Channel incision by headcut migration: Reconnection of the Colorado River to its estuary and the Gulf of California during the floods of 1979–1988

Abstract

The macrotidal Colorado River Delta at the northern end of the Gulf of California in Mexico is hydrologically complex. We review historical accounts, data, field notes and photographs to evaluate the hydrological processes active on the delta prior to the advent of upstream dams. We also employ satellite imagery as well as recent LIDAR data to illustrate the critical role played by headcut erosion in restoring the river's fluvial/tidewater connection during the 1979-1988 floods. Prior to human manipulation, the river's contribution of fresh water to the Gulf was periodically interrupted by natural overflowing, avulsing, and flooding into the sub-sea level Salton Sink on the north slope of the delta plain. River flow south towards the Gulf was also subject to occasional overflow into Laguna Salada, another sub-sea level basin. In the mid-20th century, the Delta

Introduction to ‘A tribute to Edward P. Glenn (1947–2017): A legacy of scientific environmental assessment and applications in hydrological processes’

“…The last contribution under the Colorado River Delta section is by Nelson et al (2020) and is a review of the hydrologically complex macrotidal delta. The authors give a comprehensive overview with historical imagery to show channel incision by headcut migration.…”