Dynamics of Suspended Sediment Flux on the Rivers Bandon and Owenabue, Ireland

Dynamics of Suspended Sediment Flux on the Rivers Bandon and Owenabue, Ireland

S.T. HARRINGTON J.R. HARRINGTON

Department of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland

School of Building and Civil Engineering, Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland

Page: 
861–873
|
DOI: 
https://doi.org/10.2495/SDP-V9-N6-861–873
Received: 
N/A
| |
Accepted: 
N/A
| | Citation

OPEN ACCESS

Abstract: 

Monitoring, analysis and modelling of suspended sediment transport in riverine systems has received much attention in recent decades. Quantitive analysis techniques have been applied to allow river basin managers to assess suspended sediment transport and its importance in transporting a range of pollutants including excess metals and nutrients, which negatively impact on aquatic systems. In this paper, an analysis of the suspended sediment flux (SSF) dynamics is presented for the small and medium sized catchments of the River Owenabue and the River Bandon, respectively. The results contribute to the filling of a research gap in an Irish context where SSF analyses at this scale have not previously been presented. River flow rate and turbidity data were collected on both rivers for one full year. Turbidity was found to be an excellent surrogate for suspended sedi-ment concentration on both rivers with r2 values greater than 0.87 found. The annual SSFs passing the gauging stations for the River Bandon and River Owenabue were found to be 6012 and 2635 tonnes, respectively. SSF analysis reveals that 85% and 92%, respectively, of the total annual flux was transported on the Rivers Bandon and Owenabue during the high flow storm-based events. SSFs were investigated at the seasonal, intra- and inter-event scales – the largest 10 SSF events were identified and analysed. Seasonally, most of the flux is deliv-ered in the winter months from October to March. At the intra-event scale, it was found that events of similar flow magnitude do not necessarily transport similar flux levels. Total fluxes were found to decrease for sequen-tial events as a result of sediment exhaustion. At the inter-event scale, hysteresis is observed and analysed for the identified events with clockwise hysteretic loops dominating implying that suspended sediment transport is generally supply limited, and that the primary sources of sediment are located near or within the river.

Keywords: 

Fluxes, hysteresis, loads, storm events, suspended sediment, turbidity

  References

[1] Horowitz, A.J., Determining annual suspended sediment and sediment-associated trace element and nutrient fluxes. Science of the Total Environment, 400, pp. 315–343, 2008. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.04.022

[2] Zonata, R., Collavini, F., Zaggia, L. & Zuliani, A., The effect of floods on the transport of suspended sediments and contaminants: a case study from the estuary of the Dese River (Ven-ice Lagoon, Italy). Environmental International, 31, pp. 948–958, 2005. doi: http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.envint.2005.05.005

[3] Hudson, P.F., Event sequence and sediment exhaustion in the lower Panuco Basin, Mexico, Catena, 52, pp. 57–76, 2003. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0341-8162(02)00145-5

[4] Gentile, F., Bisantino, T., Corbino, R., Milillo, F., Romano, G. & Trisorio Liuzzi, G., Monitoring and analysis of suspended sediment transport dynamics in the Carapelle torrent (Southern Italy), Catena, 80, pp. 1–8, 2010. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2009.08.004

[5] Brebbia, C.A., de Wrachien, D. & Mambretti S., (eds) Monitoring, Stimulation, Prevention and Remediation of Dense and Debris Flows IV, WIT Transactions on Engineering Sciences, Vol. 73, 2012. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2495/deb120011

[6] Vanmaercke, M., Poesen, J., Verstraeten, G., de Vente, J. & Ocakoglu, F., Sediment yield in Europe: spatial patterns and scale dependency. Geomorphology, 130, pp. 142–161, 2011. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.03.010

[7] Earle, R.J., The three rivers project – water quality monitoring and management systems in the Boyne, Liffey and Suir catchments in Ireland. Water Science and Technology, 47(7–8), pp. 217–225, 2003.

[8] McGarrigle, M., Lucey, J. & Cinnéide, M., Water Quality in Ireland, ISBN: 978-1-84095-387-9, Environmental Protection Agency, Johnstown Castle Estate, County Wexford, Ireland, 2011.

[9] Scanlon, T., Kiely, G. & Quishi, X., Nested catchment approach for defining the hydrological controls on non-point source transport. Hydrology, 291(3–4), pp. 218–231, 2004. doi: http:// dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2003.12.036

[10] Jordan, P., Menary, W., Daly, K., Kiely, G., Morgan, G., Byrne, P. & Moles, R., Patterns and processes of phosphorus transfer from Irish grassland soils to rivers – integration of labora-tory and catchment studies. Hydrology, 304, pp. 20–34, 2005. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j. jhydrol.2004.07.021

[11] Lenzi, M.A. & Marchi, L., Suspended sediment load during floods in a small stream of the Dolomites (northeastern Italy). Catena, 39, pp. 267–282, 2000. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ s0341-8162(00)00079-5

[12] Lewis, J., Turbidity controlled sampling for suspended sediment load estimation, Erosion and sediment transport measurement in rivers: technology and methodological advances. Proc. Oslo Workshop, 19–20 June 2002, Vol. 283, eds. J. Bogen, F. Tharan & D. Walling, IAHS Publication:Wallingford, UK, pp. 13–20, 2003.

[13] Harrington, S.T. & Harrington, J.R., An assessment of the suspended sediment rating curve approach for load estimation. Geomorphology, 185, pp. 27–38, 2013. doi: http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.12.002

[14] Smith, B.P.G., Naden, P.S., Leeks, G.J.L. & Wass, P.D., The influence of storm events on fine sediment transport, erosion and deposition within a reach of the River Swale, Yorkshire, U.K., Science of the Total Environment, 314–316, pp. 451–474, 2003. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ s0048-9697(03)00068-8

[15] Motherway, K., Sediment budgets in the Irish estuarine environment, Master of Engineering Thesis, Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland, 2008.

[16] Walling, D.E., Suspended sediment and solute yields from a small catchment prior to urbaniza-tion, Fluvial Processes in Instrumented Watersheds, eds. K.J Gregory & D.E Walling, Institute of British Geographers Special Publication. No. 6, pp. 169–192, 1974.

[17] Williams, G.P., Sediment concentration versus water discharge during single hydrologic events in rivers. Journal of Hydrology, 111, pp. 89–106, 1989. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(89)90254-0

[18] Klein, M., Anti clockwise hysteresis in suspended sediment concentration during individual storms: Holbeck Catchment, Yorkshire, England. Catena, 11, pp. 251–257, 1984. doi: http:// dx.doi.org/10.1016/0341-8162(84)90014-6

[19] Steegen, A., Govers, G., Nachtergaele, J., Takken, I., Beuselinck, L. & Poesen, J., Sediment export by water from an agricultural catchment in the Loam Belt of central Belgium. Geomor-phology, 33, pp. 25–36, 2000. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0169-555x(99)00108-7

[20] Rodríguez-Blanco, M.L., Taboada-Castro, M.M., Pallerio, L. & Taboada-Castro, M.T., Temporal changes in suspended sediment transport in an Atlantic catchment, NW Spain. Geomorphology, 123, pp. 181–188, 2010. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2010.07.015

[21] Asselman, N.E.M., Fitting and interpretation of sediment rating curves. Hydrology, 234, pp. 228–248, 2000. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0022-1694(00)00253-5

[22] Morgan, R.P.C., Soil Erosion and Conservation, 2nd edn., Longman: London, 1995.