Role of Channel Banks in the Adjustment of the River Bed along the Elwha River

Presentation Abstract

The Elwha River has now undergone several years of adjustment since Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams were removed over the 2011-2014 period. The removal released sediment that had accumulated in the reservoirs for nearly 100 years. Much of the released sediment consisted of relatively fine-grained (sand and finer) material that has not been stored permanently on the relatively coarse-grained (cobble and boulder) river bed. Nevertheless, the channel has experienced significant geomorphic change since the dams were removed. Bank erosion and channel avulsions have mobilized coarse-grained sediment that had been stored in floodplain deposits adjacent to the channel. To characterize this material and new sediment deposits now present in the channel, we collected size distributions from cut banks and new point bars using traditional Wolman counts, bulk subsurface samples, and physical and photograph-based samples of surface sediment. Results show that material deposited in new point bars is similar in texture to material in cut banks and imply that floodplain deposits could be the major source of much of the new bed material now present in the channel. It is not clear, however, how far the system remains from the original, pre-dam condition. To address this question, we have used a size-specific sediment transport model, MAST-1D, to simulate bed coarsening and incision during the entire ~100-year period when the dams were present. The model allows the channel to exchange sediment with the floodplain in a way that stabilizes the channel and that is consistent with the large amount of bed material that has been released from banks since the dam removal occurred. The inclusion of bank sediment in the bed material budget is a stabilizing feature of the model. Results illustrate the important role played by streambanks in both storing and sequestering sediment in geomorphically active gravel bed rivers.

Session Title

Linking Metrics to Climate Impact Pathways and Restoration Performance Monitoring across Puget Sound Floodplains and Estuaries

Conference Track

Climate Change and Ocean Acidification

Conference Name

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)

Document Type

Event

Start Date

2016 12:00 AM

End Date

2016 12:00 AM

Location

2016SSEC

Type of Presentation

Oral

Genre/Form

conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)

Contributing Repository

Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.

Subjects – Topical (LCSH)

Dam retirement--Environmental aspects--Washington (State)--Elwha River Valley; Riparian areas--Environmental aspects-- Washington (State)--Elwha River Valley; River sediments--Environmental aspects--Washington (State)--Elwha River Valley; Stream restoration--Washington (State)--Elwha River Valley

Geographic Coverage

Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Elwha River Valley (Wash.)

Rights

This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.

Type

Text

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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Jan 1st, 12:00 AM Jan 1st, 12:00 AM

Role of Channel Banks in the Adjustment of the River Bed along the Elwha River

2016SSEC

The Elwha River has now undergone several years of adjustment since Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams were removed over the 2011-2014 period. The removal released sediment that had accumulated in the reservoirs for nearly 100 years. Much of the released sediment consisted of relatively fine-grained (sand and finer) material that has not been stored permanently on the relatively coarse-grained (cobble and boulder) river bed. Nevertheless, the channel has experienced significant geomorphic change since the dams were removed. Bank erosion and channel avulsions have mobilized coarse-grained sediment that had been stored in floodplain deposits adjacent to the channel. To characterize this material and new sediment deposits now present in the channel, we collected size distributions from cut banks and new point bars using traditional Wolman counts, bulk subsurface samples, and physical and photograph-based samples of surface sediment. Results show that material deposited in new point bars is similar in texture to material in cut banks and imply that floodplain deposits could be the major source of much of the new bed material now present in the channel. It is not clear, however, how far the system remains from the original, pre-dam condition. To address this question, we have used a size-specific sediment transport model, MAST-1D, to simulate bed coarsening and incision during the entire ~100-year period when the dams were present. The model allows the channel to exchange sediment with the floodplain in a way that stabilizes the channel and that is consistent with the large amount of bed material that has been released from banks since the dam removal occurred. The inclusion of bank sediment in the bed material budget is a stabilizing feature of the model. Results illustrate the important role played by streambanks in both storing and sequestering sediment in geomorphically active gravel bed rivers.