Transfer (Waterloo, 2000, Publ. 263)Workshop on Erosion and Sediment Transport Measurement in Rivers: Technological

and Methodological Advances (Oslo, 2002, Publ. 283)Symposium on the Structure, Function and Management Implication of Fluvial

Sedimentary Systems (Alice Springs, 2002, Publ. 276)Symposium on Erosion Prediction in Ungauged Basins: Integrating Methods and

Techniques (Sapporo, 2003, Publ. 279)Symposium on Sediment Transport through the Fluvial System (Moscow, 2004, Publ.

288) Symposium on Sediment Budgets (Foz do Iguacu, 2005, Publs 291 and 292)Symposium on Sediment Dynamics and the Hydromorphology of Fluvial Systems

(Dundee, 2006, Publ. 306)Symposium on Water Quality of the Future; Predicting Water Quality in the 21st

Century (Perugia, 2007, Publ. 314)Workshop on the Impact of Environmental Change on Sediment Sources and Sediment

Delivery (Perugia, 2007)Symposium on Sediment Dynamics in Changing Environments (Christchurch, 2008,

Publ. 325)Workshop on Sediment Problems and Sediment Management in Asian River Basins

(Hyderabad, 2009)

* Publ. 133 refers to the publication number in the IAHS Publications series (the red books). Details of these publications are available at www.iahs.info/redbooks.htm. Books published before 2002 (Publs 1 to 269) can be downloaded as pdf files from the website without charge.

v

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sediment Dynamics for a Changing Future (Proceedings of the ICCE symposium held at Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Poland, 14–18 June 2010). IAHS Publ. 337, 2010, 3-16.

Using fallout radionuclides to investigate erosion and sediment delivery: some recent advances

D. E. WALLINGSchool of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4RJ, [email protected]

Abstract Increasing concern for the offsite impacts of soil erosion and the effects of fine sediment in degrading aquatic habitats and ecosystems has produced new information requirements for sediment studies. There is a need for information on the internal functioning of the catchment, in terms of sediment sources, transfers, sinks and outputs and the catchment sediment budget. Sediment tracers, and particularly fallout radionuclides, provide an effective means of assembling such data and there is a need to combine traditional monitoring techniques with such tracing techniques. Fallout radionuclide tracers have now been successfully used for many years, but their potential remains to be fully realised. This contribution describes five areas in which advances have recently been made. These include the use of 137Cs measurements to document the change in erosion rates caused by changes in land management, upscaling the 137Cs approach to provide reconnaissance assessments of soil loss at the regional or national scale, improvement of existing approaches to the use of 7Be, to permit consideration of longer periods, the conjunctive use of 137Cs and 7Be to assess the magnitude of recent changes in erosion rates and the use of Chernobyl fallout to provide an improved chronology for interpreting the sedimentary archives provided by overbank flood plain deposits.Key words erosion; sediment delivery; fallout radionuclides; tracers; caesium-137; beryllium-7


Erosion and sedimentation research in agricultural watersheds in the USA: from past to present and beyond

M. J .M. RÖMKENSUSDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory, PO Box 1157, Oxford, Mississippi, [email protected]

Abstract In ancient times, sediment and sedimentation were a blessing that brought fertility to the land and made it possible for people to live and prosper. This is the story of the Egyptians in the Nile Delta where they lived this way for thousands of years in harmony with annual floods that brought soil and nutrients to the land. In other places, sediment and sedimentation proved to be valuable for gaining new land (the Netherlands). But then in other places, and in recent times, sediment was seen as a nuisance that caused flooding, destroyed or damaged human habitat, and adversely impacted productive land because of excessive sedimentation. This article briefly discusses how erosion and sedimentation research in agriculture came to be what it is today in the USA. That experience has in many ways guided today’s erosion and sedimentation research programmes and conservation efforts around the world. Secondly, and again in a limited way, the current focus of erosion and sedimentation research in the USA will be described as well as the problems the USA faces today and how they are addressed. Keywords erosion; sedimentation; sediment; TMDL; CEAP; dam removal; watershed models


mailto:matt,[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Grain erosion – an intense form of rock erosion

ZHAOYIN WANG, DANDAN LIU & WENJING SHI State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, [email protected]

Abstract Grain erosion is defined as the phenomenon of physically breaking down bare rocks. Bare rocks are caused by avalanches, landslides and human activities. Grain erosion causes flying stones that can injure humans, and results in numerous slope debris flows. The process of grain erosion is studied by field investigations and experiments. The rocks are broken down to grains under the action of insolation and temperature change. Then, wind detaches the grains from the bare rock, the grains flow downslope under the action of gravity, and the grains accumulate at the toe of the hillslope forming a depositional fan. The most serious grain erosion occurs in spring and early summer when it is very hot and dry. Experimental results showed that the number of grains blown by wind, per area of rock surface per unit time, is proportional to the fourth power of the wind speed; however, the size of the grains increases linearly with the wind speed. Keywords erosion; Wenchuan earthquake, China; bare rocks; debris flow; wind


Impact of land use activities on fine sediment-associated contaminants, Quesnel River Basin, British Columbia, Canada

TYLER B. SMITH & PHILIP N. OWENSEnvironmental Science Program & Quesnel River Research Centre, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia V2N 4Z9, Canada [email protected]

Abstract The impact of various land use activities (forestry, mining, and agriculture) on the quality of fine-grained sediment (<63 µm) was investigated in the Quesnel River Basin (approx. 12 000 km2) in British Columbia, Canada. Samples of fine-grained sediment were collected monthly during the snow-free season in 2008 using time-integrated isokinetic samplers at sites representative of forestry, mining, and agricultural activities in the basin. Samples were also collected from replicate control sites that had undergone limited or no disturbance in recent years, and also from the main stem of the Quesnel River. Generally, metal and nutrient concentrations for “impacted” sites were greater than for control sites. Concentrations of As (mining sites), Cu (forestry sites) and Zn (forestry sites) were close to or exceeded upper Sediment Quality Guideline (SQG) thresholds, while Se concentrations for mining sites were elevated and within the range cited for contaminated environments. Phosphorus values were generally <1000 μg g-1 for all land use activities and below available SQGs. Values for individual samples were, however, greater than upper SQG levels, such as 22.7 μg g -1 (As), 801 μg g-1 (Cu), 5.0 μg g-1 (Se) and 2192 μg g-1 (P). These preliminary results suggest that metal mining and forest harvesting are having a greater influence on the concentration of sediment-associated metals and nutrients in the Quesnel basin, than agricultural activities. Key words sediment quality; land use; mining; contaminants; metals; aquatic ecosystems; cohesive sediment


Sediment yield in Europe: regional differences in scale dependence


MATTHIAS VANMAERCKE1, JEAN POESEN1, GERT VERSTRAETEN1, WILLEM MAETENS1, JORIS DE VENTE2 & FARUK OCAKOGLU3

1 Physical and Regional Geography Research Group – K U Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium [email protected]

2 Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, EEZA-CSIC, Desertification and Geoecology Department, Almeria, Spain3 Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Department of Geological Engineering, Eskişehir, Turkey

Abstract Current understanding of the regional variation in sediment yield (SY) and its scale dependence is limited for Europe. Based on an extensive literature review, a SY-database was assembled to bridge this gap. Measured SY-data from 1794 different locations throughout Europe were collected, representing a minimum of 29 203 catchment-years of records and comprising a wide range of catchment areas (0.01 km2 to 1 360 000 km2). Clear differences were observed between the temperate regions of Europe (low SY-values, i.e. <50 t km-2 year-1) and the Mediterranean and mountainous regions of Europe where SY-values are generally higher (i.e. >300 t km-2 year-1). Furthermore, for most temperate regions a negative relationship was found between catchment area and SY. For mountainous and Mediterranean regions, this was generally not the case. A comparison of catchment SY with rates of sheet and rill erosion also points to clear regional differences. Whereas soil erosion rates are generally higher than SY for temperate regions, this is not the case for the Mediterranean region. This indicates the importance of other erosion processes (i.e. landslides, riverbank erosion, and gullies). The results illustrate important regional differences in the scale dependence of SY and emphasize the need for an integrated modelling approach considering various types of sediment source and sink. Key words sediment yield; database; Europe; erosion; scale-dependence; sheet and rill erosion


Impacts of sediments yields and water quality on the Nairobi River basin ecosystem, Kenya

SHADRACK MULEI KITHIIAPostgraduate Programme in Hydrology, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Nairobi, PO Box 30197-00100, [email protected]

