Streamflow and sediment transport in the Quillayute River basin, Washington

Nelson, L.M.

doi:10.3133/ofr82627

Cited by 3 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…On the Bogachiel River, Nelson's (1982) primary SSC monitoring site was the lower Bogachiel River, in contrast to recent monitoring focused on the Bogachiel River (Figure 1). While Nelson reports 1977 and 1978 annual load estimates for the Bogachiel River site, the site was distinguished from others in the study as only having ‘miscellaneous SSC measurements’ and no 1970s SSC measurements or rating curve information are provided in the report or USGS archives.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…SSC data were previously collected across the Calawah and Bogachiel watersheds between 1975 and 1979 (Nelson, 1982), allowing us to compare contemporary and historical sediment conditions in both watersheds. The comparison methods below attempt to isolate the impact of changing SSC–discharge relations on suspended‐sediment loads, holding discharge constant, similar to analyses presented in Safeeq et al (2020).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here, we assess how SSC in the modern era compares against those of the late 1970s (Nelson, 1982) in two adjacent and similarly sized (~300 km 2 ) watersheds in the western Olympic Mountains of Washington State. We treat this as an imperfect paired‐watershed study, with the Calawah River acting as the treatment basin and the Bogachiel River acting as the control; the Calawah River watershed has experienced significant land‐cover disturbance, including a large 1951 fire, extensive post‐fire salvage logging, and relatively high rates of clearcutting through the 1990s (O'Connor & Cundy, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Changes in suspended‐sediment yields under divergent land‐cover disturbance histories: A comparison of two large watersheds, Olympic Mountains, USA

Jaeger

Anderson

Dunn

2023

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Improvements in timber harvest practices and reductions in harvest volumes over the past half century are commonly presumed to have reduced sediment loads in many western US rivers. However, direct assessments in larger watersheds are relatively sparse. Here, we compare 2019-21 sediment concentrations against those of the late 1970s in the Bogachiel and Calawah River watersheds, adjacent and similarly sized ($300 km 2 ) basins in the western Olympic Mountains of Washington State. The Calawah River watershed has experienced significant land-cover disturbance, including a large 1951 fire, extensive post-fire salvage logging, and relatively high rates of timber harvest through the 1990s. In contrast, the Bogachiel River watershed did not burn, and experienced only modest timber harvest that largely post-dated 1970s sediment monitoring. Channel-width trends suggest the Calawah River was still recovering from 1950s disturbances in the late 1970s. We found that 2019-21 suspended-sediment loads in the Calawah River were 2.3-2.6 times lower than would have been expected based on 1970s sediment rating curves, while recent loads in the Bogachiel River were a factor of 1.4 ± 1.0 lower. We consider the plausibility and possible explanations of declining concentrations in the less-disturbed Bogachiel River. Suspended-sediment yields in the Bogachiel River were two times higher than yields in the Calawah River, which is attributed to a combination of modestly higher precipitation, more efficient runoff generation, and more extensive and erodible Quaternary valley fills in the Bogachiel River. Regional shifts in flood hydrology have also influenced suspended-sediment loads in both watersheds. Our results then document a significant decline in suspended-sediment concentrations in the Calawah River over the past half century. Reduced land-cover disturbance provides the simplest and most likely explanation for this decline, though the wide range of possible concentration changes in the Bogachiel River leaves open possibilities that other processes (human, natural, or methodologic) could be a factor.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Changes in suspended‐sediment yields under divergent land‐cover disturbance histories: A comparison of two large watersheds, Olympic Mountains, USA

Jaeger

Anderson

Dunn

2023

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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show abstract

“…The following discussion is based on data from two water-quality samplings during low streamflow, on August 25, 1976, andOctober 5, 1977, and on intermittent temperature readings taken in conjunction with sediment sampling in 1976 and 1977 by Nelson (1982).…”

Section: Bogachiel Rivermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The sediment and streamflow aspects of the entire study were dealt with in a report by Nelson (1982). Objective 6 was met by a letter to and a meeting with the Tribal Council.…”

Section: Introduction Purpose and Scopementioning

confidence: 99%