American River Watershed Conferencecwam.ucdavis.edu/Workshops_06/ARWC_pdfs/GINNEY... · What is...
Transcript of American River Watershed Conferencecwam.ucdavis.edu/Workshops_06/ARWC_pdfs/GINNEY... · What is...
American River Watershed Conference
Watershed Scale Assessment: Geomorphology
Eric M. Ginney, MS
What is Geomorphology?
• Geomorphology attempts to explain features found and processes operating upon the surface of the Earth.
– Sub-types/Special Environments: Hillslope Processes, Fluvial, Coastal, Glacial, & Volcanic
ge·o·mor·phol·o·gy [ jē·ō·mör′fäl·ə·jē ]
Geomorphology in Watershed Assessment:
– Describing the processes that move water, sediment, and organic matter through a watershed.
– Linking the disciplines of hydrology, geology, and ecology with the practice of adaptive management.
Geomorphology in Watershed Assessment is not:
• a list of landforms
•a list of processes
An understanding of how these processes function in a watershed as the underlying foundation for
ecological processes and “human infrastructure benefits.”
Geomorphology in Watershed Assessment is:
•Ecological Processes (and benefits)
Important “Human Infrastructure Benefits” or “Ecosystem Capital” Clean water: Is it Magic?
Is it Magic? No, it’s Geomorphic ProcessErosion Processes: Raindrop impacts, dry ravel, mass failures, wind erosion (aeolian), stream erosion (fluvial)
Sediment Transport Processes:
Colluvial motion, landsliding, debris flows, stream/river transport (fluvial)
Sediment Deposition: on
hillslope, in channel, on floodplain
Rainfall-Runoff
With Roads
Without RoadsQt
time
Volumetric Effect Timing
Effect
Basin Hydrograph
Management and Process Collide: Stream “Diversion Potential” on Roads
Pow!
“Watershed Capture” via Diversion Potential
A Geomorphic Assessment Tool: Sediment Budgets
SourceTransport
Deposition
Sediment Budgeting of:
• Volumes
•Processes
•Rates / Yields (volume/ unit area/ unit time)
(tons/mile2/year)
Adapted from Reid and Dunne, 1996
Conceptual Sediment Budgets
05
101520253035404550
Road-RelatedShallow
Landsliding
RoadSurfaceErosion
HillslopeShallow
Landsliding
DeepSeated
Landsliding
Soil Creep BackgroundHillslopeSurfaceErosion
Hills
lope
Ero
sion
(%)
Selected Results: A Budget for Hillslope Sediment Sources
Another Conceptual Sediment Budget
Adapted from Reid and Dunne, 1996
Transport through River Reaches / Systems
Lessons from Developed (ing) Watersheds
Impervious Surfaces+
Vegetation+
Grading and SoilCompaction
+Construction of drainage
facilities =
Hydromodification is……the change in the runoff hydrograph from an area due
to development.
Altered Hydrograph Processes
Urbanization tends to increase stormwater runoff:
peak flows
volume
frequency
Key Altered Geomorphic Processes
1. Intensifies sediment transport and erosion processes
2. Observed as excessive erosion, incision and widening
Channel Incision
Downstream Deposition
Why? Because of Altered Processes.
Effects on Rivers and Creeks
Questions