Abstract This paper presents the results of a study on the effects and implications of sediment yields on water quality within the Nairobi River basin ecosystem. Sediments from water samples were obtained from the Ngong, Nairobi, and Mathare river sub-basins. The results indicate a seasonal variation/trend for suspended sediments in each basin, and a similar trend in water quality degradation. Annual suspended sediment flux estimates for the Ngong, Nairobi, and Mathare rivers are 1700, 6300 and 3000 tonnes, respectively. The results further indicate a close relationship between certain water quality parameters, such as total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, turbidity and colour, to increased water quality degradation, on a seasonal basis. Land-use changes per basin, including agricultural, residential, industrial and urban, were used to identify the most dominant type of land-use activity and its impact on sediment yields and water quality degradation. Pollution and pollutant levels varied with season and distance away from the city of Nairobi in the three sub-basins. The streams were found to be less chemically polluted away from the city due to dilution effects and self purification during the wet season. The results indicated that sediment yields had a significant effect on the Nairobi ecosystems in terms of water quality degradation. Strategies to control, and hence reduce water quality degradation, suggested as a result of this study, include removal of solid wastes from the river courses, protection of the river banks from construction activities, as well as continuous monitoring to check on illegal dumping of wastes into the river as some of the Best Management Practices (BMPs) within the watershed, and the country in general. Keywords variability; quality; management; aquatic ecosystems; stream restoration


The effects of soil conservation on sediment yield and sediment source dynamics in a catchment in southern Brazil

GUSTAVO H. MERTEN1, JEAN P. G. MINELLA2, MICHELE MORO1, CLAMARION MAIER1, ELEMAR A. CASSOL3, DESMOND E. WALLING4, ROBIN T. CLARKE1 & JOSÉ MIGUEL REICHERT2

1 Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Hydraulic Research Institute, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500. Porto Alegre, Zip Code 91501-970, Brazil

2 Federal University of Santa Maria, Soils Department, Av. Roraima, 1000, Santa Maria, Zip Code 97105-900, Brazil [email protected]

3 Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Soils Department, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 7712, Porto Alegre, Zip Code 91501-970, Brazil

4 University of Exeter, School of Geography, Exeter EX4 4QJ, UK

Abstract This paper presents a synthesis of results from a hydrosedimentometric monitoring programme in a small rural catchment (1.19 km2) that has undergone significant changes in soil management, which have altered sediment yield and source dynamics. The study is based on repeated surveys of land management, rainfall, water discharge, and sediment yield, as well source tracing investigations undertaken over a period of seven years. During this period, the catchment has undergone a transformation in soil management. Erosion rates in the farmed areas have responded to these management changes, with an almost 75% reduction in sediment yield compared with pre-management conditions. The primary sediment sources in the catchment include cropped fields, unpaved roads, and natural channels. Sediment source dynamics demonstrate significant contrasts between the periods before and after the introduction of conservation practices. Keywords soil conservation; sediment yield; catchment monitoring; tobacco cultivation; sediment source tracing


Apportioning sediment sources in a grassland dominated agricultural catchment in the UK using a new tracing framework

ADRIAN L. COLLINS1, YUSHENG ZHANG1, DESMOND E. WALLING2 &

KEVIN BLACK3

1Environment Group, ADAS, Woodthorne, Wergs Road, Wolverhampton WV6 8TQ, [email protected]

2School of Geography, Archaeology and Earth Resources, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UK

3Partrac Ltd., 141 St James Road, Glasgow G4 0LT, UK

Abstract A novel tracing framework combining conventional sediment source fingerprinting and a dual signature tracking method has recently been tested in a grassland catchment in Cumbria, northwest England, UK. The former component of the framework provided information on the relative importance of generic sediment sources characterised as pasture (75±1%) or arable (9±1%) surface soils, damaged road verges (6±1%), channel banks/subsurface sources (9±1%) and the local sewage treatment works (1±1%), whereas the latter component was used to apportion sediment loss from grass fields between poached gateways (1±1%) or cattle tracks (28±1%) and wider areas of general pugging and poaching damage (46±1%). Uncertainty and prior information are explicitly recognised by the novel source tracing framework.Key words grassland; source fingerprinting; tracking; uncertainty; prior information



Analysis of suspended sediment concentration and discharge relations to identify particle origins in small agricultural watersheds

A. VONGVIXAY1,2,3, C. GRIMALDI1,2*, C. GASCUEL-ODOUX1,2, P. LAGUIONIE3, M. FAUCHEUX1,2, N. GILLIET1,2 & M. MAYET1,2

1 INRA, UMR1069, Soil Agro and hydroSystem, F-35000 Rennes, France2 Agrocampus Ouest, UMR1069, Soil Agro and hydroSystem, F-35000 Rennes, France* Address for correspondence INRA, UMR1069, SAS, 65 rue de Saint-Brieuc, F-35042 Rennes cedex, France

[email protected] 3 INSA, GCU, Génie Civil et Urbain, F-35000 Rennes, France

Abstract The relationship between suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and discharge often is highly variable in headwater streams, which highlights the temporal changes in particle origin and availability in small catchments. This paper analyses this variability to identify suspended sediment (SS) origins in two small agricultural catchments in northwestern France. Turbidity and discharge were monitored at high frequencies at the outlets. Annual and monthly SS fluxes were very different in the two streams. At the flood scale, various methods were tested to trace sediment origins and to quantify their specific fluxes: SSC-discharge pattern interpretation, SS flux modelling, temporal variations in specific turbidity (turbidity/ SSC ratio), or phosphorus content. The high SS fluxes in one stream mainly were due to the mobilisation of instream sediment or to bank erosion. SS fluxes in the other stream mainly were due to slope erosion caused by intensive farming; however, input to this stream was limited because of naturally-occurring tree-lined banks.Key words suspended sediment; stream bank erosion; hysteresis; flood; turbidity; discharge; particle availability; modelling


Sediment–nutrient dynamics in selected Indian mangrove ecosystems – land use and climate change implications

AL. RAMANATHAN1, RAJESH KUMAR RANJAN1, M. BALA KRISHNA PRASAD2, RITA CHAUHAN1 & GURMEET SINGH1

1School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, [email protected]

2Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Centre, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA

Abstract The eastern coast of India harbours a number of mangrove forests, which are now under stress due to climate change-induced sea level rise; sea level is steadily increasing at a rate of 9–12 cm year -1. Current projections for sea level rise are about 0.4–0.9 m; this will have a devastating effect on Indian mangroves. There is significant variability in local C, N and P chemistry, and the accumulation and export of these nutrients are due to changes in land use patterns and rising sea level. Seasonal variations control sediment-associated trace metals, organic C, total N, and total P, and reflect spatial and temporal differences in sedimentary organic production. Population dynamics of polysaline species have changed drastically due to varying inputs of autochthonous sediments from land and salt water inundation/intrusion, mainly at the seaward ends of the mangrove forests. The nutrient-rich sediments create a breeding and fishing ground for various ecologically and economically important species. In these mangroves, sediment-associated trace element concentrations are also increasing as a result of anthropogenic inputs, and influence the biogeochemistry of the ecosystems. An effort has also been made to assess the trace metal concentrations in the three east coast mangroves of India (Sundarbans,



Bhitarkanika and Pichavaram) to define the drivers for variations in metal distribution. Key words mangrove; metals; nutrients; climate change


Sediment delivery and erosion processes in drained peatlands

HANNU MARTTILA, SIMO TAMMELA, & BJØRN KLØVEUniversity of Oulu, Water Resources and Environmental Engineering Laboratory, PO Box 4300, 90014 University of Oulu, [email protected]

Abstract Sediment delivery and erosion processes have been studied in a number of peatland drainage areas and catchments in order to determine the effects of drainage on sediment and erosion dynamics and mechanics. This information is necessary for management of catchments where sediment poses a serious risk to water protection. Results from recent studies performed in peat mining, peatland forestry and disturbed headwater catchments in Finland are reviewed and potential sediment load management methods are discussed for drainage areas and headwater brooks. The issues especially covered are erosion of organic peat, sediment transport and methods to restore and reduce the impacts of peatland drainage in boreal headwaters.Key words sediment transport; erosion; peatland drainage; organic and inorganic sediment; stream and catchment restoration; management; stream ecology


Sediment and nutrient transport dynamics in an urban stormwater impoundment

CYNTHIA YU1 & MICHEAL STONE2

1 School of Planning, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada 2 Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1,

Canada [email protected]

