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Date Permissions Signed

5-12-2018

Date of Award

Spring 1990

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Geology

First Advisor

Kelsey, H. M.

Second Advisor

Talbot, James L.

Third Advisor

Easterbrook, Don J., 1935-

Abstract

A sediment budget for the Deer Creek basin (137 km2), northwest Washington, spans both pre- and post-management periods, and documents a significant increase in sediment production between 1942 and 1989. Sediment production was divided into four primary components: landslides, streambank erosion, hillslope erosion, and road-related erosion. Using field sampling of the four components, the amount of field time necessary to quantitatively describe the relative importance of the budget components is minimized. Five incremental sets of aerial photographs were used to construct a management history for the basin, to document time of initiation of landslides, and to document changes in channel widths that occurred between 1942-1989. Changes in channel widths were used to estimate initial channel storage conditions in the basin, and landslide initiation times were used to evaluate the influence of management and storms on landslide activity. Landslides, debris torrents, and gullying on slopes accounted for 90% of all sediment production. The Deer Creek sediment budget is unusual in that it is dominated by the effects of one landslide. The Deforest Creek landslide accounts for nearly 50% of all sediment production during the budget period. In addition, sediment associated with this slide accounts for 20% of the increase in channel storage that has occurred between 1942 and 1989. Temporal variations in sediment production appear to correlate with the level of management activity in the basin. The frequency of landsliding and debris torrent events during five bracketed time periods appears to be proportional to the area of the basin logged during that period.

Type

Text

Keywords

Sediment budget, Streambank erosion, Hillslope erosion, Road-related erosion

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25710/q090-nd25

Publisher

Western Washington University

OCLC Number

1055678227

Subject – LCSH

Sediment transport--Washington (State)--Deer Creek Watershed; Landslides--Washington (State)--Deer Creek Watershed; Sedimentation and deposition--Washington (State)--Deer Creek Watershed; Erosion--Washington (State)--Deer Creek Watershed

Geographic Coverage

Deer Creek Watershed (Wash.)

Format

application/pdf

Genre/Form

masters theses

Language

English

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this thesis for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.

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