River regulation imposes direct changes on flow and sediment delivery, producing a suite of
downstream responses in channel morphology. On the Peace River in northern British Columbia
and Alberta, the W.A.C. Bennett hydroelectric dam has reduced peak flows while leaving
sediment load effectively unchanged. My research aims to identify systematic, regulation-induced
patterns of channel gradation in the mainstem Peace and its tributaries below the dam.
The significance of regulation within the natural variability of basin hydrology is assessed by
comparing actual regulated river flows to simulated flows based on reservoir level fluctuations.
Mainstem bed elevation changes are assessed from repeatedly surveyed cross-sections and
specific gauge records, supplemented by analysis of channel planform change. Results show
degradation to be minimal, due to the naturally armoured gravel bed and elimination of
competent flows. The predominant pattern in the upper regulated reaches is one of aggradation
below tributary confluences and other sediment sources. In the long term, the Peace River may
be raising its proximal bed to compensate for a loss of sediment transport capacity since
regulation. Backchannel abandonment and other planform changes appear to be occurring more
slowly, and may be less important to river slope adjustment. Data from the lower river are few
and inconclusive. Tributary gradation was investigated by means of air photo, field surveys and
dendrochronology of young floodplains. These methods reveal a range of responses to
regulation, including degradation, aggradation and no apparent change. Degradation due to
reduced tributary base level appears to attenuate downstream as the Peace River flood is restored
by unregulated tributary flows, though this trend is complicated by other factors such as tributary
sediment supply, flood timing between tributary and mainstem, and ice activity. Aggradation
due to tributary fan growth may mitigate degradation; it is a less prominent response, though it
appears to predominate in the lower Smoky River. Regulation is a secondary effect in the
tributaries, and its influence on gradation has been limited. On the mainstem, however, it is a
primary change, and the resulting channel gradation will take a long time to complete. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/11963 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Ayles, Christopher P. |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Format | 35935587 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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