Abstract Urban impoundments are water storage measures designed to reduce flooding and provide flow augmentation. Their ability to enhance water quality varies greatly from site to site, due to differences in the quality of runoff, climate, design characteristics and mode of operation. Water quality in urban impoundments and downstream environments is often negatively impacted due to the excessive accumulation of sediments and associated pollutants. To mitigate the adverse impacts of urban development and improper reservoir design on water quality, there have been an increasing number of rehabilitation and redesign efforts in North America to improve water quality. While these engineering projects often focus on modelling water quality and redesigning impoundments to improve water quality, few studies have evaluated the water quality performance of impoundments that have been redesigned to enhance water quality. In the present study, sediment and associated nutrient transport dynamics resulting from redesign of an urban impoundment (Columbia Lake, Ontario, Canada) were studied during both pre- (2003–2004) and post-redesign periods (2006–2007). Hydrometric and water quality data collected at the inlet and outlet of Columbia Lake were used to determine pre- and post-design total phosphorus (TP) and suspended sediment (SS) loads as well as changes in treatment performance resulting from impoundment redesign. Mean outflow pre-design TP concentrations decreased from 116 6 µg L-1 to 44 3 µg L-1 and mean SS concentrations decreased from 67 5 mg L-1 to 16 0.8 mg L-1 during the post-design period. The net internal P loading rate decreased significantly after the reservoir was reconfigured. Factors influencing the observed decrease in post-design TP and SS fluxes include the removal of lake-bottom sediment, reconfigured bathymetry and naturalization of the shoreline.

Keywords reservoir design; stormwater impoundment; phosphorus; suspended sediment; water quality; rehabilitation


Characteristics of heavy metal pollution in highway runoff

DINGQIANG LI, MUNING ZHUO & HUAYANG GANGuangdong Institute of Eco-environment and Soil Sciences, No. 808, Tianyuan Road, Guangzhou 510650, [email protected]

Abstract The rainfall–runoff flow rate, and heavy metal content (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, Cr) for highway runoff events were studied for three roads in Guangzhou, China. During the rainfall–runoff event, a distinct “first flush” of heavy metals was recorded. Their concentrations peaked at an early stage during rainfall and then decreased with the progression of the rainfall–runoff event. Heavy metal concentrations reached their lowest values when the runoff flow rate peaked, and then increased slightly again as the runoff flow rate decreased. Heavy metals in the runoff showed significant correlation with one another, as well as a clear correlation with the quantity of suspended solids in the runoff. Most heavy metals existed either as adsorbed to suspended solids or as free metallic particles. The degree of heavy metal pollution was found to be closely related to surrounding land use. Runoff from an urban road had the highest mean concentration of heavy metals per runoff event, whereas runoff from a suburban road and a road at the urban–suburban boundary had lower heavy metal concentrations, and were similar. Lead was identified as the main heavy metal pollutant in highway runoff.Key words highway; rainfall; runoff; heavy metal pollution


Sediment loads in the lower Jinshajiang of the Yangtze River: current status and potential impacts of the cascade dams

LU XIXI1, ZHANG SHURONG2, JIANG TONG3 & XIONG MING4

1Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore [email protected]

2College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, China3National Climate Centre, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China4Bureau of Hydrology, Changjiang Water Resources Commission, Wuhan, China

Abstract Dam construction has changed natural sediment loads in rivers at the global, regional, and local scale. This study investigates the potential impacts of four proposed cascade dams on downstream sediment loads in the lower Jinshajiang in the upper Yangtze basin. The sediment trapping efficiency of the proposed dams was computed, and the amount of trapped sediment estimated. The changing trends in sediment loads since the 1950s in the study section (both main channel and main tributaries) are examined to understand the current status and likely future trends after completion of the dams. A sediment budget is constructed for various time periods in the river section. Key words sediment load; dam; reservoir; the upper Yangtze River (Changjiang)


New methods for estimating annual and long-

term suspended sediment loads from small tributaries to San Francisco Bay

MIKOLAJ LEWICKI1 & LESTER MCKEE2

1Polish Geological Institute, Rakowiecka 4, 00-975 Warsaw, [email protected]

2San Francisco Estuary Institute, 7770 Pardee Lane, Oakland, California 94621, USA

Abstract Estimates of suspended sediment loads entering San Francisco Bay (California, USA) have been generated in the past by a number of researchers. Recently, it has been confirmed that the loads entering the Bay from the Central Valley are decreasing over time; as such, the loads from small local tributaries may constitute an increasing component of the overall Bay sediment budget. Previous estimates of suspended sediment loads entering San Francisco are outdated because of the wealth of new data, evolving land uses, and the availability of new methods of analysis. Our report presents updated estimates of suspended sediment loads entering San Francisco Bay from local tributaries. This information is essential for developing management strategies for many surface-reactive pollutants (e.g. certain trace metals and hydrophobic organic pollutants). In our study, we explore and evaluate hydrological, physical, and land-use characteristics of the San Francisco Bay watersheds to predict relationships between watershed sediment loads and geomorphic processes, and ultimately, to provide an updated estimate of regional suspended sediment loads from small tributaries. Based on this analysis, peak flow explained most of the variability in the sediment loads. Measured annual suspended sediment loads in Bay Area watersheds vary inter-annually by two to four orders of magnitude. Regionally, the new discharge- and land-use-based estimate of contemporary average annual suspended sediment loads entering the Bay is 1 300 000 t. This is equivalent to an average of 155 t km-2. It is estimated that 35% of this load is associated with mostly urbanized watersheds. Key words sediment budget; fluvial geomorphology; sediment transport


Overbank sedimentation rates on the flood plains of small rivers in Central European Russia

V. N. GOLOSOV, V. R. BELYAEV, M. V. MARKELOV & K. S. KISLENKOLaboratory of Soil Erosion and Fluvial Processes, Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University, GSP-1, Leninskie Gory, 119991, Moscow, [email protected]

Abstract The spatial variation and temporal dynamics of overbank sedimentation rates were studied on the flood plains of five rivers located in different parts of the Central Russian Plain. The radioactive isotope 137Cs was used as a tracer for quantification of sedimentation rates. At least two morphologically typical flood plain segments were investigated along each of the rivers studied, with one sediment section sampled depth-incrementally at each of the studied segments to determine the 137Cs depth distribution. Both bomb-derived (1963–1964) and Chernobyl-derived (1986) 137Cs peaks could be reliably identified in most of the sections investigated. Thus, the vertical distribution of 137Cs in flood plain deposits permits the sedimentation rates for two relatively equal time intervals: 1964–1986 and 1986–present to be estimated. A clear trend of decreasing deposition rates is apparent for the last two decades. This can be attributed to recent land-use changes and climatic fluctuations.Key words overbank sedimentation; flood plain; small rivers; drainage basin; 137Cs; European Russia


Deposition of overbank sediments within a


regulated reach of the upper Odra River, Poland

AGNIESZKA CZAJKA1 & DARIUSZ CISZEWSKI2

1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia, Bedzinska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, [email protected]

2 Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Science, Al. Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Krakow, Poland

Abstract Rivers and their flood plains are in a state of flux. Due to agricultural, urban and industrial development, and river training works, the natural erosion and sedimentation processes of the Odra River were modified in the 19th century. The geometry of the river channel has changed drastically, and the rates of overbank sedimentation are relatively high when compared to rates calculated for natural conditions. The rates of overbank sedimentation were assessed using the heavy metal content in overbank deposits. Only sediments deposited directly along the pre-regulation channels were considered. Fluvial processes in the studied, trained river channel seem to be more intensive than in the natural channel. Overbank deposition in the studied reach of the Upper Odra changed from 1.3 to 1.8 cm year-1 in the 19th century to 2–5 cm year-1 at present, which means that the rate of over-bank sedimentation has increased up to 3-fold.Key words flood plain sedimentation rates; regulated river; heavy metals; Odra River


Sediments of the Yenisei River: monitoring of radionuclide levels and estimation of sedimentation rates

ALEXANDER BOLSUNOVSKY & DMITRY DEMENTYEV Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, Akademgorodok, 660036, Krasnoyarsk, [email protected]

