L’érosion des berges est un processus clé de la dynamique fluviale. Elle influence considérablement la charge sédimentaire des rivières et contrôle l’évolution latérale des chenaux. Les méthodes de caractérisation des mécanismes et des variables affectant l’érosion des berges sont toutefois imprécises et difficiles à appliquer. Ce projet a pour objectif de caractériser la dynamique actuelle des berges de deux tributaires contrastés du Saint-Laurent : les rivières Saint-François et Batiscan. Le premier objectif vise à quantifier les caractéristiques géotechniques de deux tronçons des rivières à l’étude près de l’embouchure avec le Saint-Laurent en décrivant la stratigraphie à différents sites typiques et en recueillant des échantillons de sédiments afin de mesurer différentes variables géotechniques (granulométrie, limites d’Atterberg, résistance à l’érosion mécanique, résistance à l’érosion fluviale). Le second objectif vise à quantifier les principales caractéristiques hydrodynamiques (précipitations, débits, cisaillements, vitesses) des deux sections de rivière. Le troisième et dernier objectif cherche à mesurer les taux d’érosion à l’échelle saisonnière en utilisant des relevés GPS et des chaînes d’érosion et à identifier les mécanismes d’érosion qui opèrent sur les rivières. Les résultats montrent une érosion importante des berges sur chacun des tributaires, mais les mécanismes qui la cause diffèrent. La Batiscan possède des berges dont le matériel est cohésif et ses berges sont principalement marquées par des ruptures de masse. La Saint-François présente des berges peu cohésives ce qui favorise l’érosion fluviale. Le taux de recul sur la rivière Saint-François est de l’ordre de 1 à 3 m/an dans certaines sections de la rivière. Une nouvelle méthode de mesure du cisaillement critique d’érosion fluviale à l’aide d’un chenal expérimental a été élaborée. Les cisaillements critiques obtenus se situent entre 1,19 et 13,41 Pa. Les résultats montrent que les facteurs jouant sur l’érosion des berges ont une variabilité intrinsèque et systémique difficile à mesurer. Le protocole expérimental développé dans ce projet s’est toutefois avéré utile pour étudier les principales variables qui influencent l’érosion des berges, tout en quantifiant les taux d’érosion et les mécanismes d’érosion de berge de deux tributaires importants du fleuve Saint-Laurent. Ce protocole pourrait être utile dans d’autres contextes. / Bank erosion is a key process in fluvial dynamics. It affects sedimentary load in rivers and controls channel lateral evolution. Until now, the methodology used to characterize bank erosion mechanisms and other controlling factors is still imprecise and difficult to apply in many cases. The aim of this project is to characterize bank dynamics in two contrasted Saint-Lawrence tributaries: the Batiscan and Saint-François rivers. The first objective of this study is to quantify geotechnical properties of a section on each river. To achieve this objective, we have described stratigraphic sections at different sites and collected bank material samples in order to measure geotechnical variables in the laboratory (grain size analysis, Atterberg limits, mechanical strength, erosional strength). The second objective is to quantify the hydrodynamic characteristics (precipitations, discharge, shear stress, velocity) of the two river sections. The third and last objective is to measure bank erosion rates with GPS data and erosion pins at a seasonal scale and to identify bank erosion mechanisms occurring in the studied reaches. The results show a high erosional sensitivity of the banks on each tributary, but the observed mechanisms differ from on river to the other. Bank material on the Batiscan River is cohesive and is more susceptible to mass failure. Bank material on the Saint-François River is less cohesive and is mainly affected by fluvial erosion. Bank erosion rates measured on Saint-François River are between 1 to 3 m/year in some sections of the studied reach. A new method of measuring fluvial erosion critical shear stress has been developed with a flume. The critical shear stresses are estimated to be between 1,19 and 13,41 Pa. The results demonstrate the high variability of the response of banks to erosional processes and the difficulty of measuring the intrinsic and systemic factors acting on bank erosion. The experimental protocol developed in this project for the study of the main variables that determine erosion bank, erosion rates and bank mechanisms in two tributaries of the Saint-Lawrence could be applied successfully to other rivers.

