Geology topics

D.E. Kroes

Publications and source records attributed to D.E. Kroes.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2010

The effect of channelization on floodplain sediment deposition and subsidence along the Pocomoke River, Maryland

The nontidal Pocomoke River was intensively ditched and channelized by the mid-1900s. In response to channelization; channel incision, head-cut erosion, and spoil bank perforation have occurred in this previously nonalluvial system. Six sites were selected for study of floodplain sediment dynamics in relation to channel condition. Short- and long-term sediment deposition/subsidence rates and composition were determined. Short-term rates (four years) ranged from 0.6 to 3.6 mm/year. Long-term rates (15-100+ years) ranged from -11.9 to 1.7 mm/year. 137Cs rates (43 years) indicate rates of 0.24 to 7.4 mm/year depending on channel condition. Channelization has limited contact between streamflow and the floodplain, resulting in little or no sediment retention in channelized reaches. Along unchannelized reaches, extended contact and depth of river water on the floodplain resulted in high deposition rates. Drainage of floodplains exposed organic sediments to oxygen resulting in subsidence and releasing stored carbon. Channelization increased sediment deposition in downstream reaches relative to the presettlement system. The sediment storage function of this river has been dramatically altered by channelization. Results indicate that perforation of spoil banks along channelized reaches may help to alleviate some of these issues. ?? 2010 American Water Resources Association. No claim to original U.S. government works.

Maryland↗

USGS2008

Recent sedimentation patterns within the central Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana

Sediment deposition and storage are important functions of forested bottomlands, yet documentation and interpretation of sedimentation processes in these systems remain incomplete. Our study was located in the central Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana, a distributary of the Mississippi River and contains the largest contiguously forested riparian wetland in North America, which suffers from high sedimentation in some areas and hypoxia in others. We established 20 floodplain transects reflecting the distribution of depositional environments within the central Basin and monitored general and local sediment deposition patterns over a three-year period (2000-2003). Deposition rate, sediment texture, bulk density, and loss on ignition (LOI, percent organic material) were determined near or just above artificial markers (clay pads) located at each station per transect. Transect mean sedimentation rates ranged from about 2 to 42 mm/yr, mean percent organic material ranged from about 7% to 28%, mean percent sand (> 63 ??) ranged from about 5% to 44%, and bulk density varied from about 0.4 to 1.3. The sites were categorized into five statistically different clusters based on sedimentation rate; most of these could be characterized by a suite of parameters that included hydroperiod, source(s) of sediment-laden water, hydraulic connectivity, flow stagnation, and local geomorphic setting along transect (levee versus backswamp), which lead to distinct spatial sedimentation patterns. Sites with low elevation (long hydroperiod), high hydraulic connectivity to multiple sources of sediment-laden water, and hydraulic damming (flow stagnation) featured the highest amounts of sediment trapping; the converse in any of these factors typically diminished sediment trapping. Based on aerial extent of clusters, the study area potentially traps 6,720,000 Mg of sediment annually, of which, 820,000 Mg represent organic materials. Thus, the Atchafalaya Basin plays a substantial role in lowland sediment (and associated contaminant) storage, including the sequestration of carbon. Findings on local sedimentation patterns may aid in management of flow to control sediment deposition and reduce hypoxia. ?? 2008, The Society of Wetland Scientists.

Wetlands↗

USGS2004

Occurrence of riverine wetlands on floodplains along a climatic gradient

The relation between the occurrence of riverine wetlands in floodplains along a humid to semi-arid climatic continuum was studied in two regions. The first included 36 mid-reach streams from Colorado to Iowa, USA, a region with a broad range of PET ratios (potential evapotranspiration/precipitation) from 0.70 to 1.75. The second region included 16 headwater streams in eastern North Carolina with PET ratios ranging from 0.67 to 0.83. Wetland boundaries were identified in the field along transects perpendicular to the floodplain. The width of jurisdictional wetlands was compared with flood-prone width (FPW) and expressed as a percent. An increase in PET ratio corresponded to an exponential decrease in the percentage of the FPW that is wetland. Soil texture, duration of overbank flow, and stream order did not correlate with percentage of FPW that was wetland. Streams with a PET ratio greater than 0.98 did not have wetlands associated with them. Greater channel cross-sectional areas correlated positively with greater wetland widths in both study regions. Overbank flow did not appear to contribute to wetland prevalence. Supplemental ground-water sources, however, as indicated by greater base flows, could not be ruled out as sources contributing to wetland occurrence. ?? 2004, The Society of Wetland Scientists.

Wetlands↗