Abstract The Yenisei River, one of the largest rivers in the world, is contaminated with artificial radionuclides released by a Russian nuclear facility producing weapon-grade plutonium, which has been in operation for many years. Examination of Yenisei River sediment samples revealed the presence of artificial radionuclides typical of radioactive discharge from the Mining-and-Chemical-Combine (MCC) nuclear facility: isotopes of europium (152Eu, 154Eu, and 155Eu), caesium (137Cs and 134Cs), 60Co, 90Sr, and transuranium elements. Maximum radionuclide concentrations in sediments remained high as far as 240 km downstream of the MCC. In sediment cores collected upstream of the MCC, γ-spectrometric measurements registered only one artificial radionuclide, 137Cs, with a maximum activity of approx. 8 Bq kg-1 dry mass. Sediments of the Yenisei River also contain natural radionuclides. Sedimentation rates in several sections of the Yenisei River were determined using different approaches: the 210Pb dating method and the ratios of artificial radionuclides – 137Cs/60Co and 152Eu/154Eu. With increasing distance downstream of the city of Krasnoyarsk, sedimentation rates increased from 0.88 cm year -1 to 1.30–1.51 cm year-1. Key words river sediments; artificial and natural radionuclides; sedimentation rates; dating methods; Yenisei River


Preliminary investigation of the potential for using the 137Cs technique to date sediment deposits in karst depressions and to estimate rates of soil loss from karst catchments in



southwest China

X. B. ZHANG1,2, X. Y. BAI1 & A. B. WEN1

1Key Laboratory of Mountain Environment Evolvement and Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sichuan 610041, [email protected]

2State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou 550002, China

Abstract Soil erosion plays an important role in land desertification in the karst mountain areas of southwest China, but reliable data on rates of surface soil loss in the area are very limited. Hill-depressions are common landforms in the karst areas. The 137Cs technique was used to date the sediment deposits in six karst depressions, to estimate average rates of surface soil loss from their catchments. The estimates of soil loss rates obtained from this study evidenced considerable variability. A value of 1.0 t km-2 year-1 was obtained for a catchment under original dense karst forest, but the erosion rates ranged between 19.3 t km-2 year-1 and 48.7 t km-2 year-1 in four catchments under secondary forest or grasses, where the original forest cover had been removed in the Ming and Qing dynasties, several hundred years ago. The highest rate of 1643 t km-2 year-1 was obtained for a catchment underlain by clayey carbonate rocks, where the soil cover was thicker and more extensive than in the other catchments and extensive land reclamation for cultivation had occurred during the period 1979–1981, immediately after the Cultural Revolution.Key words karst depression; accumulated sediment; dating; caesium-137; soil loss; erosion rates


The assessment of natural and artificial radionuclides in river sediments in the Czech Republic

DIANA IVANOVOVÁ1, EDUARD HANSLÍK1 & PAVEL STIERAND2 1T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, Public Research Institution, Podbabská 30, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech

[email protected]

2Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Na Šabatce 17, 143 06 Prague 4, Czech Republic

Abstract The concentrations of natural radionuclides, radium226, radium228, and potassium-40, and the artificial radionuclide caesium-137, in river sediments were monitored in the Czech Republic by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute during the period 2000–2008. The data were used to evaluate the natural background levels of these radionuclides and the impact of human activities on the water environment. The river sediments were identified as good indicators of radioactive contamination, especially radium226 which recorded historic contamination due to former uranium mining and milling. The radium226 contamination rate was assessed using the ratio of radium226 to radium228. This ratio was used to classify sediment according to the relative contamination from the uranium industry. The residual contamination of caesium-137 due to the Chernobyl accident in 1986 was also assessed. Key words river sediments; surface water; uranium industry; radioactive contamination; radium226; radium228; potassium-40; caesium-137


Exploring the relationship between sediment and fallout radionuclide output for two small Calabrian catchments

mailto:

PAOLO PORTO1,2, DESMOND E. WALLING1, GIOVANNI CALLEGARI3 & CARMELO LA SPADA2

1 Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK [email protected]

2 Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-Forestali e Ambientali - Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Italy

3 CNR – Istituto per i Sistemi Agricoli e Forestali del Mediterraneo, Sezione Ecologia e Idrologia Forestale, Rende (CS), Italy

Abstract In southern Italy, several investigations have documented values of soil loss greater than 100 t ha-1 year-1, especially when including periods with extreme rainfall events. There is an increasing need to develop an improved understanding of erosion and sediment delivery dynamics in this environment. The use of environmental radionuclides, particularly 137Cs and 210Pb, to investigate sediment dynamics at the catchment scale has been shown to possess several important advantages over conventional monitoring techniques, and can provide valuable information on the functioning of the erosion and sediment delivery system. The study reported here is based on two small catchments for which storm-period suspended sediment loads have been documented for a range of storm events. In addition to quantifying the storm-period sediment loads at the catchment outlets, information on the radionuclide content of the sediment output and the storm-period radionuclide fluxes has also been obtained. Surface soil samples were collected within the catchments, in order to document source material properties. The relationships between suspended sediment output and the radionuclide flux for individual storm events, as well as the variation of the 137Cs and 210Pb activity of the suspended sediment, have been explored in order to obtain an improved understanding of the sediment dynamics and functioning of the two catchments. This analysis has emphasized the close relationship between the storm-period sediment and radionuclide fluxes from the two catchments, which provides valuable confirmation of the validity of existing approaches for using environmental radionuclides to document soil erosion and soil redistribution rates. Key words caesium-137; lead-210; soil erosion; suspended sediment; sediment delivery; erosion rates; Italy


Long-term monitoring of the 137Cs activity in suspended sediment transported by the Homerka stream, Polish Flysch Carpathians

WOJCIECH FROEHLICH1 & DES E. WALLING2

1Homerka Laboratory of Fluvial Processes, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, Polish Academy of Sciences, Frycowa 113, 33-335 Nawojowa, [email protected]

2School of Geography, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UK

Abstract The work reported was undertaken in the Homerka instrumented catchment in the Polish Flysch Carpathians. The 137Cs activity of suspended sediment has been documented since 1984 using bulk samples of suspended sediment collected from the main gauging station and occasionally from tributaries during periods of flood discharge. The 134Cs content of the suspended sediment samples was also measured after the Chernobyl accident. Attention focuses on both the longer-term trends in radiocaesium activity and the shorter-term variations in the 137Cs content of suspended sediment during flood events. The longer-term variations in the 134Cs and 137Cs activity of suspended sediment is shown to reflect the interaction of fallout inputs, radiocaesium storage and remobilisation and radioactive decay, whereas the short-term variability is seen to be controlled by the complex interaction of sediment sources, catchment contributing areas and the sediment delivery dynamics. Key words fallout radionuclides; caesium-134; caesium-137; bomb test; Chernobyl accident; suspended sediment sources; sediment delivery dynamics; Homerka catchment; Polish Flysch Carpathians


Sediment dynamics of glacier-fed rivers

JIM BOGENNorwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, PO Box 5091, Maj. 0301 Oslo, Norway jbo @ nve.no

Abstract The sediment dynamics of glacier-fed rivers differ from those of unglaciated catchments. Monitoring programmes in glacier-fed rivers demonstrate that their sediment dynamics have several distinctive characteristics, which are the focus of this paper. In the meltwater outflow from the Nigardsbreen glacier in Norway the seasonal variations in sediment response may be divided into three different periods. Sediment concentrations vary unpredictably in the first part of the runoff season. During the summer peak of glacier melting there is some dependency on water discharge, but observations show no obvious direct correlation that persists beyond a single flood event. During the period of autumn rainfall, the magnitude of the sediment concentration is controlled by the access of the runoff to the subglacial drainage system. High sediment concentrations may occur at the start of this period, but concentrations tend to fall as the subglacial conduits close. The pattern of variability of sediment concentrations may be interpreted in terms of a conceptual model, where sediment is introduced into the subglacial waterways by melting of debris-rich ice at the glacier sole. It is believed that the irregular fluctuations of sediment concentrations early in the season are associated with the establishment of a subglacial conduit system. Later in the season, flood discharges expand the conduits, melting ice and adding sediment to the meltwater. In periods of low water discharge, less sediment is added, but movement of the glacier and its plastic deformation will eventually expose more sediment-laden ice to melt-out processes. High concentrations most often occur towards the end of the glacier-melt period when floods are generated by a combination of rain and glacier melt. These rain floods drain through an open conduit system, melting out further sediment. The sediment transport from the polythermal Brøggerbreen glacier in the high Arctic was also studied. It was found that the low deformation rates in the cold ice of the subglacial drainage systems beneath polythermal glaciers make them more stable. Therefore a stronger correlation between sediment transport and water discharge may exist on an annual basis. Key words suspended sediment; sediment dynamics; glacier fed rivers; subglacial drainage


Variations in suspended sediment grain sizes in flood events of a small lowland river

LESZEK HEJDUK & KAZIMIERZ BANASIKWarsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Department of Water Engineering and Environmental Restoration, Nowoursynowska 166, PL-02-787 Warsaw, [email protected]