From the Proceedings of the 1975 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona Academy of Science - April 11-12, 1975, Tempe, Arizona / The universal soil loss equation (USLE) is widely used for estimating annual and individual storm erosion from field-sized watersheds. Records from a single precipitation gage in climatic areas dominated by thunderstorms can be used to estimate the erosion index (EI) only for the point in question on individual storms or for a specific annual value. Extrapolating the results for more than about a mile leads to serious error in estimating the erosion by the use of the USLE. Short time intervals must be used to obtain an adequate estimate of the EI when using the USLE. The variability of the annual EI can be approximated with a log-normal distribution. All studies indicated that investigations are needed to facilitate estimating the average annual EI from precipitation data as reported by state climatological summaries for states west of the 104th meridian. Additional work is needed to facilitate estimating the EI value from the precipitation data available in most areas of the southwest where thunderstorms dominate the rainfall pattern.

From the Proceedings of the 1977 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona Academy of Science - April 15-16, 1977, Las Vegas, Nevada / Mathematical simulation of the erosion process is accomplished by using a time series of hydrologic parameters as inputs into a modified form of the Universal Soil Loss Equation. A parameter to account for antecedent moisture conditions was found to improve the predictive success of the Universal Soil Loss Equation. The simulation predicts sediment yield resulting from a stochastic sequence of precipitation events on an experimental watershed. This sediment model will be used as a component in a larger, more complex hydrologic simulation model which can be used to determine optimum reclamation practices for the strip mined areas of the arid Southwest. Data from regraded strip mine spoils at the Black Mesa of Arizona are used in calibrating the model.

L’érosion des berges est un processus clé de la dynamique fluviale. Elle influence considérablement la charge sédimentaire des rivières et contrôle l’évolution latérale des chenaux. Les méthodes de caractérisation des mécanismes et des variables affectant l’érosion des berges sont toutefois imprécises et difficiles à appliquer. Ce projet a pour objectif de caractériser la dynamique actuelle des berges de deux tributaires contrastés du Saint-Laurent : les rivières Saint-François et Batiscan. Le premier objectif vise à quantifier les caractéristiques géotechniques de deux tronçons des rivières à l’étude près de l’embouchure avec le Saint-Laurent en décrivant la stratigraphie à différents sites typiques et en recueillant des échantillons de sédiments afin de mesurer différentes variables géotechniques (granulométrie, limites d’Atterberg, résistance à l’érosion mécanique, résistance à l’érosion fluviale). Le second objectif vise à quantifier les principales caractéristiques hydrodynamiques (précipitations, débits, cisaillements, vitesses) des deux sections de rivière. Le troisième et dernier objectif cherche à mesurer les taux d’érosion à l’échelle saisonnière en utilisant des relevés GPS et des chaînes d’érosion et à identifier les mécanismes d’érosion qui opèrent sur les rivières. Les résultats montrent une érosion importante des berges sur chacun des tributaires, mais les mécanismes qui la cause diffèrent. La Batiscan possède des berges dont le matériel est cohésif et ses berges sont principalement marquées par des ruptures de masse. La Saint-François présente des berges peu cohésives ce qui favorise l’érosion fluviale. Le taux de recul sur la rivière Saint-François est de l’ordre de 1 à 3 m/an dans certaines sections de la rivière. Une nouvelle méthode de mesure du cisaillement critique d’érosion fluviale à l’aide d’un chenal expérimental a été élaborée. Les cisaillements critiques obtenus se situent entre 1,19 et 13,41 Pa. Les résultats montrent que les facteurs jouant sur l’érosion des berges ont une variabilité intrinsèque et systémique difficile à mesurer. Le protocole expérimental développé dans ce projet s’est toutefois avéré utile pour étudier les principales variables qui influencent l’érosion des berges, tout en quantifiant les taux d’érosion et les mécanismes d’érosion de berge de deux tributaires importants du fleuve Saint-Laurent. Ce protocole pourrait être utile dans d’autres contextes. / Bank erosion is a key process in fluvial dynamics. It affects sedimentary load in rivers and controls channel lateral evolution. Until now, the methodology used to characterize bank erosion mechanisms and other controlling factors is still imprecise and difficult to apply in many cases. The aim of this project is to characterize bank dynamics in two contrasted Saint-Lawrence tributaries: the Batiscan and Saint-François rivers. The first objective of this study is to quantify geotechnical properties of a section on each river. To achieve this objective, we have described stratigraphic sections at different sites and collected bank material samples in order to measure geotechnical variables in the laboratory (grain size analysis, Atterberg limits, mechanical strength, erosional strength). The second objective is to quantify the hydrodynamic characteristics (precipitations, discharge, shear stress, velocity) of the two river sections. The third and last objective is to measure bank erosion rates with GPS data and erosion pins at a seasonal scale and to identify bank erosion mechanisms occurring in the studied reaches. The results show a high erosional sensitivity of the banks on each tributary, but the observed mechanisms differ from on river to the other. Bank material on the Batiscan River is cohesive and is more susceptible to mass failure. Bank material on the Saint-François River is less cohesive and is mainly affected by fluvial erosion. Bank erosion rates measured on Saint-François River are between 1 to 3 m/year in some sections of the studied reach. A new method of measuring fluvial erosion critical shear stress has been developed with a flume. The critical shear stresses are estimated to be between 1,19 and 13,41 Pa. The results demonstrate the high variability of the response of banks to erosional processes and the difficulty of measuring the intrinsic and systemic factors acting on bank erosion. The experimental protocol developed in this project for the study of the main variables that determine erosion bank, erosion rates and bank mechanisms in two tributaries of the Saint-Lawrence could be applied successfully to other rivers.

