Stream Bed

2017 ◽  
pp. 73-74
Keyword(s):  
1997 ◽  
Vol 36 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 161-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivana Jancarkova ◽  
Tove A. Larsen ◽  
Willi Gujer

A project investigating the dynamics of self-purification processes in a shallow stream is carried out. Effects of the concentration gradient due to the distance to the pollution source, of hydraulic conditions in the river bed and of storm floods on the distribution of nitrifying bacteria were studied with the help of laboratory and field experiments. Nitrifiers density on the surface of the stream bed increased rapidly up to a distance of 300 m from the WWTP indicating possible competition of the nitrifiers with the heterotrophic bacteria close to the WWTP. Afterwards a slight decrease in the downstream direction was observed. In vertical profiles, higher bacterial densities were found at sites with rapid infiltration of channel water to the stream bed than at sites with no exchange between channel water and stream bed water or where stream bed water exfiltrated. A major flood event scoured the nitrifiers nearly totally from the surface of the river bed. Major floods belong so to the most dominant processes controlling self-purification in shallow streams. Minor floods, however, don't scour bacteria in the depth of the stream bed that could then be important for the self-purification processes.


2004 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 903-922 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bari ◽  
K. R. J. Smettem

Abstract. A conceptual water balance model is presented to represent changes in monthly water balance following land use changes. Monthly rainfall–runoff, groundwater and soil moisture data from four experimental catchments in Western Australia have been analysed. Two of these catchments, "Ernies" (control, fully forested) and "Lemon" (54% cleared) are in a zone of mean annual rainfall of 725 mm, while "Salmon" (control, fully forested) and "Wights" (100% cleared) are in a zone with mean annual rainfall of 1125 mm. At the Salmon forested control catchment, streamflow comprises surface runoff, base flow and interflow components. In the Wights catchment, cleared of native forest for pasture development, all three components increased, groundwater levels rose significantly and stream zone saturated area increased from 1% to 15% of the catchment area. It took seven years after clearing for the rainfall–runoff generation process to stabilise in 1984. At the Ernies forested control catchment, the permanent groundwater system is 20 m below the stream bed and so does not contribute to streamflow. Following partial clearing of forest in the Lemon catchment, groundwater rose steadily and reached the stream bed by 1987. The streamflow increased in two phases: (i) immediately after clearing due to reduced evapotranspiration, and (ii) through an increase in the groundwater-induced stream zone saturated area after 1987. After analysing all the data available, a conceptual monthly model was created, comprising four inter-connecting stores: (i) an upper zone unsaturated store, (ii) a transient stream zone store, (ii) a lower zone unsaturated store and (iv) a saturated groundwater store. Data such as rooting depth, Leaf Area Index, soil porosity, profile thickness, depth to groundwater, stream length and surface slope were incorporated into the model as a priori defined attributes. The catchment average values for different stores were determined through matching observed and predicted monthly hydrographs. The observed and predicted monthly runoff for all catchments matched well with coefficients of determination (R2) ranging from 0.68 to 0.87. Predictions were relatively poor for: (i) the Ernies catchment (lowest rainfall, forested), and (ii) months with very high flows. Overall, the predicted mean annual streamflow was within ±8% of the observed values. Keywords: monthly streamflow, land use change, conceptual model, data-based approach, groundwater


1957 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. M. Nash ◽  
J. O. Steiner

SummaryAn experiment has been undertaken in Northern Nigeria to ascertain whether the felling of the trees forming the overhead canopy and the deliberate blocking, with trash, of the stream-bed to obstruct the tsetse's flight-line, would result in the eradication of Glossina palpalis (R.-D.).Obstructive clearing was employed on approximately 3¾ miles of stream. The results suggest that, provided the experimental reaches are adequately isolated, obstructive clearing does lead to the eradication of G. palpalis.It is noteworthy that if, owing to inadequate isolation, the cleared stream becomes re-infested in the rains, conditions for at least the first two dry seasons are so unfavourable that flies cannot persist.The immediate effect of obstructive clearing is to increase greatly the hunger of the few surviving flies.Records suggest that obstructive clearing leads to a considerable reduction in the number of human hosts visiting uninhabited parts of the stream, presumably because of the destruction of forest produce. The duiker (Sylvicapra and Cephalophus) population also becomes greatly reduced, especially in the vicinity of hamlets. The hunger observed in the surviving fly population may therefore be in part due to an actual reduction in the number of hosts, as well as to the altered environment, which prevents free movement, under shade, of the hungry tsetse that is searching for food; instead, the tsetse is forced out into the open, where the climate in the dry season is intolerable, and presumably the unsuccessful fly rapidly succumbs from water-loss.The effect of obstructive clearing on the vegetation is as follows. Within a few weeks the mound of trash is overgrown with creepers, Mucuna pruriens becoming dominant. In the first year's heavy rains the mound of trash tends to sink down in the stream-bed; on larger streams, spates do some temporary damage to the creeper growth and gaps may appear in the obstruction. The impression gained is that the blockage will persist for many years on small tributaries, but will disintegrate within a few years on larger streams. In very hilly country, with a rapid run off, the obstruction is likely to be displaced. In perennial streams of the type dealt with, the annual fires make only small inroads into the obstruction.The technique evolved for the obstructive clearing of streams is described. The cost of this method worked out at 390 man days per mile, which is about half the cost of the present methods.Should large-scale undertakings in the field confirm the efficacy of this new method, the biggest saving will be the elimination of the present necessity to re-slash streams that have been partially cleared. Observations will be continued to ascertain how long it will be before the vegetation again becomes suitable for G. palpalis.


1984 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 1061-1066 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J. Schiller ◽  
A. Charles Rowney

Experiments were conducted to assess ways in which an imposed sediment load can affect the formation and final nature of an armoured bed. A flume loaded with a quartz aggregate of known composition was subjected to various sediment-laden flows of water to produce armoured beds. Characteristic parameters of the armoured beds were then compared.In general, it was found that the final armoured bed can be significantly altered by an imposed sediment load. As the size of the input sediment increased, the amount of bed material that was eroded, the resulting particle size of the bed, and the total roughness of the bed all decreased. The formation of bed forms was very important in this process. The trends observed in these experimental tests indicate that the presence or absence of upstream sediment sources has a direct influence on the resulting armoured layer.


Author(s):  
T. Pavlovska ◽  
◽  
I. Kovalchuk ◽  
Yu. Biletskyi ◽  
O. Rudyk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

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