Abstract The grain size of suspended sediment and its variation during river flows is important information required for the modelling of river sediment transport and reservoir siltation, as well as for understanding the role of sediment particles in a variety of environmental processes. In this study, the results of grain size analyses of suspended sediment transported during flood events in a small lowland river are presented. The investigated area is the agricultural catchment of the River Zagozdzonka, a tributary of the River Vistula, located in the centre of Poland, approx. 100 km south of Warsaw. A total of 160 suspended sediment samples were collected in the period 2004–2007 during 11 flood events, caused by rainfall, snowmelt or a combination of both, and the samples were analysed for their particle size distribution. Mean values of the d50 of the suspended sediment for the events varied from 48 μm to 98 μm, and there was a tendency for an increase in particle size with increasing discharge. Key words suspended sediment; grain size distribution; discharge-grain size relation




The impact of road construction on suspended sediment and solute yields of headwater streams in northern Apennine, Italy

SAMANTA PELACANI, GIULIANO RODOLFI & FIORENZO CESARE UGOLINIDepartment of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, P. le delle Cascine 15, I-50144 Florence, [email protected]

Abstract We investigated suspended and dissolved loads of two streams which drain into the Bilancino reservoir, the principal water supply of Florence in Italy. In northern Apennine, headwater catchments have been affected by mass movements. In the Bilancino watershed, more than 50% of the landslides are directly connected with the streams, which otherwise tend to transport little sediment due to the presence of 89 check dams, one for each square kilometre. Suspended sediment was monitored for two years using time-integrated sediment traps. One stream, which was impacted by road construction, had a suspended sediment yield of 116 t km-2 year-1, while a nearby non-impacted stream had a yield of 14 t km-2 year-1. The stream water chemistry was also affected by the highway construction, which has produced spoils containing albite and Na-bearing olistostrome. The calculated cation flux was 416 t km -2

year-1 for the impacted watershed and 210 t km-2 year-1 for the non-impacted one.Key words suspended sediment yields; sedimentation; suspension flows; solute yields; headwater catchments


Historic sediment yields in a small ungauged catchment controlled by a warping dam, using sediment deposition information and 137Cs dating

LI ZHAN-BIN1, LU KE-XIN1, HOU JIAN-CAI2 & LI MIAN3

1Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resources and Environmental Ecology of Ministry of Education, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710048, [email protected]

2Department of Water Resources of Henan Province, Zhengzhou 450003, China 3Key Laboratory of Sediment Research of Yellow River, Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research,

Zhengzhou 450003, China

Abstract In the hilly and gully region of the Loess Plateau, China, warping (check) dams are one of the most important engineering measures for controlling soil and water loss, and reducing downstream sediment yields. Based on detailed field observations, the sediment profile upstream of the third warping dam, located in a small ungauged watershed (Guandigou) of the Wangmaogou catchment, was divided into 31 sedimentary layers, and the sediment thickness and 137Cs activity of each layer were measured. Peaks in 137Cs activity in the sediment layers were equated to 1963 (peak in fallout) and 1986 (Chernobyl incident). These dated layers, in combination with historical information on erosive rainstorm events, were used to date the timing of sediment deposition for each layer. Based on the information on sediment thickness for the 31 layers, and field measurements of the surface area of each layer, the specific sediment yields from 1959 to 1987 were estimated. The results indicated that the approach, i.e. the combination of 137Cs dating and the sediment record deposited upstream of a warping dam, could be used to study soil erosion and deposition in small ungauged watersheds in the Loess Plateau region of China.Key words loess hilly and gully region; warping dam; 137Cs; sediment layers; sediment yields; erosive rainstorm events; dating


The importance of sediment control for recovery of incised channels

W. D. ERSKINE1, A. C. CHALMERS1 & M. TOWNLEY-JONES2

1 Sustainable Use of Catchments and Coasts, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle – Ourimbah Campus, PO Box 127, Ourimbah NSW 2258, [email protected]

2 School of Mathematical & Physical Sciences, The University of Newcastle – Ourimbah Campus, PO Box 127, Ourimbah NSW 2258, Australia

Abstract Dairy Arm drains a 39.8 km2 catchment in the Hunter Valley, Australia, and recently began recovery from post-1949 incision. Recovery involved cessation of upstream progressing incision, leaving a 400-m long upper intact alluvial zone. Post-1985 incision in the 5.5 km incised zone re-exposed buried large wood and eroded bank-side trees, forming log steps which are natural energy dissipators. Degradation in a small section of incised channel bed stranded remnant parts as the contemporary flood plain. Stoloniferous and rhizomatous grass invasion of the developing flood plain accelerated overbank deposition and stabilised river banks. The lower 5 km depositional zone has started to erode over most of its length. In the upper section, pools and riffles formed by degradation, and the bed is now narrower and deeper than at any time since incision started in 1949. A recent decrease in annual rainfall reduced the frequency of flood disturbance, allowing vegetation to survive.Key words river recovery; bed degradation; pool-riffle sequence; clonal and rhizomatous grasses; vegetation invasion; statistical versus practical significance


The influence of density fronts on sediment dynamics within river-to-sea estuarine transitional waters

ROBERT W. DUCKSchool of Social and Environmental Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, Scotland, [email protected]

Abstract The interaction of river-borne suspended and bedload sediments with marine-derived sediments is complicated by the sharply defined lateral and transverse water density gradients of frontal systems that characterise many estuaries worldwide. These features, often recognised at the water surface as linear bands of foam or flotsam, develop principally due to tidal intrusion, axial convergence, longitudinal shearing and flow separation. However, knowledge of the relationships of such features with bathymetry is still poorly developed. Not only do frontal systems impact upon intra-water column fine particulate transport by entrapment and compartmentalisation, they also exert a control on the distribution of bedforms and bottom sediment grain size distributions, thereby delimiting often closely juxtaposed, but differing bottom current velocity fields on the ebb and flood tidal phases. In consequence, fronts are now considered as “sieves” within the transitional river-to-sea, estuarine sediment transfer system; this perception has been reinforced by numerical study of lateral grain size sorting.Key words estuaries; density fronts; sediment compartmentalisation; sediment partitioning


Sedimentation in the riparian zone of the

Three Gorges Reservoir, China

YUHAI BAO, HONGWEI NAN, XIUBIN HE, YI LONG & XINBAO ZHANGKey Laboratory of Mountain Environment Evolvement and Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, [email protected]

Abstract Annual water levels in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) fluctuate by approx. 30 m, which can influence the riparian zone. Such changes include soil stabilization or restoration, re-vegetation, landscape management and environmental sanitation. However, there is a lack of information on the rates, magnitude and variability of sedimentation processes in this riparian zone. A field monitoring programme was conducted along the middle reach of the TGR during 2007–2009. Fifteen monitoring transects were instrumented with columnar sediment traps and erosion pins. Mean sediment deposition rates were 5.8 cm year-1 at the 145–150 m level and 2.3 cm year-1 at the 150–175 m level. The mean sediment deposition rate was approx. 12 cm year-1 at tributary inlets and shoals and a maximum of 18 cm year-1 occurred at the 145–150 m level. Sedimentation processes in riparian areas along the TGR will likely have an impact on the ecology and long-term operation of the TGR.Key words sedimentation; riparian zone; water level fluctuation; Three Gorges Reservoir


Application of sediment studies to the management and planning of water resources in the Sydney region

ANNA K. SIM, WAYNE D. ERSKINE & RUSSELL DRYSDALEEnvironmental and Climate Change Research Group, University of Newcastle, Geology Building, University Drive, Callaghan, New South Wales 2308, [email protected]

Abstract Multi-decadal periods of alternating wet and dry periods have been observed in instrumental rainfall and flood records of eastern Australia. These periods are critical for the management of water resources in large cities such as Sydney. High-magnitude rainfall events are the primary source of infill events for Sydney’s reservoirs. The occurrence of these rainfall events is linked with multi-decadal periods of high- and low-flood frequency, with an increase in average rainfall of 10–30% in periods of high flood frequency compared to those of low flood frequency. The instrumental record, however, is too brief to capture the full range of this variability. Sediment studies, focusing on changes in sediment deposition over time, have been used to investigate long-term hydrological variability. Discontinuous flood plains in the drowned river valley of the Hawkesbury–Nepean River act as sediment traps, preserving a record of flood events. Sediment cores collected from one of these flood plains have been analysed for particle size distribution, loss-on-ignition, magnetic susceptibility and density. These analyses, in conjunction with a chronology established through radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, allow a record of sedimentation over the last ~1000 years to be constructed. This provides a proxy flood record, which in turn has been used as a measure of hydrological variability in the region. The reconstructed flood record from the Hawkesbury–Nepean River will be used in long-term climate models, essential for the management and planning of water resources. Key words multi-decadal hydrological variability; sediment cores; flood frequency; water resources


