Notes On Lecture # 1 Slides

Lecture # 1 Introduction to Sediment Transport
Slide 15
Bed forms: Accumulation of sediments forming a heap of sediment on the river
bed is called as bed form.
Slide 16
We will discuss each of the them one by one in later slides.
Slide 17
Human’s and other biota have adapted to a river’s historical condition, and a
change in that condition (more or less sediment) invariably creates problems.
Too Much Sediments:

Raised flood profile:
Obviously heavy sediment deposits will raise the beds of the rivers and streams
resulting in the raised flood profiles.
Reduces underwater light:
High suspended sediment concentration in rivers and streams will increase the
turbidity and can prevent light from reaching submerged vegetation and affect the
aquatic life.
Decreased capacity of hydraulic structures:
Highly sediment concentrated flows will obviously deposit/accumulate the
sediments in hydraulic structures such as irrigation channels, flumes, falls and
reservoirs etc, thus decreasing the capacity of these structures. The effects of
reservoir sedimentation often go unnoticed until a dam outlet or reservoir water
intake are plugged.
Too little Sediments :
Channel incision:The process of downcutting into a stream channel leading to a
decrease in the channel bed elevation. Incision is often caused by a decrease in
sediment supply and/or an increase in sediment transport capacity. A decrease in
base level can cause headcutting that migrates upstream and produces incision
upstream and initiating aggradation downstream.
Delta loss:
The outer subaqueous delta is more sensitive to decline in river sediment load in
contrast with the inner subaqueous delta. The deposit rate decreases more rapidly
than the river sediment discharge because the amount of sediment transporting out
of the delta is not decreasing. This would result in a general delta recession.
A subaqueous delta plain is located entirely below sea level, and marine
processes dominate the system. This part of the delta is responsible for the
topographic bulge seen on the continental shelf seaward of channels that flow
across the exposed delta plains.
Scour at hydraulic structures:
Sediments deposited in less quantity at the abutments/ piers of the bridges etc can
easily be eroded by the river/stream flow thus causes damage to the structures.
In addition, too little sediment deposition can lead to the erosion of riverbanks
and coastal areas, causing land loss and destroying the nearshore habitats.
Slide 18
As discussed in previous slide that excessive levels of suspended load tend to have
negative impacts on aquatic life. Suspended sediment can prevent light from
reaching submerged vegetation and clog fish gills. If a body of water is continually
exposed to high levels of sediment transport, it may encourage more sensitive
species to leave the area, while silt-tolerant organisms move in.
On the other hand, too little sediment transport can lead to nutrient depletion in
floodplains and marshes, diminishing the habitat and vegetative growth. While
water clarity is often indicated as a benchmark of water quality, low amounts of
turbidity can protect aquatic species from attack of the other aquatic species.
While if there are excessive input of nutrients into our waters that causes rapid
increase in populations of harmful toxin-producing algae (toxic algal blooms) that
lead to fish kills and human illness.
A substrate is the surface on which an organism (such as a plant, fungus, or
animal) lives. A substrate can include biotic or abiotic materials and animals. For
example, covering algae that lives on a rock (its substrate) can be itself a substrate
for an animal that lives on top of the algae. So sediment transport obviously disturb
such surfaces and results in causing issues for the organisms that are dependent to
these substrates.
Slide 19
The sediment transport causes alteration in watersheds and channels changing the
geomorphology of land and rivers.
Morphology
Study of a particular shape or a structure, while
Geomorphology
is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them.
Fluvial geomorphology treats the morphology (study of forms, structures) of
rivers and river systems.
As geology is concerned with the history of earth through billions of years, the
geomophologist views the fluvial landscape in historical perspective.
This is observed that fluvial or river system is highly unstable because
They change their courses
Change their elevations/slopes
Change their forms/shapes (cross-sections)
The sediment depositing in this delta shown in the figure was eroded from some
upstream site, transported down the river to this site, and deposited where the
channel enters the backwater because of the low energy environment in the
backwater.
Slide 21
Channel incision:
Already discussed in the previous slides that it is the process of down-cutting into a
stream channel leading to a decrease in the channel bed elevation and usually
caused by a decrease in sediment supply or an increase in sediment transport
capacity. A decrease in base level can cause head-cutting that migrates upstream
