Large, infrequent "episodic" sediment transfers are commonly considered differently from
"normal-regime" sediment-transfer activity. For example, in the important hillslope-gully-stream
sediment cascade pathway in coastal British Columbia, debris slides and debris torrents are
considered as "episodic events". On the other hand, lower-magnitude hillslope to gully-channel
sediment transfers and fluvial sediment tranSport within gully and stream channels are usually
considered as "normal-regime" activity, represented by annual yields. However, the results of this
study illustrate the highly episodic nature of normal-regime fine-sediment transfers, which are
closely linked to hydrometeorological and sediment-supply conditions. The results indicate that
qualitative modelling of fine-sediment transfer activity, at the synoptic or event scale, should be
possible based upon hydrometeorological and sediment-supply information. From such a model ~
the elements of which are presented in the concluding chapter ~ fine-sediment transfer activity
could be forecast based upon regional weather forecasts.
The study was conducted in Russell Creek Basin, on northern Vancouver Island, British
Columbia. Fine-sediment transfer activity was monitored at a nested hierarchy of sites
representing fine-sediment transfers from unstable hillslopes to a gully channel, suspended
sediment transport out of the unstable gully and a nearby stable gully, and suspended sediment
transport in Russell Creek near the mouth.
Russell Creek Basin is located within Tsitika Watershed, which is the site of a British
Columbia Ministry of Forests study dedicated to determining relative fine-sediment contributions
from natural and logging-related sediment sources. The results of the Russell Creek study
indicate that an event-based sediment sampling program is desirable and that at least some
automated sampling is required. Furthermore, development of a qualitative sediment-transfer activity forecast model would be useful in interpretation of sample data and would allow efforts to
be concentrated during the periods of greatest sediment-transfer activity.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/4287 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Nistor, Craig |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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