Observations on flow hydraulics in a gauging station of a small stream with high suspended sediment load (Vallcebre, eastern Pyrenees)



GUILLAUME NORD, MONTSERRAT SOLER, JÉRÔME LATRON & FRANCESC GALLARTInstitute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA), CSIC, Sole i Sabaris s/n, 08028 Barcelona, [email protected]

Abstract Water depth and sediment concentration have been measured with a good time resolution (every 2 min during flood events and every 20 min for the rest of the time) since 1994 at the gauging station of the Cal Rodó catchment (4.17 km2). Since October 2008, mean water velocity has been measured at the same resolution using an incoherent (or continuous) Doppler instrument mounted on the bottom of the gauging station. This study focuses on the impact of suspended sediment transport on water depth measurement and the effect of high loads of suspended sediment on flow hydraulics. We take into account the effect of suspended sediment concentration on the measurement of water depth by the hydrostatic pressure probe. We also examine the relationship between water depth and flow velocity and the effect of suspended sediment concentration on this relationship.Key words suspended sediment; stream; flow velocity; water depth


Assessing riverine sediment–pathogen dynamics: implications for the management of aquatic and human health risk

IAN G. DROPPO1,2,3,4, KRISTEN KING2, SANDRA M. TIRADO3, ANDREW SOUSA4, GIDEON WOLFAARDT4, STEVEN N. LISS3,4 & LESLEY A. WARREN2

1 National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada, PO Box 5050, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, [email protected]

2 McMaster University, School of Geography and Earth Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada3 University of Guelph, School of Environmental Sciences, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada4 Ryerson University, Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada

Abstract While it is established that sediment/floc can harbour a significant quantity of pathogens, the erosion, transport and deposition dynamics of the sediment-associated pathogens is not well understood in relation to ecosystem and human health impact. In this study, annular flume experiments were run with Pseudomonas spp. CTO7::gfp-2 inoculated sediment to assess the erosion, transport and fate of indicator organisms in river systems. Correlative microscopy was used to visually assess the microbial-floc relationship and a flow-cell/shear-cell was used to assess the strength of the indigenous E. coli microbe-floc association. Results indicate that suspended cohesive flocs are the dominant form of pathogen delivery to the sand bed. Significant correlations were found between the indicator organisms (CTO7-gfp and E. coli) suspended solid concentration and shear level. It is concluded that the bed sediment can represent a significant source of pathogenic organisms to the water column, with regulatory water samples not necessarily reflecting recent microbial contamination from terrestrial sources, but also a re-suspension of previously settled pathogens from the river bed. As such, sediment–pathogen dynamics should be considered when identifying source areas, determining aquatic and public health risk, and modelling pathogen transport in river systems.Key words floc; bacteria; pathogen; erosion; transport; fate


Salmon as biogeomorphic agents: temporal and spatial effects on sediment quantity and


quality in a northern British Columbia spawning channel

ELLEN L. PETTICREW & SAM J. ALBERS University of Northern British Columbia, Geography Program, 3333 University Way, Prince George, British Columbia V2N 4Z9, [email protected]

Abstract Pacific salmon have a large biogeomorphic impact on their natal streams. An opportunity to utilize a regulated salmon spawning channel in the summer of 2009 allowed a temporal and spatial evaluation of the biologic and geomorphic effects of salmon spawning on fine sediment infiltration into gravel bed streams. These salmon transfer biologically valuable marine-derived nutrients upstream to their natal habitats, while at the same time imparting energy to the streambed via their spawning activity, thereby modifying the geomorphic conditions. Fine sediment infiltration rates were used to monitor the physical activity of redd construction, and the biological effects of die-off on the gravel bed. Infiltration bags and piezometers were used to determine the mass of sediment deposited on and in the streambed, and the oxygen content of the gravel bed, respectively. Sedimentation increased during the period of active redd construction while the proportion of organic matter in the gravel-stored sediment increased following the instream decay of carcasses. Results suggest that the response seen over a small spatial scale may be the result of flocs forming in the water column and infiltrating into the streambed. A response to both changes in quantity and quality of sediment was observed as reductions in inter-gravel oxygen values. Further work on nutrient and sediment loads in both the water column and the gravel bed will allow a rigorous mass balance model.Key words salmon; gravel bed; nutrients; fine sediment; storage; biogeomorphology; geomorphic agent; flocculation; marine-derived nutrients


Sediment impacts on aquatic ecosystems of the Bukit Merah Reservoir, Perak, Malaysia

WAN RUSLAN ISMAIL1, ZULLYADINI A. RAHAMAN1, SUMAYYAH AIMI MOHD NAJIB1 & ZAINUDIN OTHMAN2

1HydroGeomorphology Research Group, Section of Geography, School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, [email protected]

2Department of Geography, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjong Malim, Perak, Malaysia

Abstract In recent decades interest in suspended sediment dynamics has increased. There are many issues related to high suspended sediment concentrations, such as reservoir sedimentation, channel and harbour silting, as well as the ecological and recreational impacts of sediment management. This paper describes a study of the input and output of sediment in the small Bukit Merah Reservoir (BMR) in Perak, Malaysia. The reservoir received inputs from four rivers totalling about 37 600 t year-1. More than 90% of the sediment input (approx. 35 000 t) came from the Sg. Kurau River. The average lake sedimentation rates were 0.36 mm year-1 (1995–2000) and 0.48 mm year-1 (2000–2005). The average suspended sediment concentration in the lake was between 8.6 and 13.5 mg L-1, while turbidity ranged between 5.8 and 64.1 NTU. The reservoir is slightly eutrophic, caused by the impact of sediment and nutrients on the receiving water body. Key words sediment inputs; Sg. Kurau; turbidity; secchi depth; eutrophication; Bukit Merah Reservoir (BMR)


Determination of the geochemical baseline


for the East River basin, China

LINCOLN FOK & MERVYN R. PEARTDepartment of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong [email protected]

Abstract Baseline information serves as a point of reference against which future natural or anthropogenic changes to geochemistry may be evaluated. It may also serve to identify controls, such as rock type, upon geochemistry and has other applications. In 2007–2009, active stream sediment samples from the East River in China were collected and analysed in an attempt to develop a geochemical baseline. Sample density is around 1 per 200 km2, covering a total area of 27 600 km2. Situated in southern China, the East River basin contains three large reservoirs that are of great importance to flood control, power generation, shipping, and water supply in the region. The watershed is well vegetated and woodlands occupy ~75% of the basin area. The geology is heterogeneous: sedimentary units of various ages have been intruded by igneous rocks. In 2007, the population living within the watershed was some 12 million. The concentration ranges of the elements are consistent with average crustal values. The spatial variation of the geochemistry reveals that it is affected by both natural and anthropogenic factors.Key words geochemical baseline; spatial distribution; East River, China


The use of instrumentally collected-composite samples to estimate the annual fluxes of suspended sediment and sediment-associated chemical constituents

ARTHUR J. HOROWITZUS Geological Survey, Peachtree Business Center, 3039 Amwiler Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30360, [email protected]

Abstract Experience from a long-term water quantity and water quality monitoring network for Atlanta, Georgia, USA, has indicated that many of the problems associated with event based-sampling in small, “flashy” watersheds can be overcome through the use of instrumentally collected (autosamples) flow-weighted composite samples. The benefits of composite samples relative to discrete samples include: (1) the ability to sample a larger number of events during a year; (2) the collection of substantially larger suspended sediment (SS) masses for more accurate and representative chemical and/or physical analyses; and (3) the capability of using composite sample-derived SS and sediment-associated chemical data in conjunction with such variables as maximum event discharge (QMax) and total event water volume (VolTot) to construct rating curves for estimating the SS and sediment-associated chemical fluxes of unsampled events. Key words autosamplers; storm sampling; suspended sediments; rating curves


Long-term sediment transport and delivery of the largest distributary of the Mississippi River, the Atchafalaya, USA

Y. JUN XUSchool of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA


[email protected]