Controls on denudation in the eastern Bolivian Andes are evaluated by synthesis of new and existing denudation estimates from basin-morphometry, stream - powered fluvial incision, landslide mapping, sediment flux, erosion surfaces, thermochronology, foreland basin sediment volumes, and structural restorations. Centered at 17.5 °S, the northeastern Bolivian Andes exhibit high relief, a wet climate, and a narrow fold- thrust belt. In contrast, the southeastern Bolivian Andes have low relief, a semi-arid climate, and a wide fold-thrust belt. Basin -morphometry indicates a northward increase in relief and relative denudation. Stream-power along river profiles shows greater average incision rates in the north by a factor of 2 to 4. In the south, profile knickpoints with high incision rates are controlled by fold-thrust belt structures such as the surface expressions of basement megathrusts, faults, folds, and lithologic boundaries. Landslide and sediment-flux data are controlled by climate, elevation, basin morphology, and size and show a similar trend; short -term denudation-rate averages are greater in the north (1- 9 mm/yr) than the south (0.3-0.4 mm/yr). Long-term denudation-rate estimates including fission track, basin fill, erosion surfaces, and structural restorations also exhibit greater values in the north (0.2-0.8 mm/yr) compared to the south (0.04-0.3 mm/yr). Controls on long-term denudation rates include relief, orographic and global atmospheric circulation patterns of precipitation, climate change, glaciation, and fold-thrust belt geometry and kinematics. The denudation synthesis supports two conclusions: 1) denudation rates have increased towards the present 2) an along-strike disparity in denudation (greater in the north) has existed since at least the Miocene and has increased towards the present. Denudation rates and controls suggest that Bolivian mountain morphology is controlled by both its orientation at mid-latitude, and the feedbacks between uplift, kinematics, orographic effects on precipitation, glaciation, and the increased erosion that accompanies orogenesis.

From the Proceedings of the 1974 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona Academy of Science - April 19-20, 1974, Flagstaff, Arizona / An erosion prediction method that has recently received wide attention in the United States is the universal soil loss equation which is given as: a=rklscp. Where a = estimated soil loss (tons/acre/year), r = a rainfall factor, k = a soil erodibility factor, l = a slope length factor, s = a slope gradient factor, c = a cropping-management factor, and p = an erosion control practice factor. Data collected on the walnut gulch experimental watershed in southeastern Arizona were used to estimate these factors for semiarid rangeland conditions. The equation was then tested with data from watersheds of 108 and 372 acres. The predicted value of annual sediment yield was 1.29 tons/acre/year as compared with an average 1.64 tons/acre/year for 4 years of data for the 108-acre watershed, and a sediment yield of 0.39 tons/acre/year was predicted for the 372-acre watershed as compared with the measured value of 0.52 tons/acre/year. Although good agreement was noted between predicted and actual sediment yield, additional work is needed before the equation can be applied to other areas of the southwest.

From the Proceedings of the 1974 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona Academy of Science - April 19-20, 1974, Flagstaff, Arizona / A stochastic model is presented for the prediction of sediment yield in a semi-arid watershed based on rainfall data and watershed characteristics. Random variables which lead to uncertainty in the model are rainfall amount, storm duration, runoff, and peak flow. Soil conservation service formulas are used to compute the runoff and peak flow components of the universal soil loss equation, and a transformation of random variables is used to obtain the distribution function of sediment yield from the joint distribution of rainfall amount and storm duration. Applications of the model are in the planning of reservoirs and dams where the effective lifetime of the facility may be evaluated in terms of storage capacity as well as the effects of land management of the watershed. In order to calibrate the model and to evaluate the uncertainties involved, experimental data from the Atterbury watershed near Tucson, Arizona were used.