Author(s): Ina Quick; Sonke Schriever

Linked Author(s):

Keywords: No Keywords

Abstract: Type-specific structures of a river bed are of relevance as habitats as well as axes for the habitat connectivity. In the past, navigable rivers have often been extremely modified caused by diverse anthropogenic uses. Restoring such rivers, at least as stepping stone biotopes in a biotope network, is nowadays receiving greater attention. Consequently, a hydromorphological monitoring method for the detection and rating of structures of the river bed is needed, notably for large running waters without a visible bed due to their water depths. The hydromorphological classification tool Valmorph for waterways employs such an approach. For an exemplified navigable river stretch in Germany, the Valmorph indicator ‘structure of the bed’has been applied, using echosounding data. The structures have been monitored in order to document long-term structural channel changes with their localisations as well as spatial extents and to detect tendencies of the system. Furthermore, to enable prospective comparisons, the bed form elements were examined to derive the status before the implementation of restoration measures. The findings offer quantitative information per structure type.

DOI:

Year: 2018