and produces incision (score) upstream and initiating aggradation downstream.
Channel deepening may result from channel incision or river metamorphosis.
• Lowering of water stages associated with given discharges indicates channel
incision.
• Hydraulic importance of river incision by a given absolute amount increases with
decreasing river size.
• Hydraulic effects of channel incision depend on lateral stability/mobility of an
incising river.
Slide 22
Sediment plugs always occurred in alluvial rivers at the location of a constriction
that abruptly forces a significant portion of flow overbank. A sediment plug is the
accumulation of sediment in a river reach that completely blocks the original
channel resulting in plug growth upstream by sediment deposit and flooding in
surrounding areas. Sediment plugs historically form over relatively short periods,
in many cases a matter of weeks. Although sediment plugs are much more
common in reach constrictions associated with large woody debris, the mouths of
tributaries, and along coastal regions, here we focuses on sediment plug formation
in an alluvial river. Sediment plug formation is a costly and dangerous
phenomenon, especially in large alluvial rivers.
Slide 24
Gully erosion is caused when run-off concentrates and flows at a velocity sufficient
to detach and transport soil particles. A waterfall may form, with run-off picking up
energy as it plunges over the gully head. Splash back at the base of the gully head
erodes the subsoil and the gully eats its way up the slope.
Soil eroded from the gullied area can cause siltation of fence lines, waterways,
road culverts, dams and reservoirs.
Controlling gully erosion can be difficult and costly. It may be justified on better
quality soils where there is a reasonable chance of success or where a road or
building is threatened by an advancing gully. However, controlling gullies over
large areas of poor soils may be impracticable. For this reason prevention is far
better than control.
Slide 25
Floodplains are formed in two ways: by erosion and by aggradation.
1. An erosional floodplain is created as a stream cuts vertically and laterally
into its channel and banks.
2. Aggradation is the term used in geology for the increase in land
elevation due to the deposition of sediment. Aggradation occurs in areas
in which the supply of sediment is greater than the amount of material
that the system is able to transport. So when aggradation occurs the land
elevation increases and thus the water level increases and causes
floodplain.
Wherever the velocity of the river water is reduced, some of the load is deposited;
a decrease in turbulence may also bring about the same effect. The heavier and
coarser materials are first deposited followed by fine silt and mud. It is not only
confined to the lower course, it can even occur on the upper course, but here it is
temporary and can be removed sooner or later.
• Floodplains can support particularly rich ecosystem, both in quantity and
diversity.
• A floodplains can contain 100 or even 1000 times as many species as
rivers.
• Wetting of the floodplains soil release an immediate surge of nutrients:
those left over from the last flood, and those that result from the rapid
decomposition of organic matter that has accumulated since then.
• It has importance because of storage and conveyance, protecting of water
quality and recharge of ground water.
• This makes floodplains particularly valuable for agriculture and support
forest and livelihoods.
Slide 26
• FRM: Flood Risk Management
Slide 27
This flood of record probably caused direct erosion of the bank

Note Railway Rail tracks hanging
Slide 29
Significant migration occurred in the 37-year period between these two
photographs. i.e 1966 and 2003
The flood of record in 2002, caused significant floodplain erosion in this highly
altered river reach
Slide 31
1. Many channelized reaches of rivers were oversized resulting in lower

velocities and sediment deposition. They essentially became sinks for
upstream sediment sources.
2. This agricultural levee break resulted in deposition of sand on the farmer’s
field.
Slide 33
Minnesota River Overflow just west of Granite Falls, Minnesota (MN) State
USA.
In 1997 the roadway failed upstream redirecting main channel flow into the
overflow channel.
District Bridge Inspector observed scour making measurements with a sonar
device, visible signs of structural distress (deck vibrating and riprap eroded) noted
prior to failure.
Slide 34
Bridge upstream which was used to catch debris, washed out.
Slide 35
A combination of techniques usually is needed to establish multiple lines of

evidence.

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Lecture # 1 Introduction to Sediment Transport

Too Much Sediments:

• FRM: Flood Risk Management

This flood of record probably caused direct erosion of the bank

1. Many channelized reaches of rivers were oversized resulting in lower

Bridge upstream which was used to catch debris, washed out.

A combination of techniques usually is needed to establish multiple lines of

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