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Sand transport in the Colorado River in Marble and Grand canyons was naturally limited by the upstream supply of sand. Prior to the 1963 closure of Glen Canyon Dam, the river exhibited the following four effects of sand supply limitation: (1) hysteresis in sediment concentration, (2) hysteresis in sediment grain size coupled to the hysteresis in sediment concentration, (3) production of inversely graded flood deposits, and (4) development or modification of a lag between the time of a flood peak and the time of either maximum or minimum (depending on reach geometry) bed elevation. Construction and operation of the dam has enhanced the degree to which the first two of these four effects are evident, and has not affected...
In settings where the transport of sand is partially or fully supply limited, changes in the upstream supply of sand are coupled to changes in the grain size of sand on the bed. In this manner, the transport of sand under the supply-limited case is ‘grain-size regulated’. Since the closure of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963, the downstream reach of the Colorado River in Marble and Grand Canyons has exhibited evidence of sand-supply limitation. Sand transport in the river is now approximately equally regulated by changes in the discharge of water and changes in the grain sizes of sand on the channel bed and eddy sandbars. Previous work has shown that changes in the grain size of sand on the bed of the channel (driven by...
Sand transport in the Colorado River in Marble and Grand canyons was naturally limited by the upstream supply of sand. Prior to the 1963 closure of Glen Canyon Dam, the river exhibited the following four effects of sand supply limitation: (1) hysteresis in sediment concentration, (2) hysteresis in sediment grain size coupled to the hysteresis in sediment concentration, (3) production of inversely graded flood deposits, and (4) development or modification of a lag between the time of a flood peak and the time of either maximum or minimum (depending on reach geometry) bed elevation. Construction and operation of the dam has enhanced the degree to which the first two of these four effects are evident, and has not affected...
In settings where the transport of sand is partially or fully supply limited, changes in the upstream supply of sand are coupled to changes in the grain size of sand on the bed. In this manner, the transport of sand under the supply-limited case is ?grain-size regulated?. Since the closure of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963, the downstream reach of the Colorado River in Marble and Grand Canyons has exhibited evidence of sand-supply limitation. Sand transport in the river is now approximately equally regulated by changes in the discharge of water and changes in the grain sizes of sand on the channel bed and eddy sandbars. Previous work has shown that changes in the grain size of sand on the bed of the channel (driven by...
In the White River basin, water demand has increased with human development. Water development projects impact White River hydrology and sediment transport which can, in turn, affect resident Colorado pikeminnow populations. The objectives for this study were: 1) to compile historical biological, hydrological and physical data for the White River, 2) to analyze physical, chemical and biological features of the White River important to endangered fishes and, 3) to identify parameters for long-term monitoring to insure these features are maintained. We examined physical, chemical and biological characteristics during three development periods in the UCRB: early (1895-1945), middle (1946-1984) and post Taylor Draw...
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Suspended sediment, sediment-associated, total trace element, phosphorus (P), and total organic carbon (TOC) fluxes were determined for the Mississippi, Columbia, Rio Grande, and Colorado Basins for the study period (the 1996, 1997, and 1998 water years) as part of the US Geological Survey's redesigned National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) programme. The majority (≥70%) of Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Ba, P, As, Fe, Mn, and Al are transported in association with suspended sediment; Sr transport seems dominated by the dissolved phase, whereas the transport of Li and TOC seems to be divided equally between both phases. Average dissolved trace element levels are markedly lower than reported during the original NASQAN...
High suspended sediment loads and the resulting turbidity can impact the use of surface waters for water supply and other designated uses. Changes in fluvial sediment loads influence material fluxes, aquatic geochemistry, water quality, channel morphology, and aquatic habitats. Therefore, quantifying spatial and temporal patterns in sediment loads is important both for understanding and predicting soil erosion and sediment transport processes as well as watershed-scale management of sediment and associated pollutants. A case study from the 891 km2 Cannonsville watershed, one of the major watersheds in the New York City water supply system is presented. The objective of this study was to apply Soil and Water Assessment...
Mining activities in the Blue River Basin, Summit County, Colorado, have affected the trace- element chemistry and biota along French Gulch and the Blue River. Elevated concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn were present in the bed and suspended sediments. Bed sediment trace-element concentrations were high in the streams in and near mining activities in the basin and remained high as water flowed into Dillon Reservoir about 3.5 km downstream. Bed-sediment ( < 63 mm) data were useful in assessing the distribution of trace elements in the basin. Suspended-sediment measurements provided information as to the transport of the trace elements. Filtered ( < 0.45 mm) water- column trace-element concentrations were orders...
Alluvial reaches of the Colorado River near Grand Junction, Colorado, provide important habitat for the endangered Colorado squawfish (Ptychocheilus lucius) and razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus). Populations of these native fishes have declined dramatically in the past several decades, a situation that is often attributed to the hydrological and ecological effects of upstream reservoir operations. This report summarizes research done over the last five years to evaluate the importance of historical changes in streamflow and sediment loads on alluvial reaches of the Colorado River near Grand Junction. In addition, we describe recent changes in the geomorphology of the Colorado River and address the question of...
The suspended sediment load carried by rivers is highly variable in space and time. On a given river, the suspended sediment load is generally related to the discharge. However, at any given discharge on a specific river the suspended sediment load can vary by a couple of orders of magnitude. The temporal variations can be due to many factors including: varying water sources through a season (i.e., rain versus snowmelt), variability in the amount of easily mobilized sediment stored in the channel, changing channel morphology due to intermittent events or changing climate, and variations in erosional processes supplying sediment to the river. Many studies have looked at the causes of the temporal variability in suspended...
    map background search result map search result map Annual suspended sediment and trace element fluxes in the Mississippi, Columbia, Colorado, and Rio Grande drainage basins Annual suspended sediment and trace element fluxes in the Mississippi, Columbia, Colorado, and Rio Grande drainage basins