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Integration of Analytical Models for Estimating Sediment Supply and Evaluation of Channel Stability

Zhou, Hong
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1456273575

Abstract Details

2016, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Civil Engineering (Engineering and Technology).
Sedimentation is one of the important factors affecting stream channel stability. The estimation of sediment supply, assessment of channel stability, and potential influencing factors are of interest in this study. A proposed model was developed by the integration of Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model and Watershed Assessment of River Stability and Sediment Supply (WARSSS), aiming to estimate the sediment load and evaluate the channel stability of a man-made channel. The proposed model was applied to the channelized Hocking River near Athens, Ohio. It was estimated that the annual gross erosion from the watershed was 728,733,738 kg, 97% of which was from the surface erosion, while only 3% resulted from streambank erosion. The total sediment yield in the channelized Hocking River was indirectly estimated by the addition of suspended sediments and bedload sediments, which were directly measured in the channel. The total annual sediment yield was 80,991,718 kg, in which 98% was estimated from suspended sediments and 2% from bedload sediments. This resulted in a sediment delivery ratio of 11%, which was consistent with those of the watersheds having similar size in the studied region. The total sediment transport capacity was estimated by the proposed model to be 17,161,761 kg/yr. Compared with the total sediment yield of 80,991,718 kg, 21% of which was transported by the river flow. The majority of sediments deposited in the channel due to the insufficient transport capacity. The amount of sediment accumulated was indirectly verified by the annual dredging project conducted by the Hocking Conservancy District (HCD). The channel stability of the Hocking River near Athens, Ohio was assessed by the characteristics of soil erosion for each monitored reach. Based on the four categories of stability determinations, most of the studied reaches were unstable in the lateral direction and all the reaches had excess deposition except one of the downstream reaches. There was a moderate tendency of channel enlargement for the studied reaches. The sediment loads at all the six studied reaches were relatively high, which indicated highly unstable channel reaches. The proposed model has quantitatively simplified the complex soil erosion and sedimentation process into three major components, the gross erosion from watershed, the sediment yield in the channel, and the sediment transport. Based on the results, I believe that the proposed model can estimate the sediment load reasonably well and assess the channel stability in the studied man-made portion of the Hocking River.
Tiao Chang (Advisor)
Wei Lin (Committee Member)
Kurt Rhoads (Committee Member)
Teruhisa Masada (Committee Member)
Deborah McAvoy (Committee Member)
185 p.
Civil Engineering; Water Resource Management
soil erosion; sediment supply; Sediment Delivery Ratio; SDR; channel stability; Watershed Assessment of River Stability and Sediment Supply; WARSSS; Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation; RUSLE

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Zhou, H. (2016). Integration of Analytical Models for Estimating Sediment Supply and Evaluation of Channel Stability [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1456273575

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Zhou, Hong. Integration of Analytical Models for Estimating Sediment Supply and Evaluation of Channel Stability. 2016. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1456273575.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Zhou, Hong. "Integration of Analytical Models for Estimating Sediment Supply and Evaluation of Channel Stability." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1456273575

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1456273575
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This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.