Author(s): Rebecca Bartley
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Pool depth; Stream rehabilitation; Sediment slugs
Abstract: There is a growing interest in the rehabilitation of disturbed stream systems. Knowledge of the pre-disturbance stream condition is often required for effective planning of rehabilitation projects. It is also of interest when assessing the level of disturbance, as well as the recovery potential of a stream. However, in most rehabilitation projects, pre-disturbance data is rarely available. This paper presents a method for predicting pre-disturbance mean pool depth in streams that have been disturbed by artificial increases in bedload (sediment slugs). An empirical relationship between catchment area and mean pool depth is derived from existing studies describing the morphometric relationships of pool-riffle sequences. The method is then tested and calibrated on three disturbed streams in SE Australia. Identifying reaches within these streams that have significantly different ‘Observed' (measured) pool depths compared to the predicted, ‘Expected'pool depth, helps prioritise reaches for stream rehabilitation.
Year: 2001