Bed surface particle size patchiness may play a central role in bedload and morphologic response to changes in sediment supply in gravel-bed rivers. Here we test a 1-D model (from Parker ebook) of bedload transport, surface grain size, and channel profile with two previously published flume studies that documented bed surface response, and specifically patch development, to reduced sediment sup...

New Zealand's gravel-bed rivers have deposited coarse, highly conductive gravel aquifers that are predominantly fed by river water. Managing their groundwater resources is challenging because the recharge mechanisms in these rivers are poorly understood and recharge rates are difficult to predict, particularly under a more variable future climate. To understand the river-groundwater exchange pr...

Bed surface particle size patchiness may play a central role in bedload and morphologic response to changes in sediment supply in gravel-bed rivers. Here we test a 1-D model (from Parker ebook) of bedload transport, surface grain size, and channel profile with two previously published flume studies that documented bed surface response, and specifically patch development, to reduced sediment sup...

Textural patches (i.e., grain-size facies) are commonly observed in gravel-bed channels and are of significance for both physical and biological processes at subreach scales. We present a general framework for classifying textural patches that allows modification for particular study goals, while maintaining a basic degree of standardization. Textures are classified using a two-tier system of t...

This primer accompanies the release of BAGS, software developed to calculate sediment transport rate in gravel-bed rivers. BAGS and other programs facilitate calculation and can reduce some errors, but cannot ensure that calculations are accurate or relevant. This primer was written to help the software user define relevant and tractable problems, select appropriate input, and interpret and app...

A viscous fluid flowing over plastic grains spontaneously generates single-thread channels. With time, these laminar analogues of alluvial rivers reach a reproducible steady state, showing a well-defined width and cross section. In the absence of sediment transport, their shape conforms with the threshold hypothesis which states that, at equilibrium, the combined effects of gravity and flow-ind...

[1] The present study examines variations in the reference shear stress for bed load transport (tr) using coupled measurements of flow and bed load transport in 45 gravel-bed streams and rivers. The study streams encompass a wide range in bank-full discharge (1–2600 m/s), average channel gradient (0.0003–0.05), and median surface grain size (0.027–0.21 m). A bed load transport relation was form...

[1] Migrating bed forms strongly influence hydraulics, transport, and habitat in river environments. Their dynamics are exceedingly complex, making it difficult to predict their geometry and their interaction with sediment transport. Acoustic instrumentation now permits high-resolution observations of bed elevation as well as flow velocity. We present a space-time characterization of bed elevat...

Flow-rate measurement in rivers under different conditions is required for river management purposes including water resources planning, pollution prevention, and flood control. This study proposed a new discharge estimation method by using a mean velocity derived from a 2D velocity distribution formula based on Tsallis entropy concept. This procedure is done based on several factors which refl...