Channel geometry of mountain streams in New Zealand

Ellen E. Wohl; Andrew Wilcox

doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2004.06.006

Channel geometry of mountain streams in New Zealand

Ellen E. Wohl
, Andrew Wilcox

Geosciences

Colorado State University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

109 Scopus citations

Abstract

A dataset of 21 study reaches in the Porter and Kowai rivers (eastern side of the South Island), and 13 study reaches in Camp Creek and adjacent catchments (western side of the South Island) was used to examine downstream hydraulic geometry of mountain streams in New Zealand. Streams in the eastern and western regions both exhibit well-developed downstream hydraulic geometry, as indicated by strong correlations between channel top width, bankfull depth, mean velocity, and bankfull discharge. Exponents for the hydraulic geometry relations are similar to average values for rivers worldwide. Factors such as colluvial sediment input to the channels, colluvial processes along the channels, tectonic uplift, and discontinuous bedrock exposure along the channels might be expected to complicate adjustment of channel geometry to downstream increases in discharge. The presence of well-developed downstream hydraulic geometry relations despite these complicating factors is interpreted to indicate that the ratio of hydraulic driving forces to substrate resisting forces is sufficiently large to permit channel adjustment to relatively frequent discharges.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	252-266
Number of pages	15
Journal	Journal of Hydrology
Volume	300
Issue number	1-4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2004.06.006
State	Published - Jan 10 2005

Funding

This research was supported by NSF grant INT-0215134. Many individuals provided logistical support that made the field work in New Zealand possible. We would particularly like to thank Tim Davies, Alyson Gardner, Chris Gibson, Rick Diehl, and the staff of the Natural Resources Engineering Group at Lincoln University; Stewart Gunn of Brooksdale Station; Uli Diensenbaecher and staff at the Porter Heights Skifield; Ian Payton of Landcare Research; Bruce Harrison of New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; and Maurice Duncan at NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd). The comments of two anonymous reviewers improved the manuscript.

Funder number
INT-0215134

Keywords

Channel adjustment
Downstream hydraulic geometry
Mountain streams
Multiple regression analyses

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10.1016/j.jhydrol.2004.06.006

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abstract = "A dataset of 21 study reaches in the Porter and Kowai rivers (eastern side of the South Island), and 13 study reaches in Camp Creek and adjacent catchments (western side of the South Island) was used to examine downstream hydraulic geometry of mountain streams in New Zealand. Streams in the eastern and western regions both exhibit well-developed downstream hydraulic geometry, as indicated by strong correlations between channel top width, bankfull depth, mean velocity, and bankfull discharge. Exponents for the hydraulic geometry relations are similar to average values for rivers worldwide. Factors such as colluvial sediment input to the channels, colluvial processes along the channels, tectonic uplift, and discontinuous bedrock exposure along the channels might be expected to complicate adjustment of channel geometry to downstream increases in discharge. The presence of well-developed downstream hydraulic geometry relations despite these complicating factors is interpreted to indicate that the ratio of hydraulic driving forces to substrate resisting forces is sufficiently large to permit channel adjustment to relatively frequent discharges.",

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note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by NSF grant INT-0215134. Many individuals provided logistical support that made the field work in New Zealand possible. We would particularly like to thank Tim Davies, Alyson Gardner, Chris Gibson, Rick Diehl, and the staff of the Natural Resources Engineering Group at Lincoln University; Stewart Gunn of Brooksdale Station; Uli Diensenbaecher and staff at the Porter Heights Skifield; Ian Payton of Landcare Research; Bruce Harrison of New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; and Maurice Duncan at NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd). The comments of two anonymous reviewers improved the manuscript. ",

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N2 - A dataset of 21 study reaches in the Porter and Kowai rivers (eastern side of the South Island), and 13 study reaches in Camp Creek and adjacent catchments (western side of the South Island) was used to examine downstream hydraulic geometry of mountain streams in New Zealand. Streams in the eastern and western regions both exhibit well-developed downstream hydraulic geometry, as indicated by strong correlations between channel top width, bankfull depth, mean velocity, and bankfull discharge. Exponents for the hydraulic geometry relations are similar to average values for rivers worldwide. Factors such as colluvial sediment input to the channels, colluvial processes along the channels, tectonic uplift, and discontinuous bedrock exposure along the channels might be expected to complicate adjustment of channel geometry to downstream increases in discharge. The presence of well-developed downstream hydraulic geometry relations despite these complicating factors is interpreted to indicate that the ratio of hydraulic driving forces to substrate resisting forces is sufficiently large to permit channel adjustment to relatively frequent discharges.

AB - A dataset of 21 study reaches in the Porter and Kowai rivers (eastern side of the South Island), and 13 study reaches in Camp Creek and adjacent catchments (western side of the South Island) was used to examine downstream hydraulic geometry of mountain streams in New Zealand. Streams in the eastern and western regions both exhibit well-developed downstream hydraulic geometry, as indicated by strong correlations between channel top width, bankfull depth, mean velocity, and bankfull discharge. Exponents for the hydraulic geometry relations are similar to average values for rivers worldwide. Factors such as colluvial sediment input to the channels, colluvial processes along the channels, tectonic uplift, and discontinuous bedrock exposure along the channels might be expected to complicate adjustment of channel geometry to downstream increases in discharge. The presence of well-developed downstream hydraulic geometry relations despite these complicating factors is interpreted to indicate that the ratio of hydraulic driving forces to substrate resisting forces is sufficiently large to permit channel adjustment to relatively frequent discharges.

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KW - Multiple regression analyses

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ER -

Channel geometry of mountain streams in New Zealand

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