Abstract River engineering in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River system and changing land use practices in the Upper Mississippi River Basin have reduced sediment loads and modified sediment distribution to the continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Concurrently, the Louisiana Gulf coast has been subject to the highest rate of relative sea-level rise of any region in the United States. This study investigated suspended sediment transport and delivery from the Atchafalaya River, a 187-km-long river-swamp system that carries about 30% of the Mississippi River’s water into the Gulf of Mexico. The study modelled long-term (1975–2004) riverine sediment fluxes, assessed land area changes in the Atchafalaya Bay, and analysed the relationship between riverine sediment supply and the delta fan process. The study showed a sediment inflow of 6.4 × 107 tonnes year-1 and a sediment outflow of 5.8 × 107 tonnes year-1 in the Atchafalaya. Seasonally, sediment loads were highest in the spring and lowest in the late summer, corresponding to the river’s hydrologic conditions. For the past 30 years, the Atchafalaya retained 9% of the inflow sediment, which is considerably lower than the double-digit percentage rates of deposition reported for the period from the 1930s to the 1960s. Satellite image analyses found rapid land accretion in the Atchafalaya Bay during the past two decades. Much of the newly created land area was quickly vegetated, stabilizing the small delta lobes against sediment resuspension. Key words suspended sediment; riverine sedimentation; sediment rating curve; coastal land accretion; Atchafalaya Bay; Mississippi-Atchafalaya River; Gulf of Mexico


Tracing spatial sources of suspended sediment in the Ohio River basin, USA, using water quality data from the NASQAN programme

YUSHENG ZHANG1, ADRIAN L. COLLINS1& ARTHUR J. HOROWITZ2

1 Environment Group, ADAS, Woodthorne, Wergs Road, Wolverhampton WV6 8TQ, [email protected]

2 US Geological Survey, Georgia Water Science Center, 3039 Amwiler Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30360, USA

Abstract Documenting catchment suspended sediment sources remains critical for guiding the design of sediment management strategies and for abating the numerous environmental issues associated with enhanced loadings. Sediment fingerprinting techniques have received increasing attention in this respect since, at the catchment scale, they avoid many of the problems and uncertainties experienced with using more traditional measurement methods. As part of the US Geological Survey’s revised NASQAN (National Stream Quality Accounting Network) programme, routine water quality samples are collected in selected large river basins in the United States. The geochemical data generated from these samples over a period of 10 years (1996–2006), were used as the basis of a fingerprinting exercise to assess the key tributary sub-catchment spatial sources of suspended sediment transported by the Ohio River. A Monte Carlo approach was used during the fingerprinting mass balance modelling to quantify uncertainty in the spatial source estimates. The results should be interpreted with respect to the routine but infrequent nature of the suspended sediment samples used as the basis for the sourcing exercise, but nonetheless, demonstrate how routine monitoring samples can be used to provide some preliminary information on sediment provenance in large drainage basins. Key words sediment sources; fingerprinting; uncertainty; routine water quality sampling


High resolution quantification of slope–channel coupling in an alpine geosystem

MARTIN BIMBÖSE, KARL-HEINZ SCHMIDT & DAVID MORCHEInstitute for Geosciences, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06099 Halle/Saale, [email protected]

Abstract Fluvial sediment transport in alpine rivers is strongly connected to available sediment which comes from slope source areas (talus and debris cones). Consequently, the quantification of slope–channel coupling in terms of sediment supply to the river is a major task for fluvial sediment budget studies. Sometimes, the more interesting and useful study sites are located in dangerous areas and field work is difficult, if not impossible. Due to the emerging technology of laser-scanning (both terrestrial and airborne) it is now possible to obtain high resolution earth surface data for use in sediment budget studies. The Reintal Valley (Bavarian Alps) is a natural high-mountain laboratory where sediment transport processes and slope–channel coupling can be studied in detail. Due to a 2005 dam-break flood, the river system is in a state of disequilibrium, making it an exceptional study site for investigating these processes. The sediment flux from the sources to the river channel was quantified by using the innovative terrestrial laser-scanning (TLS) methodology. During the 2008 field season the sediment sources fed the Partnach River with more than 2600 t of sediment. Only a minor part was transported as bed load. Most of the coarse sediment was stored on the channel bed, a finding which was evaluated by concurrent bed load measurements at the outlet of the catchment. The sediment stored on the river bed was re-worked by 2009 snow melt floods and transported further downstream.Key words slope–channel coupling; terrestrial laser-scanning; DEM; sediment sources; sediment budget; bed load; sediment transport; Partnach River; Reintal


Integrated runoff-erosion modelling in the Brazilian Water Resources Information System (SNIRH)

CELSO A. G. SANTOS, CRISTIANO DAS N. ALMEIDA, AMÍLCAR SOARES JÚNIOR, FRANCISCO A. R. BARBOSA, TIAGO F. SOUZA & PAULA KARENINA DE M. M. FREIREDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, 58051-900 João Pessoa, Paraíba, [email protected]

Abstract This paper presents details of how part of the Brazilian Water Resources Information System (SNIRH) was developed. The work was carried out by four research networks made up of several Brazilian universities. One of these networks was responsible for the integration of rainfall–runoff models to the SNIRH. In order to integrate the rainfall–runoff models into the SNIRH, the OpenJUMP software was used as an interface to manage the input data and the simulation results. Among the selected models, there is a distributed runoff–erosion model named Kineros with a new friendly interface, in order to provide more detailed simulations exercises, allowing users to analyse the results easily. The model can import the rainfall data from SNIRH and separately simulate the runoff and erosion processes. Finally, this new tool, which integrates different hydrological models in a single base, can support the decision-making process for water resources in Brazil.Key words SNIRH; runoff-erosion modelling; Kineros; OpenJump


An ANN-based approach to modelling sediment yield: a case study in a semi-arid area of Brazil


CAMILO A. S. DE FARIAS1, FRANCISMÁRIO M. ALVES2, CELSO A. G. SANTOS3 & KOICHI SUZUKI4

1 Academic Unit of Agronomy and Food Technology – Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Rua Cel. João Leite 517, Centro, 58840-000 Pombal, Paraíba, [email protected]

2 Dept of Engineering, Vale Company, Brazil3 Dept of Civil and Environmental Engng, Federal University of Paraíba, 58051-900 João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil4 Dept of Civil and Environmental Engng, Ehime University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, 790-8577 Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan

Abstract This paper describes an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model for estimating sediment yield based on runoff and climatological data. The model has been applied to an erosion plot inside the São João do Cariri experimental basin, which is located in the semi-arid portion of Paraíba State, Brazil. Large quantities of sediment tend to be generated only periodically in semi-arid regions, thus accurate estimations of when sediment yields are likely to be high are needed to improve erosion management in such areas. A total of 61 rainfall events, which occurred between 1999 and 2002, were utilized to calibrate and test the model. Another model, based on multiple linear regression (MLR) was used for comparison. The results produced by the ANN model appear to be superior to those generated by the MLR model. The results also indicate that the ANN model is suitable for identifying and extracting nonlinear trends for significant variables. Key words sediment yield; artificial neural networks; semi-arid; erosion management


Use of the SWAT model to evaluate the impact of different land use scenarios on discharge and sediment transport in the Apucaraninha River watershed, southern Brazil

IRANI DOS SANTOS1, MARCOS V. ANDRIOLO2, ROSANA C. GIBERTONI3 & MASATO KOBIYAMA4

1Department of Geography, Federal University of Parana, Caixa Postal 19001, Curitiba, PR, 81531-970, [email protected]

2Civil Engineering Department, Companhia Paranaense de Energia, Curitiba, PR, Brazil3Environmental Department, Instituto de Tecnologia para o Desenvolvimento, Caixa Postal 19067, Curitiba, PR,

81531-980, Brazil4Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Caixa Postal 476,

Florianopolis, SC, 88040-900, Brazil

Abstract The SWAT model was used to simulate the production and transport of water and sediment (suspended and bedload) in the Apucaraninha River watershed (504 km2), southern Brazil. The model was calibrated with daily discharge and sediment transport data, obtained during the period 1988–2005. The model simulation showed a good fit for both discharge and sediment transport when compared to observed values. Using the calibrated SWAT model, the impacts of different land-use and soil management activities on discharge and sediment transport were evaluated under the following scenarios: (1) the present condition without soil conservation practice; (2) the present condition with full riparian vegetation; (3) agriculture with soil conservation practice and full riparian vegetation; (4) 100% forest; (5) agriculture without soil conservation practice and with full riparian vegetation; (6) 100% agriculture without soil conservation practice; and (7) 100% agriculture with soil conservation practice. The mean values of total discharge between the various scenarios had a very small coefficient of variation (1%), while the mean values of surface runoff had a larger value (25%). For sediment transport, the difference between the scenarios was more significant. Compared with the current condition, scenario (4) resulted in a decrease of sediment transport of 89%, while scenario (6) resulted in an increase of 142%.Key words hydrological monitoring; hydrological modeling; sediment transport; land use scenarios; SWAT; southern Brazil


