Techniques for estimating sediment yield of ungaged tributaries on the southern Colorado Plateau

Robert Webb; Peter G. Griffiths; Daniel R. Hartley

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USGS · 70216719

Techniques for estimating sediment yield of ungaged tributaries on the southern Colorado Plateau

Robert Webb·Peter G. Griffiths·Daniel R. Hartley

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Abstract

Numerous regional sediment transport data are used to evaluate three techniques for estimating streamflow sediment yield from ungaged tributaries of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon. These techniques include: (1) a regression equation relating drainage area to sediment yield for all relevant sediment-yield data from northern Arizona, (2) an empirical relation developed by Renard (1972) selected from 8 potentially relevant methods, and (3) a new procedure that combines regional flood-frequency analysis with sediment-rating curves. Results based on techniques (1) and (2) are not significantly different. The third technique requires numerous assumptions, most notably that sediment yield on a decadal average can be described by several floods of recurrence intervals of 2 yr, 5 yr, and 10 yr described by regional flood-frequency relations. Using data collected at gaging stations, we develop a relation between peak discharge and total-event sediment yield derived from hydrographs and sediment-rating curves. This third technique produces sediment yield estimates comparable to those of the regional data regression and Renard (1972) relations and may be a more robust technique for estimating sediment yield when streamflow data are available.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 35.51434313431818° to 36.89719446989036° latitude; -114.06005859375° to -111.1376953125° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Robert Webb, Peter G. Griffiths, Daniel R. Hartley. 2001. Techniques for estimating sediment yield of ungaged tributaries on the southern Colorado Plateau. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70216719

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