Channel dynamics and geomorphic resilience in an ephemeral Mediterranean river affected by gravel mining

Calle, Mikel; Alho, Petteri; Benito, Gerardo

doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2017.02.026

Cited by 103 publications

(43 citation statements)

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“…The river, well connected to the headwater sediment sources, had a wider active channel, with larger gravel bars, a typical wandering pattern, and significant mobility, surely stimulated by the floods of 1946 and 1948. Serpis' forms and dynamics were very similar to other gravel‐bed rivers in the region, in which, in the absence of direct human impacts, a slight grass colonisation of gravel bars is observed during the same period (Calle, Alho, & Benito, ; Sanchis‐Ibor et al, ; Segura‐Beltrán & Sanchis‐Ibor, ). This slight reduction of the active channel can be attributed to the short dry period 1952–1956, because herbaceous colonisation takes place rapidly in these environments in absence of floods (Hooke, ; Sanchis‐Ibor et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

Channel forms and vegetation adjustment to damming in a Mediterranean gravel‐bed river (Serpis River, Spain)

Ibor

Beltrán

Navarro‐Gómez

2018

River Research & Apps

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This paper focuses on the analysis of changes observed in channel morphology in the Serpis River (Alicante, Spain), a gravel‐bed river dammed since 1958. The paper analyses flow series and several aerial images, prior and subsequent to dam construction, to analyse changes in channel morphology and vegetation colonisation using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) techniques. Results show a concatenation of morphological changes throughout an adjustment sequence (60 years), which started with the transformation from wandering to single thread channel pattern, was followed by a slow vegetation encroachment, and culminated with the stabilization of channel migration. The role of vegetation (particularly Salicaceae species) has been critical in controlling floods' effectiveness, reducing river mobility and shifting, and consolidating a channel planform model adapted to the post‐dam flow conditions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

Channel forms and vegetation adjustment to damming in a Mediterranean gravel‐bed river (Serpis River, Spain)

Ibor

Beltrán

Navarro‐Gómez

2018

River Research & Apps

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“…The degree of channel incision ranged considerably, from 0.5 to 3.5 m (Dang, Umeda, & Yuhi, 2014), up to 10 m (Calle, Alho, & Benito, 2017;Skalski et al, 2016;Moretto et al, 2014;Gumiero, Rinaldi, Belletti, Lenzi, & Puppi, 2015) to over 30 m in the Bachang River in Taiwan (Huang, Liao, Pan, & Cheng, 2014). Substantial channel incision was generally associated with channel narrowing linked to bank erosion due to over steepening and destabilization of banks (Ortega-Becerril, Garzón, Béjar-Pizarro, & Martínez-Díaz, 2016;Campana et al, 2014).…”

Section: Abiotic Impacts To River Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of riverine sand mining on freshwater ecosystems: A review of the scientific evidence and guidance for future research

Koehnken¹,

Rintoul

Goichot³

et al. 2020

River Research & Apps

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Sand mining (used here as a generic term that includes mining of any riverine aggregates regardless of particle size) is a global activity that is receiving increasing media attention due to perceived negative environmental and social impacts. As calls grow for stronger regulation of mining, there is a need to understand the scientific evidence to support effective management. This paper summarizes the results of a structured literature review addressing the question, “What evidence is there of impacts of sand mining on ecosystem structure, process, and biodiversity in rivers, floodplains, and estuaries?” The review found that most investigations have focused on temperate rivers where sand mining occurred historically but has now ceased. Channel incision was the most common physical impact identified; other physical responses, including habitat disturbance, alteration of riparian zones, and changes to downstream sediment transport, were highly variable and dependant on river characteristics. Ecosystem attributes affected included macroinvertebrate drift, fish movements, species abundance and community structures, and food web dynamics. Studies often inferred impacts on populations, but supporting data were scarce. Limited evidence suggests that rivers can sustain extraction if volumes are within the natural sediment load variability. Significantly, the countries and rivers for which there is science‐based evidence related to sand mining are not those where extensive sand mining is currently reported. The lack of scientific and systematic studies of sand mining in these countries prevents accurate quantification of mined volumes or the type, extent, and magnitude of any impacts. Additional research into how sand mining is affecting ecosystem services, impacting biodiversity and particularly threatened species, and how mining impacts interact with other activities or threats is urgently required.

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“…This agrees with the observations made in Calle et al . (), which revealed a continuous exhumation of rocks and older materials 30 years after the discontinuation of intensive in‐stream gravel mining. This finding supports a long‐term self‐adjustment of streams affected by gravel mining, especially as a consequence of the local erosion and remobilization of sediment at the reach scale.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inferring sediment transfers and functional connectivity of rivers from repeat topographic surveys

Calle

Alho

et al. 2020

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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High‐resolution topographic models have revolutionized monitoring of river changes by comparing sequential river topographic surveys (i.e. change detection). Nevertheless, much more may be obtained from this innovative quantification of changes. In this paper, we enhance the interpretation of geomorphic processes by presenting a new method for understanding of sources and sinks of sediment, river sediment transfers and functional sediment connectivity. Repeat digital elevation models (DEMs) obtained by photogrammetry were used to quantify topographic change after two floods by creating a DEM of difference (DoD) of a 6.5 km‐long reach of Rambla de la Viuda stream, an ephemeral gravel‐bed river in eastern Spain. The proposed method involved dividing the channel into 10 m‐long longitudinal strips that were used to systematically draw boundaries between the erosional and depositional areas of the DoD. The analysis objectively: (i) drew a series of erosional and depositional segments, from 120 to 1360 m in length; (ii) estimated ranges of source‐to‐storage sediment transport distances, 320–670 m in the upstream and middle reaches and up to 2030 m in the lower reach; and (iii) obtained values of functional connectivity (i.e. the ratio between the sediment exported (erosion) and retained (deposition), ranging from 103 to 10−3). The variability in these three parameters along the river was found to be related to the level of channel disturbance by in‐stream mining during the 1990s and 2000s. Additionally, this method indicates that the main process responsible for self‐adjustment of the present morphosedimentary conditions is intra‐reach erosion of banks and channel beds. Thus, this study proposes a new methodology to characterize morphological change, sediment transfer and connectivity that may serve as environmental indicators of the hydromorphological integrity of rivers with potential application to the European Water Framework Directive. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Channel dynamics and geomorphic resilience in an ephemeral Mediterranean river affected by gravel mining

Cited by 103 publications

References 50 publications

Channel forms and vegetation adjustment to damming in a Mediterranean gravel‐bed river (Serpis River, Spain)

Channel forms and vegetation adjustment to damming in a Mediterranean gravel‐bed river (Serpis River, Spain)

Impacts of riverine sand mining on freshwater ecosystems: A review of the scientific evidence and guidance for future research

Inferring sediment transfers and functional connectivity of rivers from repeat topographic surveys

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