Channel Gradients Above Gully-Control Structures

Woolhiser, David A.; Lenz, Arno T.

doi:10.1061/jyceaj.0001236

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Polyakov et al, 2014) where the sediment accumulation dynamic behind check dams was monitored over a 10 year period. This finding confirms the suggestion by (Woolhiser & Lenz, 1965) that prediction equations developed for one region are not necessarily applicable in another.…”

Section: Channel Profile and Check Dam Characteristicssupporting

confidence: 91%

Determining sediment deposition dynamics influenced by check dams in a semi‐arid mountainous watershed

Polyakov,

Nichols,

Cavanaugh

2024

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Semi‐arid environments are characterized by infrequent large magnitude rainfalls that produce flash flood events with high sediment concentration. Control structures such as check dams are widely used in this environment for mitigation. However, their impact on the overall sediment balance of watersheds, particularly those severely affected by anthropogenic activity, is sparsely documented. This study used topographic measurements, sediment analysis, and fallout isotope techniques to assess the effectiveness and service life of 18 rock and masonry check dams that were constructed in the 1930s for controlling sediment fluxes in an 11 ha mountainous watershed in southern Arizona. All of the dams are currently filled with sediment resulting in reduction of local channel gradients by 35 to 71% to between 0.04 and 0.28 depending on location within the reach. Sedimentation occurred over multiple decades at a relatively slow average rate of 0.59 t ha−1 y−1 indicating low instantaneous retention efficiency. The smaller headwater dams were filled soon after construction; however, their share of the overall storage capacity was minor. Although evaluation of 137Cs was an effective method for dating sediment, the 210Pb dating method was not satisfactory because of sediment sorting effects and complex deposition patterns. The abundance of similar control structures in the region points to the opportunity to better understand the process impacts of check dams over multiple decades to inform planning and design of their use in future mitigation projects.

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Section: Channel Profile and Check Dam Characteristicssupporting

confidence: 91%

Determining sediment deposition dynamics influenced by check dams in a semi‐arid mountainous watershed

Polyakov,

Nichols,

Cavanaugh

2024

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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“…Drainage density, more specifically, contains approximately the channel geometric variability from upstream to downstream, on which the average width of the check dam system depends. The current mean slope (S c ) of the hydrographic network, as a result of channels regulation, is related to the original slope (S o ), according to the formula (4): this relationship, observed by several authors through many experimental works over the world (Woolhiser and Lenz 1965;Ferro 2002), allowed us to consider only S c when calculating the average height of the check dam system h CDm (Eq. 5, Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…total height of the structures and the channels morphology (slope, width, shape, etc. ); (e) all else equal, if the check dam system is composed of structures having the same height; its total storage capacity will be lower where the channel slope is higher; (f) the check dam system determines the current S c of the hydrographic network; (g) S c can be expressed as a function of S o through the following equation, as reported by several authors (Woolhiser and Lenz 1965;Della Lucia and Fattorelli 1981;Ferro 2002): where Sc is the (current) compensation mean slope (post-operam), S o is the original slope (ante-operam) and k is a coefficient which varies from 0.55 to 0.77, to which a value of about 0.66 can be attributed (Piton and Recking 2014). Being S o = 3/2 S c , it is possible to express Δh i as a function of S c only; to this point, it is reasonable to use the following formula to determine the average value of the height of the check dams ( h CDm ):…”

Section: Search For the Relations At Watershed Level Between The Calc...mentioning

confidence: 96%

A method for estimating stored sediment volumes by check dam systems at the watershed level: example of an application in a Mediterranean environment

et al. 2022

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Purpose In this paper a quick, easy and accessible methodology to estimate the sediment volume trapped behind a fully filled check dam system is proposed. As it is well known, check dams play an important role in the sediment balance between watershed and coastline. However, on a large scale, especially in those contexts where a great number of structures was installed, detailed surveys and measurements of sediment storage capacity would be extremely time-consuming and costly in terms of both economic efforts and human resources. Methods To this aim, the proposed method considers only four easy-to-obtain morphometric parameters to combine with the number of check dams. The method was calibrated on a sample of 912 check dams located in seven long-term studied watersheds and, therefore, validated in a sample of three regulated Spanish catchments with an independent dataset. Results At watershed level, the comparison between the calculated and estimated values showed a good capability of the method in evaluating the sediment volume trapped by the 912 studied check dams (RMSE ≈ 16,900 m3; R2 > 0.9). The validation revealed encouraging results with estimation errors below 25%. Conclusion The use of this accessible and easily usable method could represent a supporting tool for planning, monitoring and assessment of the environmental effects of control works. Moreover, these results are useful to carry out actions aimed to mitigate natural hazard and environmental as well as socio-economic problems of the watershed-coast system (e.g. shoreline retreat and morphological instability of the urban and tourist areas).

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Gullying and erosion control at archaeological sites in Grand Canyon, Arizona

Pederson

Petersen

Dierker

2006

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Gully erosion of cultural sites in Grand Canyon National Park is an urgent management problem that has intensified in recent decades, potentially related to the effects of Glen Canyon Dam. We studied 25 gullies at nine sites in Grand Canyon over the 2002 monsoonerosion season to better understand the geomorphology of the gully erosion and the effectiveness of erosion-control structures (ECS) installed by the park under the direction of the Zuni Conservation Program. Field results indicate that Hortonian overland flow leads to concentrated flow in gullies and erosion focused at knickpoints along channels as well as at gully heads. Though groundcover type, soil shear strength and permeability vary systematically across catchments, gradient and, to a lesser degree, contributing drainage area seem to be the first-order controls on gully extent, location of new knickpoints, and ECS damage. The installed ECS do reduce erosion relative to reaches without them and initial data suggest woody checkdams are preferable to rock linings, but maintenance is essential because damaged structures can exacerbate erosion.Topographic data from intensive field surveys and detailed photogrammetry provide slopecontributing area data for gully heads that have a trend consistent with previous empirical and theoretical formulations from a variety of landscapes. The same scaling holds below gully heads for knickpoint and ECS topographic data, with threshold coefficients the lowest for gully heads, slightly higher for knickpoints, and notably higher for damaged ECS. These topographic thresholds were used with 10-cm digital elevation models to create simple predictive models for gully extent and structure damage. The model predictions accounted for the observed gullies but there are also many false-positives. Purely topographical models are probably inadequate at this scale and application, but models that also parameterize the variable soil properties across sites would be useful for predicting erosion problems and ECS failure.

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Channel Gradients Above Gully-Control Structures

Cited by 10 publications

References 0 publications

Determining sediment deposition dynamics influenced by check dams in a semi‐arid mountainous watershed

Determining sediment deposition dynamics influenced by check dams in a semi‐arid mountainous watershed

A method for estimating stored sediment volumes by check dam systems at the watershed level: example of an application in a Mediterranean environment

Gullying and erosion control at archaeological sites in Grand Canyon, Arizona

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