Comparative analysis of two distributed soil erosion and sediment yield models in Sichuan Basin, China

YUAN ZAIJIAN1,2, CHU YINGMIN3, SHEN YANJUN1, LIU CHANG3 & FU YA’NAN2

1Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050021, [email protected]

2School of Economics & Management, Hebei University of Science & Technology, Shijiazhuang 050018, China3College of Tourism, Hebei University of Economics & Business, Shijiazhuang 050061, China

Abstract Based on data from two watershed outlets, and three runoff plots in the purple soil hilly areas of Sichuan Basin, two distributed soil erosion and sediment yield models were constructed. One is based on a grid with 20-m resolution in Hemingguan Watershed, with an area of 0.419 km2, and the other is based on a land plot in Lizikou Watershed with an area of 19.63 km2. Comparison of these two models shows that the simulation based on the high precision grid is more accurate. When the area of a watershed is larger than 10 km2, the accuracy of the model will be increased if a high-resolution grid is adopted, whereas if the resolution of the grid is low, the grid will generalize too much information, such as different land-use patterns in the same grid. On the other hand, a distributed model based on a land plot can substantially reduce the computational complexity because the land-use means are uniform. The two models basically have the same structure, but the Hemingguan model is more accurate than the Lizikou model. Key words distributed soil erosion and sediment yield model; Sichuan Basin; comparison


Effect of topographic scale on the estimation of soil erosion rates using an empirical model

YULIA S. KUZNETSOVA, VLADIMIR R. BELYAEV & VALENTIN N. GOLOSOVLaboratory of Soil Erosion and Fluvial Processes, Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University, Moscow, [email protected]

Abstract Many studies of soil erosion involving application of computational models face the problem of precision of the available topographic data. Limited availability of maps and a necessity to extrapolate detailed-scale data over larger areas often force investigators to use small scale maps with relatively low precision of relief representation. Many other factors influencing soil erosion are usually less spatially variable than geomorphic conditions, which may change within and between slopes. Thus a loss of topographic information due to cartographic generalization can result in errors related to estimated soil erosion rates. This work presents a comparison of soil erosion rate estimations produced by a USLE-based empirical model for the same case-study site (a small catchment in the Central Russian Upland) using the input topographic data of different scales. Morphometric parameters of the three selected slope units to be used as input data for an empirical erosion model were derived from digital elevation models constructed using results of the detailed slope survey by digital tacheometer and two scales of topographic maps (1:10 000, 1:100 000). The results of modelling at the largest scale (detailed tacheometric survey) were used as a reference for comparison with modelling at smaller scales (1:10 000, 1:100 000). Model runs using each of the three available topographic input data sets produced average annual values of soil erosion rates and spatially distributed data sets of within-slope variability of erosion rates for the three studied slope units. The USLE model was also used to estimate soil erosion rates for five different crop rotations, which were applied within the studied catchment over its 150-year

long history of cultivation. Modelling results were compared with average soil redistribution rates obtained for the entire cultivation period using the soil profile morphology approach.Key words soil erosion; empirical modelling; slope morphometry; topographic generalization; variability; soil profile morphology; scale dependent error


Modelling lowland reservoir sedimentation conditions and the potential environmental consequences of dam removal: Wloclawek Reservoir, Vistula River, Poland

ARTUR MAGNUSZEWSKI1, SHARON MORAN2 & GUOLIANG YU3

1University of Warsaw, Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies, Department of Hydrology, Krakowskie Przedmiescie 30, 00-927 Warszawa, [email protected]

2State University of New York, Department of Environmental Studies, 107 Marshall Hall, 1 Forestry Drive , Syracuse, New York 13210-2787, USA

3Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Department of Harbor, Waterway and Coastal Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering Shanghai, Dongchuan Road 800, Shanghai 200240, China

Abstract The decommissioning of dams has been discussed on an international scale in the context of the economic, social, and environmental costs of maintaining aging infrastructure. While dams can provide extensive benefits such as water management, power generation, and flood control, their environmental impacts can be detrimental, and much remains to be characterized. In Poland, there is growing concern about the future of the Wloclawek Dam and Reservoir, located on the Vistula River 110 km northwest of Warsaw. One of Poland’s largest reservoirs, it has a volume of 408 million m3 and an area of 70.4 km2. This study explores the sediment transport and silting rates for the reservoir using a CCHE2D model and parameters including: channel width, average velocity, average depth, and Froude numbers at the cross-sections of the reservoir. The study findings provide a better understanding of the sedimentary conditions, and permit a precise delineation of three different zones in the reservoir: riverine, transitional, and lacustrine. The potential consequences of dam removal have been modelled and indicate that dramatic changes in hydraulic parameters will result, and a new 22.7 km2 flood plain may form, which corresponds to 33% of the current reservoir area. Key words Vistula River; Wloclawek Reservoir; fluvial processes; sediments transport; CCHE2D hydrodynamic model; dam removal


Incorporating pedotransfer functions into the MOSEE model to simulate runoff and soil erosion at different scales

EDUARDO E. DE FIGUEIREDO1 & ANTHONY J. PARSONS2

1Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande/Brazil, PO Box 505, Campina Grande/PB, Brazil [email protected]

2Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Winter Street, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK

Abstract The distributed MOSEE model was used to investigate scale and land-use change impacts on runoff and soil erosion processes in catchments located in the semi-arid northeast region of Brazil. The model includes functions that take into account the spatial variability of rainfall and catchment



characteristics. To simulate hydrological and sediment transport processes in the study basins, model parameters were estimated with previously published pedotransfer functions and soil texture data in the Representative Sumé basin (RBS) located in Paraiba, Brazil. The results show that, in general, runoff and sediment yield simulations were comparable to the observed values at the small scale using a combination of pedotransfer functions. For the larger basins, the simulated runoffs, aggregated to a daily basis for comparisons, provided a reasonable fit for the observed data in two catchments. The simulated runoff and sediment yields increased as deforestation and catchment area increased, demonstrating the relevance of vegetation as an effective protective agent to reduce soil erosion. Key words physically-based model; parameterization; pedotransfer function; simulation; distributed model MOSEE


How important is sediment graph development in Iran?

SEYED HAMIDREZA SADEGHIDepartment of Watershed Management Engineering, College of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor 46417-76489, Mazandaran, [email protected]

Abstract A careful measurement and analysis of sediment data is a basic pre-requisite for the successful planning and design of any soil and water conservation programme. However, the proper evaluation on the aptness of available measurement and estimation techniques is rarely made worldwide. The problem is much more complicated and neglected in developing countries like Iran. The present paper aims to review the soundness and applicability of available procedures of infrequent and irregular suspended sediment sampling and estimation of total sediment yield by using sediment rating curves. The results of the existing and oft-applied method were then compared with those obtained through developing the sediment graphs on the storm basis. The study was formulated based on data intensively collected for some study watersheds in Iran. The results of the study verified the inapplicability of sediment rating curves for giving accurate estimation of suspended sediment yield in the study areas. The results of sediment graph analysis not only proved its aptness to estimate sediment yield in the study areas, but it could also mirror all changes made in the watershed which had been masked at the time of applying sediment rating curves. These findings clearly verified the necessity of sediment graph development in a country like Iran governed by very natural and changing anthropogenic conditions.Key words changing ecosystems; Iran; sediment graph; sediment rating curve; sediment yield


Application of an XML-based genetic algorithm to a rainfall–runoff erosion model

AMÍLCAR SOARES JÚNIOR1, CELSO A. G. SANTOS2, GUSTAVO H. M. B. MOTTA1, FRANCISCO A. R. BARBOSA2 & PAULA K. M. M. FREIRE2

1 Department of Computer Science, Federal University of Paraiba, 58051-900 João Pessoa, Paraíba, [email protected]

2 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, 58051-900 João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil

Abstract Optimization is a common problem in hydrological sciences and Genetic Algorithms (GA) are one approach to manage this problem. This paper presents an application of a configurable and portable GA that uses the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) to solve an optimization problem. The paper describes an application for the calibration of the Watershed Erosion Simulation Program (WESP)


model to optimize erosion parameters for estimating sediment yield. The calibration of a rainfall–runoff–erosion model requires finding optimal model parameters. The results show that the XML-based GA tool efficiently defined the WESP erosion parameters. Since any application or platform capable of processing XML could utilize this tool, it may be an important alternative for solving other water resources problems.Key words XML; genetic algorithms; rainfall–runoff–erosion simulation; WESP model; optimization of parameters

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